Connect to Existing Excel Application

This example shows how to read data from an open file, weekly_log.xlsx, in MATLAB^®.

MATLAB can access a file that is open by another application by creating a COM server from the MATLAB client, and then opening the file through this server.

Navigate to a folder containing an Excel^® file, for example, weekly_log.xlsx. Open the file in the Excel program.

Open the same file in MATLAB.

excelapp = actxserver('Excel.Application');
wkbk = excelapp.Workbooks;
wdata = Open(wkbk,'c:\work\weekly_log.xlsx');

Read data in the range D1 and F6 from sheet 2.

sheets = wdata.Sheets;
sheet12 = Item(sheets,2);
range = get(sheet12,'Range','D1','F6');
range.value

ans = 

    'Temp.'      'Heat Index'    'Wind Chill'
    [78.4200]    [        32]    [        37]
    [69.7300]    [        27]    [        30]
    [77.6500]    [        17]    [        16]
    [74.2500]    [        -5]    [         0]
    [68.1900]    [        22]    [        35]

Close(wkbk)
Quit(excelapp)