Using ActiveX Server with Excel

I'm following the example shown in Matlab documentation: http://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/matlab_external/example-reading-excel-spreadsheet-data.html

Some background I've looked at: Excel 2010 Developers Reference. https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/ff197266(v=office.14).aspx

Unfortunately, there's not much explanation for someone new to ActiveX:

1. Does this calculate the last occupied column? Is there a significance to '4'? It seems like this line should never be changed.

robj = exlSheet1.Columns.End(4)

3. How can I just import the entire worksheet without knowing how big the worksheet is?

dat_range = ['A1:G' num2str(numrows)]; % Read to the last row

It looks like you need to know beforehand with 'A1:G'. I suppose I could put in an arbitrary value such as 'A1:ZZ'.

Answer 1

[Gitesh Nandre]

1. That code is selecting the last cell (containing data) in the first column of the first worksheet of the excel.

4 is basically 'xldown' property. Check the following link:

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/ff820880.aspx

and also check this link:

http://www.excelforum.com/excel-programming-vba-macros/1004063-xldown-4121-4-why.html

3. You can use just the following code if you want to use the whole worksheet data:

dat_range = exlSheet1.UsedRange

Also, note that when you use COM interface for excel through MATLAB, you mostly deal with VBA code and little MATLAB code.

[David O'Brien]

Thanks for the sources and explanations!

I see. The xlsread was fine, but I wanted to try this ActiveX server to see if it speeds up reading multiple tabs with large amounts of data.