Excel Process ID

[Powerguy]

Hi all,

I am looking for a way to get the Process id (or a handle) of an EXCEL
process created from within my code.

For example when the following code is executed:

Dim EXL As Excel.Application = New Excel.Application

a new instance of EXCEL.EXE is created in the task manager.

I am looking for some code (or ideas) of how to identify this
particular instance of EXCEL.EXE AS IT IS CREATED. I know I can use
something like this:

Dim localByName As Process() = Process.GetProcessesByName("excel")

but this code will give me ALL instances of EXCEL processes running on
the computer. I know I can also get the users of the processes but
what if I myself had just say 5 instances of EXCEL already running on
my computer?? How do I identify which is the Process Id of EXCEL
created (opened) by my code??

I'm sure some smart people out there have the answers! Appreciate any
help.

PowaGuy

[Tom Shelton]

Well, it looks like the Application object has an hWnd property that
returns a handle to the main application window... Using that information
and a little API majic, we can get what your after :)

Private Declare Function GetWindowThreadProcessId Lib "user32" ( _
ByVal hWnd As IntPtr, _
ByRef lpdwProcessId As IntPtr) As IntPtr

' create the excel instance...
Dim exl As Excel.Application = New Excel.Application

' let's get it's process!
Dim processId As IntPtr

' we ignore the return value, since we don't care
' about the thread id...
GetWindowThreadProcessId (exl.hWnd, processId)

Dim excelProcess As Process = Process.GetProcessById (processId.ToInt32())

That should do it :)
--
Tom Shelton [MVP]

[Powerguy]

Thanks Tom!!

Your Idea worked! I had to modify your code alittle bit to make it
work. The Modified code is as follows:

Private Declare Function GetWindowThreadProcessId Lib "user32" ( _

ByVal hWnd As Integer, _ <-- Needed to be changed to an Integer

ByRef lpdwProcessId As IntPtr) As IntPtr

' create the excel instance...
Dim exl As Excel.Application = New Excel.Application

' let's get it's process!
Dim processId As IntPtr

' we ignore the return value, since we don't care
' about the thread id...

GetWindowThreadProcessId(exl.Hwnd, processId)

Dim excelProcess As Process =
Process.GetProcessById(processId.ToInt32())

Debug.WriteLine(processId)
excelProcess.Kill()

I am now able to terminate the correct EXCEL process from within my
code if excel does not close properly. Thanks again Tom, You the
man!

Powaguy

Tom Shelton <t...@YOUKNOWTHEDRILLmtogden.com> wrote in message news:<15vlg6xhimm33$.1wdlesv3...@40tude.net>...

[Tom Shelton]

In article <7912f862.04090...@posting.google.com>, Powerguy wrote:
> Thanks Tom!!
>
> Your Idea worked! I had to modify your code alittle bit to make it
> work. The Modified code is as follows:
>

Well, that's what I get for posting code off the cuff :)

--
Tom Shelton [MVP]