Robotic Process Automation with Excellent Macro

Excellent Macro is a Robotic Process Automation (RPA) tool written in Excel and Visual Basic in the background. Because it's an Excel spreadsheet with your instructions written in the worksheet 'Macro', everyone using Excel can use Excellent Macro as well. You don't have to install new software and you don't have to buy plugins. A Visual Basic macro executes your instructions and does this faster, more accurate and with a better quality than you can do it yourself. So harvest data online, open and save SAP transactions, send your personilised emails, improve your business intelligence, it's easily done with Excellent Macro. 

Because 'Excellent Macro' is written in Excel, you have all the Excel functionalities at hand. As shown in figure 'Overview of sheets in 'Excellent Macro' you'll find the following sheets:

  1. Sheet 'Macro': This is the sheet where the macro start. 
  2. Sheet 'Macro database': One can store designed macro's here. An alternative is to save the 'Excellent Macro' workbook and create a new 'Excellent Macro' workbook in another folder and start a new task in this new workbook.
  3. Sheet 'Screen resolution': Mouse moves are influenced by the different screen resolutions on different computers. This sheet can be used to help with that specific issue. 
  4. Sheet 'Apps': A lot of different apps can be started with 'Excellent Macro'. And just add your special app and 'Excellent Macro' can start this app as well.
  5. Sheet 'Mouse': This sheet contains the several instructions to control your mouse.   
  6. Sheet 'Keys': Gives an overview of the different keystrokes 'Excellent Macro' can perform.
  7. Sheet 'Shortkey Library': Here one gets an overview of the different shortkeys which 'Excellent Macro' can handle.

 

Figure Overview of sheets in 'Excellent Macro'

 

 

Start 'Excellent Macro' from another workbook

One can start Excellent Macro from another Excel application with Visual Basic. Just call 'Batch_Shell' or 'Batch' in order to start the macro 'Perform_Macros'. Remark that when using 'Batch_Shell' first Display Statusbar and Screenupdating are set to off, the Conflict Resolution Dialog Box is deactivated and the calculation is set to manual. Then 'Perform_Macros' is performed. And Batch_Shell then sets Display Statusbar and Screenupdating back to on, activates the Conflict Resolution Dialog Box and sets calculation again to automatic.      

 

Figure Call Batch_Shell or Batch in 'Excellent Macro'

 

Sheet 'Macro'

As shown in the figure Sheet 'Macro' in 'Excellent Macro' there are two buttons: 'Macro' and 'Move'.

The button 'Macro' starts performing the code you have written in columns B untill K starting from row 3. 

Basically your code consists of an instruction with or without one or more variables:

  1. 'Wait 5' let's the computer wait for 5 seconds
  2. 'Move 315 1061' let the computer move the mouse to position {315, 1061}
  3. 'Text ABCDE' gives the computer the instruction to fill in the text ABCDE (remark that this example is not shown in the figure below)
  4. 'Left Mouse Double Click' let the computer perform a double click with the mouse
  5. 'Enter' let the computer perform the keystroke 'Enter'    

With the button 'Move' you'll get the the screen position of your mouse. You can use this option to determine the position of your mouse with respect of a button you have to push with a double click or a text you have to fill in. 

This is just a quick overview of the possibilities of 'Excellent Macro', but you can imagine the possibilities this tool can offer you to improve your efficiency.

 

Figure Sheet 'Macro' in 'Excellent Macro' (large picture) 

 

Sheet 'Screen Resolution'

The sheet 'Screen Resolution' gives you the flexibility with respect of the difference in screen resolutions of different computerscreens. Once you've determined the mouse position on the various computerscreens here you can select between the different computers. Because there is not an exact relation between the dimensions of computerscreens and the layout of the various apps, one has to determine the various mousepositions for the various computerscreens in order to make the code work on various computers.  

 

Figure Sheet 'Screen Resolution' in 'Excellent Macro' (large picture) 

 

Sheet 'Apps'

In the figure below several standard apps are shown. Remark that FIrefox and Opera couldn't start, for 'Folder and File' are not filled in. Once these programs are installed on the computer and Folder and File are filled in, these apps can start as well. One can add it's own applications by enlarging the list in the sheet 'Apps'. 

 

Figure Sheet 'Apps' in 'Excellent Macro' (large picture) 

 

Sheet 'Keys'

'Excellent Macro' supports in the sheet 'Keys' various keys and can activate them like keystrokes on your keyboard. Above in figure 'Sheet 'Macro' in 'Excellent Macro' ' the key ENTER is presented in capitals however 'Excellent Macro' is for Keys and Shortkeys not case sensitive.  

 

Figure Sheet 'Keys' in 'Excellent Macro' (large picture) 

 

Shortkey Library

For various apps 'Excellent Macro' supports shortkeys. In the sheet 'Shortkey Library' one can look for an app and check the function of the shortkey within a specific app. By default the shortkeys of the apps presented below are available in this shortkey library in 'Macro Express'. However it's easy to fill the list with documentation of your own app. And once an app is opened by 'Macro Express', the function keys respond in the way the specific app wants them to respond.  

 

Figure Sheet 'Shortkey Library' in 'Excellent Macro' (large picture)