Scripting Blog

A place to learn about PowerShell and share stories of automation

Hey, Scripting Guy! How Can I Read Microsoft Excel Metadata?

Hey, Scripting Guy! I have a VBScript script that reads Microsoft Office Excel metadata. I would like to update the script to Windows PowerShell, but can I do this? I tried using New-Object to create the Excel.Application object but somehow it does not seem to work. What gives? I thought Windows PowerShell could do everything VBScript can do...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How Can I Write to Excel Without Using Excel?

Hey, Scripting Guy! I need to be able to write information to an Excel file. I do not want to install Microsoft Office Excel on my server, but the spreadsheet format is a nice way to store information. I can then give it to my pointy-headed boss, and he can create pivot tables, charts, or whatever exactly it is he does all day. Basically, ...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How Can I Read from Excel Without Using Excel?

Hey, Scripting Guy! I have an Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheet with server names in it, and I would like to be able to use this in a Windows PowerShell script. The thing is, I do not have Microsoft Office or Excel installed on the server. How can I use this spread sheet without installing Office on my server (which I understand is ...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How Can I Summarize Information Found in a Spreadsheet Row?

Hey, Scripting Guy! I have an Excel spreadsheet that tracks daily time for our employees, indicating whether the employee worked on a given day or took some type of leave (paid leave, leave without pay, sick leave, etc.). Is there a way to output a report showing the various leave types taken by each employee, along with the dates those ...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How Can I Prevent Office Excel From Turning My Imported Numbers Into Dates?

Hey, Scripting Guy! I have a CSV file, and every time I open that file in Office Excel my numbers get converted to dates. How can I import numbers as numbers?-- JR Hey, JR. You know, just yesterday the Scripting Guy who writes this column learned about Yelo, an interesting little company based in New York City. So what does Yelo do? Well, ...