use excel to input data into a program

[jrisebo]

We have a program we use for some work, its a exe file that runs in a dos window. It starts with a menu of 5 choices, and I would like to use excel to populate the menu choices, and also other operations. Is this something excel can do, or is there a better way? It would involve opening files too, then continuing on with the menu choices and data input.

The reason I want to use excel is because some of the questions are data intensive, and repetitive, and we already have the data in excel.

 

[sijpie]

To automate the whole thing within excel is going to be very very difficult I think.

But I am assuming the exe ask the same five question every time. At least there will be a set of standard questions in the menu. You could run a macro to run on your data sheet and produce the various answer(s) for the exe, so you don't need to do that manually. But to reliably interact with the EXE will be difficult.

 

[jrisebo]

any ideas how to automate input for a exe file? its a dos based exe, so it runs in a command window

 

[sijpie]

But to reliably interact with the EXE will be difficult.

Did you read my post at all?

 

[jrisebo]

Yes, any other ideas? (other than excel)

 

[sijpie]

• where lies most of the work?
  • Is it generating the data for input or is it just the tediousnes of the repetitive questions?
• Is there no alternative to this old program?
  • What is happening to the data the program generates?
  • Can that not be generated / processed in a different way?