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I am working with a list of 10,000 names, and need to copy info from Excel, paste it into a billing data system, and then paste it into a company data base type system.

Next I need to grab some info from the company system, go back to the billing system and paste it, and return to Excel to paste onto the list.

Finally, grab the next bit of info in Excel and start all over again.

I can write macros in each program to do the steps I need, but is there a way to have the last step of the macro to point to the next program, where I can run that macro?

Does Windows 7 switch between programs with it's macros?

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  • If or when possible I would use a Key/Mouse or mouse only macro tool, Program independant. But that only works when things are very similar, like you can bump by one line, and one line again, over and over till it is all done. I might point out that once the computer can do it without you, some places would just not require you, just so you know how important it is that a human is still needed :-)
    – Psycogeek
    Nov 22, 2011 at 16:31
  • Psycogeek - funny! I think I will still be needed, this is a one time job, and no one else in the office (for the most part) uses any macros at all - so I think I am safe. It has just been such a pain flipping between 3 programs, as it always (of course) wants to flip back to the one just left. I thought maybe a pause to verify what pasted was correct, then maybe just hit enter to continue.
    – Trudy
    Nov 22, 2011 at 16:47
  • I think you need a macro that creates some files as your favor, I think you need programming. for more help on code ask your coding questions in StackOverflow
    – shA.t
    Mar 17, 2015 at 19:08

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You can use AutoHotkey or AutoIt.

Both have window management commands that allow you to change focus.

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You can write an Excel macro and do everything from there. Any modern application has an API you can use to push or pull data (COM/.Net/web service) - those can easily be used from an Excel script.

If you have an old legacy system with no published API (has to be very old), you can use a command like SendKey to mimic keyboard activities and copy/paste data into the application. But generally speaking, importing/exporting from Excel in Windows can mostly always be accomplished by an Excel script.

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  • It was just the "switch to other program" part that was messing me up. I love macros, and use tons of them, in all my programs. But had never seen going outside the current program. Thanks for the help.
    – Trudy
    Nov 22, 2011 at 16:50

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