Expected ';' when trying to run excel macro with jscript

Question

Expected ';' when trying to run excel macro with jscript

2.4k Views Asked by user2460545 At 16 April 2025 at 16:03

I am writing a web page to serve as a front to access an excel workbook that generates a config file for some hardware. Currently this is just me testing the concept and getting familiar with how jscript automates excel.

My problem is when I try to run the macro, I keep getting an "Expected ';' error at line 46 Char 7." As far as I am aware the syntax is correct, and it works with a different excel workbook macro. I have already fixed the .dlls on my PC and checked IE settings, but what confuses me is why this won't work yet the other jscript runs just fine.

Works Fine: oXL.Run("ButtonTest.xlsm!Module1.buttonclick");

GIves Error: oXL.Run("test.xlsm!Module1.makeconfigs");

Full Code of my concept testing:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">


    <body>
<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="VBScript">

</SCRIPT>

<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JScript"> 
function AutomateExcel(store,direct,MdfFloor,MdfSW,Include)
{

   // Start Excel and get Application object.
      var oXL = new ActiveXObject("Excel.Application");
      var filename = "D:\\Profiles\\ngwx36\\Desktop\\test.xlsm"; 
      oXL.Visible = true;

   // Open Staging Workbook
      var oWB = oXL.Workbooks.Add(filename);


   // Place vars from input in correct cell
      oWB.Sheets("Instructions").Cells(1, 5).Value = store;
      oWB.Sheets("Instructions").Cells(2,5).Value = direct;
      oWB.Sheets("SWInventory").Cells(3,2).Value = MdfFloor;
      oWB.Sheets("SWInventory").Cells(3,6).Value = MdfSW;

   //checks to see if 3rd MDF needs to be included
      if (Include == "Yes"){
        oWB.Sheets("SWInventory").Cells(5,2).Value = "Included";
      }

   //fill 2 IDFs in to test atm
      oWB.Sheets("SWInventory").Cells(7,2).Value = "1";
      oWB.Sheets("SWInventory").Cells(7,3).Value = "1";
      oWB.Sheets("SWInventory").Cells(7,4).Value = "SW01";
      oWB.Sheets("SWInventory").Cells(7,6).Value = "EX2200C";
      oWB.Sheets("SWInventory").Cells(8,2).Value = "2";
      oWB.Sheets("SWInventory").Cells(8,3).Value = "2";
      oWB.Sheets("SWInventory").Cells(8,4).Value = "SW02";
      oWB.Sheets("SWInventory").Cells(8,6).Value = "EX2200C";

      window.alert("Filled Sheet Just Fine");
      //run config macro
      oXL.Run("test.xlsm!Module1.makeconfigs");
      window.alert("Process Complete");





}

</SCRIPT>
<Form Name=Input>
<p>
          <label>Store Name</label>
          <input type = "text"
                 name= "StoreName"
                 value = "" />
</p>
<p>
          <label>File Directory</label>
          <input type = "text"
                 name= "FilePath"
                 value = "" />
</p>
<p>
          <label>MDF Floor #</label>
          <input type = "text"
                 name= "MdfFloor"
                 value = "" />
</p>
<p>
          <label>MDF Type</label>
          <input type = "text"
                 name= "MdfType"
                 value = "Enter MDF SW TYpe" />
</p>
<p>
          <label>MDF Include</label>
          <input type = "text"
                 name= "MdfInc"
                 value = "3rd MDF Yes or No?" />
</p>

</form>
<P><INPUT id=button1 type=button value="Start Excel" 
          onclick="AutomateExcel Input.StoreName.Value,Input.FilePath.Value,Input.MdfFloor.Value,Input.MdfType.value,Input.MdfInc.Value">
</P>    

</body>
</html>

Update:

I haven't found out why I get the expected error, but I did implement a workaround fix by making a VBScript function that simply runs the macro. For some reason VB can run this specific macro but Jscript doesnt like to.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
    <body>
        <script language = "VBscript">
         function RunMacro()
            dim oXL
            Set oXL = GetObject(,"Excel.Application")
            oXL.Run "makeconfigs"
         end function
        </script>
        <Script Language = "jscript">
         function AutomateExcel(){
            var oXL = new ActiveXObject("Excel.Application");
            var filename = "D:\\Profiles\\ngwx36\\Desktop\\test.xlsm"; 
            oXL.Visible = true;

            var oWB = oXL.Workbooks.Add(filename);
            RunMacro();

         }
        </Script>

        <P><INPUT id=button1 type=button value="Start Excel" 
          onclick="AutomateExcel()">
</P>    

    </body>
</html>

Original Q&A

There are 5 best solutions below

**Wolfgang Kuehn** · Answer 1

This is a case of error code collision.

The JavaScript Engine maps 1004 to*Syntax Errors: expected ';'*, see JavaScript Syntax Errors

Office Automation maps code 1004 to Run-time Error 1004: Application-defined or object-defined error

If you make a call to an Office component (in your case Excel.Application) form JavaScript, a Run-time Error 1004 occurring in the component gets propagates to the JavaScript engine, which maps this code to a Syntax Errors: expected ';'.

Of course this type of error propagation is downright silly, thanks Microsoft.

So your problem is not with the JavaScript, but inside a call to an Office component, presumably the run() method.

**bellram** · Answer 2

//This works fine for me.

       function call_Macro(){
        try{
        var ExApp;
        var excel_file;
        ExApp = new ActiveXObject("Excel.Application");
        var excel_file = ExApp.Workbooks.Open("D:\\NewFolder\\FSO.xlsm"); 

        ExApp.Run("FSO.xlsm!MacroName");

        excel_file.Close();    // important
        excel_file = null;
        ExApp.Quit();
        ExApp = null;       
        }
        catch(ex)
        {
        alert(ex.message);
        excel_file.Close();    // important
        excel_file = null;
        ExApp.Quit();
        ExApp = null;   
        }
    }

**Justin Niessner** · Answer 3

Justin Niessner On 06 June 2013 at 16:41

The only line I see that is missing a semi-colon is your call to window.alert():

window.alert("Filled Sheet Just Fine")

Just add it back and I'm guessing you'll be fine.

**Blender** · Answer 4

Blender On 06 June 2013 at 16:42

You're missing a semicolon at the end of this line:

window.alert("Filled Sheet Just Fine")

**Teemu** · Answer 5

Looks like JScript is handling the onclick. Its syntax works with VBScript, but not with JScript. This can be fixed by adding a pseudo protocol:

onclick="VBScript: AutomateExcel Input.StoreName.Value, Input.FilePath.Value, ... "
      JScript expects ; here ---^

You can also use JScript, but then you need to enclose the arguments of AutomateExcel() to parenthesis, though I'm not sure if Input is defined for Jscript.

It's unclear to me, why an online event handler is sometimes interpreted with VBScript and sometimes with JScript. Maybe you want to ask a new question about this.

Expected ';' when trying to run excel macro with jscript

There are 5 best solutions below

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