Question

I have created a console application and have it working the way I want it to. Using the “Add Item” > “Add Windows Form” option in VS2010, it has automatically created what I need. I have added a button and code to retrieve an Excel file (below) My question is:

How do I take the file they have created and use it in my program.cs “Main” area?

The code for the OpenFileDialog button click event, from the Form1.cs:

private void btnSelect_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
OFD.openFileDialog OFD = new OpenFileDialog();
OFD.Multiselect = false;
OFD.Title = "Open Excel Document";
OFD.Filter = "Excel Document|*.xlsx;*.xls";
OFD.ShowDialog();
string docPath = OFD.FileName;
}

That part of my static main event I wish to make “docPath” from the program.cs file

static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        var excel = new ExcelQueryFactory();
        excel.FileName = @"C:\Users\Christopher\Desktop\BookData\TestResults.xls";
       <...code executed on opened excel file...>
     }

Thank you for your time.

This is my completed solution:

class Program
{
    [STAThread]
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {

        var excel = new ExcelQueryFactory();
        OpenFileDialog OFD = new OpenFileDialog();
        OFD.Multiselect = false;
        OFD.Title = "Open Excel Document";
        OFD.Filter = "Excel Document|*.xlsx;*.xls";
        OFD.ShowDialog();
        string filePath = OFD.FileName;
        excel.FileName= filePath.ToString();
        <.the rest of my program is below...>
    }  
}

Answer 1

1. Right click your Console application, add reference, System.Windows.Forms.
2. Add using System.Windows.Forms; to the beginning of your file.
3. Add the [STAThread] attribute to your Main to make it compatible with the open file dialog.

---

[STAThread]
public static void Main(string[] args)
{
    var dialog = new OpenFileDialog
                     {
                         Multiselect = false,
                         Title = "Open Excel Document",
                         Filter = "Excel Document|*.xlsx;*.xls"
                     };
    using (dialog)
    {
        if (dialog.ShowDialog() == DialogResult.OK)
        {
            var excel = new ExcelQueryFactory { FileName = dialog.FileName };
            // code executed on opened excel file goes here.
        }
    }
}