I'm continuously participating in msdn discussion  group mainly in and
for excel  macros.

I've done some excel macros  to suit my official  purpose on my own, by
learning from net  and especially most of them from the tips  received
form the MVPs and other members in msdn discussion group.

I've done some macro  coded excel files  (a little bit  as far of my
knowledge), where no pivot  for snapshots and the predefined snapshot
will be automatically  updated when the user  changes the value in
a particular sheet.

Done a bit of progress  Bar event  (with labels) for my macro code
performance, so when my macro is running  my progress bar  will run
according to that.

Done a code, when the user closes the excel file, it will be
automatically emailed to me.

Small things  like this. And for your information, I'm into the excel
macro since August of this year. So I'm a 3 months baby here and have
to learn  a lot and lot from Extreme Gurus like you people.

Let me stop  my boring session  here and come to the matter.

Is it possible to make  PC to phone  calls using  Macro code  in excel?

This is my question. As far as I've done at least most of my need in
excel for my official purpose, I'm now concentrating on
this. Because, I'm working  in a Telecom Company, managing and
controlling all over India (my country FYKI) as my job  responsibility
for the daily  activities and statuses of the project, from our
Corporate office  in South India.

Not only myself, all my corporate people use to speak through mobile
phones at least 5-6 hours in our daily 8 hours duty. You people know,
using mobile  phones continuously is not good  for our health. Actually
this is my second option  to develop  this project. But my first option
is that, most of the times we use to update  the status  in our excel
sheet by speaking to the concerned person  in another hand. It is not
feasible and friendly. So,if we speak to them through microphone
headset, we can work  with ease.

And apart from these two reasons, I always have a Curiosity with me
to do something Creatively.

So I'm in need of doing this.

Please let me know  how can I achieve this. If at all not possible
through excel alone, please tell me what else I have to.

As I understand you ... You want to dial a number using  the contents of a
cell on a spreadsheet.

Assuming you have a modem in or attached to the PC, getting it to dial a
number is relatively easy.
If you don't then modems are very very cheap because everyone wants DSL!

I'd use a "good old batch file" and pass it the number as a parameter.
The batch file  would contain the AT commands to go off hook and dial the
number. These would be echoed to the com port the modem is attached to.

But FYI, I want this to be done in my office  computer where we are connected
to Internet through Wireless.

So, I don't think so I can connect a separate modem for this.

So, Will it be possible to dial a number using  the phone  dialer in Windows
through Internet.

: So, Will it be possible to dial a number using  the phone
: dialer in Windows through Internet.

Can you presently make  a telephone call via the internet?

I used the software called Skype and through which I made Overseas calls  to
mobile phones, also I made my city local land line and mobiles calls as well as
STD call to other cities in our country.

I did this by entering the number as +(country code)(0-for mobile  or STD/City
Code for Land Lines)Phone Number.

It worked well.

And I got the macro  program code  also from internet, but I'm unable to use it
as I don't know  to configure my phone  and Modem settings in my Control Panel.

I asked 3 of the guys who had posted the code and they said they too don't how
to confirgure the settings.

So having the code in hand, I'm unable to use it.

Can you or somebody please help me out....?

: I used the software called Skype and through which I made
: Overseas calls  to mobile  phones, also I made my city local land
: line and mobiles calls as well as STD call to other cities in
: our country.
:
: I did this by entering the number as +(country code)(0-for
: mobile or STD/City code  for Land Lines)Phone Number.
:
: It worked well.
:

Forgive the question, but I have never used these services.
What device did you enter the phone  number into? How is that
device connected to the internet? If the device is your PC then
you may be able to send keystrokes to that application via OLE
automation.

Skype Contact (http://skypecontact.4team.biz/) does something
similar for Outlook. Their approach seems to be using  the Skype
API, which probably requires C or Java skills.


: And I got the macro  program code also from internet, but I'm
: unable to use it as I don't know  to configure my Phone and Modem
: settings in my Control Panel.
:
: I asked 3 of the guys who had posted the code and they said
: they too don't how to confirgure the settings.
:
: So having the code in hand, I'm unable to use it.
:
: Can you or somebody please help me out....?

Can you provide a link or a source to this macro code? Is it a
VB macro?

Have you seen this document? It describes dialing out using a
web browser. Perhaps you could include (or build) a hyperlink in
your spreadsheet and activate the link to connect the call.

www.oreilly.com/.../hack43.pdf

I don't know  how far my suggestion gonna help u. Sometime back I had
copied a code  on pc-phone which is as under:

General declaration:

Option Explicit

Sub DialOut()
'Run fine with Window 95 not yet experimented in XP
Dim strDial As String
Dim intReturn As Long
strDial = ActiveCell.EntireRow.Columns("B").Value
intReturn = Shell("C:\Windows\Dialer.exe", 1)
'\ verify correct path and check for the exe file  of SKYPE and
substitute in the above given line.
Application.SendKeys (strDial & "%d")
End Sub

Now add one command button in excel  (Edit text as Dialer or whatever u
want) . right click and assign macro  (macro name - DialOut)
Copy and paste the code in the module.

How it works?

Add the name and the phone  number (pls chk the format of phone number of
the skype) in the same sheet  of command button. Select cell in a row on
sheet (say Sheet 1) that contains a name and phone number. Click on the
Dial button and Excel will start the Dialer applet and dial the phone
number in column B of the Row.

Note: This works fine with Window 95 dialer applet.

It's very simple VBA macro that uses Shell and SendKeys commands to dial
a phone number using  the Windows95 dialer applet. You need not have to
configure anything in control panel.

It seems to have gotten lost.
Have you tried/considered that?? and passing a telephone number to the bat
file as a parameter??

I don't know  about passinf AT commands to batch file  to accomplish that. And I
don't think I saw or got a file like that from you.

I have been very interested in what you have posted in the group,
but especially, I am curious as to what you meant by:
"Done a bit  of progress  Bar event  (with labels) for my macro  code
performance, so when my macro is running  my progress bar  will run
according to that."
I have seen several progress bar discussions on the web, but
haven't found one that I like yet.
I have been programing in VBA for a fairly short time, like you,
out of necessity from the tasks needed, but I am about to reach the
point where I might throw into the discussion  my ideas, since I have
benefited so much from the postings of others, as well. However, if
you have a minute, I would be interested in that code  about the
progress bar.