Run VBA script from R

calendar_today Asked Oct 16, 2013
thumb_up 6 upvotes
history Updated April 14, 2026

Direct Answer

Write a VBscript wrapper that calls your VBA. See Way to run Excel macros from command line or batch file? Run your VBscript via R's system or shell functions. This is an advisory response with reference links, ranked #69th of 95 by community upvote score, from 2013.


The Problem (Q-score 7, ranked #69th of 95 in the VBA Core archive)

The scenario as originally posted in 2013

I have to manage a workflow involving R-scripts and VBA-code.
I would like to run the process in R (where most of my code is) and now and then to call VBA-code for specific calculation. I would prepare the inputs for VBA in R, write somewhere the results (.csv, database) and then use the results in the rest of the R-script.
The best would be of course to move the whole code into R but this is for now not possible. The VBA-code is fairly complex. Translating this into R will be a challenging long-term task.
Is there any possibility to manage in R such a work-flow?

Why community consensus is tight on this one

Across 95 VBA Core entries in the archive, the accepted answer here holds niche answer (below median) status — meaning voters are unusually aligned on the right fix.


The Verified Solution — niche answer (below median) (+6)

Advisory answer — community consensus with reference links

Note: the verified answer below is a reference / advisory response rather than a copy-ready snippet.

  1. Write a VBscript wrapper that calls your VBA. See Way to run Excel macros from command line or batch file?

  2. Run your VBscript via R’s system or shell functions.


When to Use It — classic (2013–2016)

Ranked #69th in its category — specialized fit

This pattern sits in the 95% tail relative to the top answer. Reach for it when your scenario closely matches the question title; otherwise browse the VBA Core archive for a higher-consensus alternative.

What changed between 2013 and 2026

The answer is 13 years old. The VBA Core object model has been stable across Office 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 365, and 2024/2026 LTSC, so the pattern still compiles. Changes that might affect you: 64-bit API declarations (use PtrSafe), blocked macros in downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), and the shift toward Office Scripts for web-first workflows.

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Frequently Asked Questions

This is a below-median answer — when does it still fit?
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Answer score +6 vs the VBA Core archive median ~4; this entry is niche. The score plus 7 supporting upvotes on the question itself (+7) means the asker and 5 subsequent voters all validated the approach.

This answer links out — what are the reference links worth following?
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Read the first external link for the canonical reference, then search this archive for a top-10 entry in the same category — advisory answers are best paired with a ranked code snippet to close the loop.

Published around 2013 — what’s changed since?
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Published 2013, which is 13 year(s) before today’s Office 2026 build. The VBA Core object model has had no breaking changes in that window. Three things to re-test: (1) blocked macros on downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), (2) 64-bit API declarations (PtrSafe, LongPtr), (3) any shift toward Office Scripts for web scenarios.

Which VBA Core pattern ranks just above this one at #68?
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The pattern one rank above is “VBA equivalent to SQL 'in' function”. If your use case overlaps, compare both before committing.

Data source: Community-verified Q&A snapshot. Q-score 7, Answer-score 6, original post 2013, ranked #69th of 95 in the VBA Core archive. Last regenerated April 14, 2026.

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