Load XML into Excel through VBA

Question

I've got a bit of VBA that is loading an XML file through VBA. However when it is imported it is all in one column and not split into a table.

When I manually import this through the Data tab I get the warning there is no schema but asks if I would like Excel to create one based on source data. This then places all the data in a nice table.

I would like this to happen automatically within my current VBA code:

VBA looks like

      Sub refresh()

'--------------------------------1. Profile IDs-----------------------------------'


'date variables

Dim start_period As String
start_period = Sheets("Automated").Cells(1, 6).Value
Dim end_period As String
end_period = Sheets("Automated").Cells(1, 7).Value

'report id variable names
Dim BusinessplanningReportID As String

'--------------------------------REST queries--------------------------------'
Dim Businessplanning As String



'REST query values
Businessplanning = "URL;http://api.trucast.net/2/saved_searches/00000/pivot/content_volume_trend/?apikey=0000000&start=" + start_period + "&end=" + end_period + "&format=xml"




'--------------------------------------------Data connections-----------------------------------'
'key metrics
With Worksheets("Sheet1").QueryTables.Add(Connection:=Businessplanning, Destination:=Worksheets("Sheet1").Range("A1"))

  .RefreshStyle = xlOverwriteCells
  .SaveData = True

End With

Currently the data then presents itself like this, unstructured. How can I automatically turn this into a table?

<result>
<entry>
<published_date>20130201</published_date>
<post_count>18</post_count>
</entry>

Thanks,

::Final solution::

 Sub XMLfromPPTExample2()
Dim XDoc As MSXML2.DOMDocument
Dim xresult As MSXML2.IXMLDOMNode
Dim xentry As MSXML2.IXMLDOMNode
Dim xChild As MSXML2.IXMLDOMNode
Dim start_period As String
    start_period = Sheets("Automated").Cells(1, 6).Value
    Dim end_period As String
    end_period = Sheets("Automated").Cells(1, 7).Value
Dim wb As Workbook
Dim Col As Integer
Dim Row As Integer


Set XDoc = New MSXML2.DOMDocument
XDoc.async = False
XDoc.validateOnParse = False
XDoc.Load ("http://api.trucast.net/2/saved_searches/0000/pivot/content_volume_trend/?apikey=00000&start=" + start_period + "&end=" + end_period + "&format=xml")
LoadOption = xlXmlLoadImportToList

Set xresult = XDoc.DocumentElement
Set xentry = xresult.FirstChild


Col = 1
Row = 1

For Each xentry In xresult.ChildNodes
 Row = 1


    For Each xChild In xentry.ChildNodes
      Worksheets("Sheet2").Cells(Col, Row).Value = xChild.Text
             'MsgBox xChild.BaseName & " " & xChild.Text
      Row = Row + 1
      'Col = Col + 1

          Next xChild
'Row = Row + 1
Col = Col + 1
Next xentry

End Sub

Solution

THE "HARD CODED" WAY IS THIS:

Starting from this

<result>
   <entry>
      <published_date>20130201</published_date>
      <post_count>18</post_count>    
   </entry>
  <entry>
      <published_date>20120201</published_date>
      <post_count>15</post_count>    
   </entry>

and you want to obtain an excel with two column:

**published_date** |  **post_count**
20130201       |           18
20120201       |           15

so that we can assume that in your XML you will always have

<result><entry><Element>VALUE</Element><Element...n>VALUE</Element...n></entry>

IMPORTANT: Open up VBA editor in PowerPoint, Excel.. Word and add references to "Microsoft XML, v3.0" (this reference is for Office 2000... you might have others).

Source: http://vba2vsto.blogspot.it/2008/12/reading-xml-from-vba.html

Employee.XML

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<EmpDetails>
<Employee>
<Name>ABC</Name>
<Dept>IT-Software</Dept>
<Location>New Delhi</Location>
</Employee>
<Employee>
<Name>XYZ</Name>
<Dept>IT-Software</Dept>
<Location>Chennai</Location>
</Employee>
<Employee>
<Name>IJK</Name>
<Dept>HR Operations</Dept>
<Location>Bangalore</Location>
</Employee>
</EmpDetails>

CODE TO READ ABOVE XML

Sub XMLfromPPTExample()
Dim XDoc As MSXML2.DOMDocument
Dim xEmpDetails As MSXML2.IXMLDOMNode
Dim xEmployee As MSXML2.IXMLDOMNode
Dim xChild As MSXML2.IXMLDOMNode

Set XDoc = New MSXML2.DOMDocument
XDoc.async = False
XDoc.validateOnParse = False
XDoc.Load ("C:\Emp.xml")
Set xEmpDetails = XDoc.documentElement
Set xEmployee = xEmpDetails.firstChild
For Each xEmployee In xEmpDetails.childNodes
For Each xChild In xEmployee.childNodes
MsgBox xChild.baseName & " " & xChild.Text
Next xChild
Next xEmployee
End Sub

In your case, of course, you need to adapt your routine:

result --> EmpDetails in the code provided
entry --> Employee in the code provided

plus any other necessary adjustment.

---

In this way you can have as much as many "entry" and "entry child" elements you want.

In fact, looping through all the elements inside your "entry" you will get your COLUMN, then every new entry is a new ROW.

Unfortunately, I don't have excel on the MAC so I just put the logic, you should check the sintax your own... in this way you build a EXCEL table on the worksheet you want.

Dim col = 1; Dim row=1;

For Each xEmployee In xEmpDetails.childNodes
    col = 1
    For Each xChild In xEmployee.childNodes
       Worksheets("NAMEOFTHESHEET").Cells(col, row).Value = xChild.Text
       MsgBox xChild.baseName & " " & xChild.Text
       col = col + 1;
    Next xChild
row = row+1;
Next xEmployee

THE CORRET WAY SHOULD BE THIS:

LoadOption:=xlXmlLoadImportToList?

You are getting the XML from a URL call, but I strongly suggest to try to work with an XML file on disk at the beginning, and check if it's correctly valid. So what you should do is get a sample XML from this "WebService" then save it on disk. An try load it in the following way:

   Sub ImportXMLtoList()
    Dim strTargetFile As String
    Dim wb as Workbook

         Application.Screenupdating = False
         Application.DisplayAlerts = False
         strTargetFile = "C:\example.xml"
         Set wb = Workbooks.OpenXML(Filename:=strTargetFile,        LoadOption:=xlXmlLoadImportToList)
         Application.DisplayAlerts = True

         wb.Sheets(1).UsedRange.Copy ThisWorkbook.Sheets("Sheet2").Range("A1")
         wb.Close False
         Application.Screenupdating = True
    End Sub