Convert Excel to PDF Using VBScript

Although UI automation nodes can replicate any manual task, scripting can be a more time-effective solution for some scenarios. For example, Robomotion users can efficiently convert Excel files to PDF using VBScript code instead of interacting with multiple Excel UI components.

What Convert Excel to PDF Using VBScript can do

• Build paths (Core.Programming.Function) — sets msg.fixtures_dir, msg.sample_xlsx (bundled sample.xlsx) and msg.output_dir under $Home$/templates/.../fixtures.
• Input Dialog (Core.Dialog.InputBox) titled Convert Excel to PDF, default msg.sample_xlsx → msg.excel_path; then a second dialog with default msg.output_dir → msg.destination_folder.
• Validate (Core.Programming.Function, outputs: 2) — requires an .xls/.xlsx path and a destination; computes msg.pdf_path = destination_folder\\ConvertedPDFfile.pdf and msg.script_path = destination_folder\\_convert.vbs. Invalid input routes to Core.Flow.Stop.
• Ensure destination (Core.FileSystem.Create, optType: directory, continueOnError: true) against msg.destination_folder.
• Build script (Core.Programming.Function) — substitutes ${EXCEL_PATH} and ${PDF_PATH} in the VBScript template (quoting backslashes and double quotes) → msg.vbs_body.
• Write VBS (Core.FileSystem.WriteFile, optMode: truncate, optBase64: false) to msg.script_path, then build msg.vbs_args = ['//Nologo', msg.script_path].
• Run script (Core.Process.StartProcess, inFilePath: cscript, optBackground: false) → msg.vbs_output, then Core.FileSystem.Delete on msg.script_path (continueOnError: true).
• Show done (Core.Dialog.MessageBox, info) titled The flow ran successfully. with msg.dialog_text = 'The generated PDF file is stored at: ' + msg.pdf_path, then Core.Flow.Stop.

Behind the scenes

• ExportAsFixedFormat 0, ... is Excel COM's xlTypePDF. The trailing 0, 1, 0, , , 0 sets quality (standard), include doc properties, ignore print areas — the positional semantics matter, so preserve the argument list verbatim.
• Path values are interpolated by escaping \\ and " in the Function node before being written into the VBScript literal, which avoids quote-injection when the source or destination contains awkward characters.
• The script exports the active sheet only, not every sheet in the workbook. Multi-sheet export requires a different, longer script that loops through Worksheets.
• _convert.vbs is written next to the PDF and deleted after cscript exits so no script artifact is left behind.