XL: Macro to Open the Most Recently Used File

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
• Microsoft Excel for Windows NT, version 5.0
• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, version 7.0

SUMMARY

In Microsoft Excel, you can access a list of the four most recently used files by selecting the File menu. The following macro opens the first file and displays the name of the third file in the list.

MORE INFORMATION

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The following macro will open the most recently used file. Before you run this macro you must make sure that the most recently used file list is turned on. To verify that this option is selected, choose Options from the Tools menu and then select the General tab. Make sure that the Recently Used File List box is checked.

Option Explicit

Sub MostRecentlyUsedFileList()

'Dimension the array to hold the file list

'Initialize a pointer for the array

'Find the position of the File List menuitem. This will be used as a
'starting location in the list of menuitems on the File menu.

'Begin loop that continues until it encounters the divider line that
'follows the end of the file list

    'Place the name of the menuitem into the variable called Item.
    'This name will include the ampersand, the number of the file in
    'the list, a space, then the file name itself.
    item = MenuBars("Worksheet").Menus("file").MenuItems(begin).Caption

    'Remove the first three characters of Item and place name in array
    files(arraypos) = Mid(item, 4, Len(item) - 3)

    'Increment counter for menuitem and pointer in array
    begin = begin + 1
    arraypos = arraypos + 1

   'opens the first file on the most recently used list
   Workbooks.Open filename:=files(0)

   'displays the name of the third file on the most recently used list
   MsgBox files(2)

End Sub