Excel's fullname property with OneDrive

2 min read 07-10-2024

The FullName Property in Excel: Navigating OneDrive's File System

Working with Excel files stored on OneDrive can be a breeze, but sometimes you need to access the full file path, especially when automating tasks or integrating with other applications. This is where Excel's FullName property comes in handy. However, understanding how this property interacts with OneDrive can be tricky. Let's dive into the details.

The Scenario: A OneDrive-Stored Workbook

Imagine you're working on a budget spreadsheet stored in your OneDrive folder. You're using VBA to automate some calculations and need to access the workbook's full path for further processing. You might use code like this:

Sub GetFullName()
  Dim wb As Workbook
  Set wb = ActiveWorkbook
  MsgBox wb.FullName
End Sub

This code aims to display the full path of the active workbook. But here's the catch: the FullName property doesn't always return the expected result when working with OneDrive files.

Understanding the Issue

The FullName property primarily targets the local file system. When you work with a file stored on OneDrive, the file is synced locally. This means the FullName property will reflect the local path, not the OneDrive URL.

Here's the difference:

Local File Path: C:\Users\YourName\OneDrive\Documents\Budget.xlsx
OneDrive URL: https://onedrive.live.com/view.aspx?resid=...

The Solution: Using OneDrive's API

To get the full OneDrive URL, you'll need to utilize the OneDrive API. This involves making a request to OneDrive's servers to retrieve the file's metadata, which includes its unique ID and URL.

There are various ways to access the OneDrive API:

Using a REST API Client Library: Libraries like Python's requests or JavaScript's fetch can help make API calls more manageable.
Using Microsoft Graph: Microsoft Graph provides a unified API for accessing data across various Microsoft services, including OneDrive.

Here's a simplified example using JavaScript's fetch to retrieve the OneDrive URL of a file:

async function getOneDriveUrl(fileId) {
  const url = `https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/drive/items/${fileId}`;
  const response = await fetch(url, {
    headers: {
      Authorization: `Bearer ${accessToken}` // Replace with your access token
    }
  });
  const data = await response.json();
  return data['@microsoft.graph.downloadUrl'];
}

Note: Obtaining an access token is crucial for authenticating your API requests to OneDrive.

Conclusion: A Comprehensive Approach

While Excel's FullName property might seem like a straightforward solution, it's important to understand its limitations when dealing with OneDrive files. Using the OneDrive API provides a more reliable and robust approach for accessing file information, including the full OneDrive URL. By combining the power of Excel with OneDrive's API, you can seamlessly integrate your automation processes with cloud-based storage, unlocking a world of possibilities.

Additional Resources:

Microsoft Graph documentation: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/
OneDrive API documentation: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/onedrive/developer/rest-api/
Using the OneDrive API with Python: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/onedrive/developer/rest-api/getting-started/python
Using the OneDrive API with JavaScript: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/onedrive/developer/rest-api/getting-started/javascript