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Work with Excel and Bloomberg
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ConfusedHi,

I am going to develop one investment software in which I need to download data from Bloomberg. I can download using 'Bloomberg menubar' on Bloomberg workstation, but I want to do this programmatically by using Bloomberg API and excel VBA. Can anyone help me in this issue?
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Shocked
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You can probably initiate the Bloomberg API within the VBA code and then make calls based on available functions with the API.  A full list of fields available for the Bloomberg API can be found at [http://about.bloomberg.com/software/info_api.html].

An example of initiating and using this once logged in to Bloomberg could be:

VBA Code:
ChNo = Application.DDEInitiate(app:="BLP", topic:="S")

BBQuery = " ' " & ISIN & Corp & ", [RTG_SP] ' "

BBList = Application.DDERequest(ChNo, BBQuery)

Alternatively, you could download the Bloomberg ActiveX control (available from [http://about.bloomberg.com/software/api_tools.html]) and interact with that from within your Excel VBA Code.
 Excel Business Forums Administrator
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Confused
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Hi,

Thanks for your reply. I've already started my development using BB's ActivieX control for VBA and for now I should do my development on BB installed/licensed machine. Then only I can download data from BB. Is this an only way to develop an application using the BB API?

Can I use the following code to contact BB from a non-BB licensed (my development) machine?

VBA Code:
ChNo = Application.DDEInitiate(app:="BLP", topic:="S")

BBQuery = " ' " & ISIN & Corp & ", [RTG_SP] ' "

BBList = Application.DDERequest(ChNo, BBQuery)

Thank you once again and looking forward to your reply.
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Shocked
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I think that the issue here would be the Bloomberg security.  If you can login to Bloomberg from the remote machine then this may be possible.

One possibility would be to use VBA code to initiate the Bloomberg login window and then use a Send Keys command to enter the credentials.

VBA Code:
Sub BBlogin()
    Dim BBwindow As Long
    BBwindow = FindWindow(vbNullString, "1-BLOOMBERG")
    If BBwindow = 0 Then
        MsgBox "Error - cannot find Bloomberg login window."
        Exit Sub
    End If
    ShowWindow BBwindow, SW_SHOWNORMAL    
    Application.SendKeys "username", false
    Application.SendKeys "{TAB}", false
    Application.SendKeys "password", false
    Application.SendKeys "~", false
End Sub
 Excel Business Forums Administrator
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Confused
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Sorry I am not sure if this is the correct forum, but I am looking for courses on how to use Bloomberg with Excel VBA. I have been developing VBA application for many years but have never retrieved data from Bloomberg. Any resources will be appreciated.
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Confused
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Hi Russell,

Sorry! After long time I come back to you. Thanks for your reply. Currently, I have just split my BB data downloading code in VBA from other part of my module because later on I can just add that Excel VBA file into my project.

Alangrn,

If you have a Bloomberg licenced machine, then you can download the documentation for VBA, .NET...etc from Bloomberg's help itself.
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Happy
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Hi!

If you know then just look at the WAPI on the BB or BBXL. If you use ActiveX (which is a lot better than DDE) then you do not have to be logged into Bloomberg but you have to be on a BB computer. Also you must add the BB data type lib to your macro references. If you are doing this for work then ignore the DDE statements in this post. ActiveX is required to use if you want some form of stability.
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Confused
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Let me have some more information on what you want to download and I can help further perhaps.
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Confused
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freddiemac,

If we use DDE,  can we still download BB data from non-BB computer by providing authentication information?

Also, can you tell me more about DDE and difference in using DDE and ActiveX Control? and, can we use excel vba to work with DDE?
    
Actually, I want to download large amount of historical data from BB and now I am using ActiveX object to do that. My concern here is that I would like to keep my program away from the BB computer. Is there any other suggestion on this?

Thanks in advance.
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Confused
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Hi! If you want to download a large list of historical info the best way is to use ActiveX, asynchronous request, subscription by request. In my experince that is by far the fastest and most reliable way to do it. If you go to the WAPI<go> and then search for ad hoc examples for ActiveX then you will find a Xl-file called SimpleSynchronous. In the file you can see the diffence subscription modes. It is very easy to modify the code in that example.

I strongly advice against using DDE. When using ActiveX asynchronous request, subscription by request you can send a matrix to BB and get a matrix back ie you only have to ask one question to BB even though you want eg 10 diffenets info fields for 150 different securities. VBA usually hangs when you have a long loop which you have to have when using DDE. Thus DDE is by no means recommended (if you want to keep your job..). ActiveX is a bit more trick since you have a class module. However by using the example I reffered you to you only have to modify a bit in order for it to work so you really dont need to know much programming. Please let me know if I can further assit you! HTH
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Oops
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Oh I forgot. if you want to have the macro at another computer is a bit more tricky. I advise aganist it because it might work in theory but in realy life it will probably hang quite often. you can however connect 2 xls files to each other if they are on the same network. Note that this in practice requires ActiveX. DDE requires that you are logged in to the BB. Doing that from a distant is doable by using SendKeys (but it is only doable in theory since it will work 1 out of 10 times). Needless 2 say I advice against. ActiveX does not require that you are logged in. In sum if you are on the same network it is doable. However mind the legalities involved...
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