# Using the SaveAs in Excel not working with Ruby **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [December 12, 2006, 3:02pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-the-saveas-in-excel-not-working-with-ruby/79142 "2006-12-12T15:02:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2006, 3:02pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-the-saveas-in-excel-not-working-with-ruby/79142/1 "2006-12-12T15:02:08Z")
Hi; I need to save an Excel Spreadsheet with Ruby. I used the Save AND SaveAs methods, but each time I get prompted “Do you want to save the changes you made…” How can I save the workbook without this prompt. In addition, is there away to add a timestamp to the save file like…application12122006.xls or any format that contains a time stamp? ---
**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2006, 3:30pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-the-saveas-in-excel-not-working-with-ruby/79142/2 "2006-12-12T15:30:17Z")
removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid wrote: > How can I save the workbook without this prompt. Where xl is your Excel Application object and wb is your Workbook object… xl.DisplayAlerts = 0 wb.SaveAs(xlsname) xl.DisplayAlerts = 1 > In addition, is there away to add a timestamp to the save file > like…application12122006.xls or any format that contains a time > stamp? Something like this… xlsname = ‘application’ + Time.now.strftime("%m%d%y") + ‘.xls’ Mully ---
**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2006, 3:40pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-the-saveas-in-excel-not-working-with-ruby/79142/3 "2006-12-12T15:40:18Z")
Thanks…that did the trick! ---
**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2006, 4:34pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-the-saveas-in-excel-not-working-with-ruby/79142/4 "2006-12-12T16:34:37Z")
I am guessing the (0) in close(0) refers to the number of the book that is open, which could mean that if you had a book open and you open a new book, then this will fail. try close(“SomeFile.xls”) and let me know if that works. I know from the VBA that you could refer to the book by using the filename as the reference. the all open workbooks lie in a collection hence the need for a reference. it’s been a long time since I have done any VBA, which is a good thing! ivor ---
**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2006, 3:44pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-the-saveas-in-excel-not-working-with-ruby/79142/5 "2006-12-12T15:44:18Z")
removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid wrote: > Hey I think you can use book.close passing either 1 or 0 (I can’t remember which) Also, I can’t remember if you need to call SaveAs first. This should work: book = #get workbook book.SaveAs “SomeFile.xls” book.close(0) Hope this helps Gustav P. ---
**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2006, 8:01pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-the-saveas-in-excel-not-working-with-ruby/79142/6 "2006-12-12T20:01:51Z")
The (0) tells it to not save changes, letting you bypass the dialog that asks you to do so. The object browser says: Sub Close([SaveChanges], [Filename], [RouteWorkbook]) So I’m assuming 0 = false and 1 = true. Not sure about the [RouteWorkbook]. VBA isn’t so bad when you can do it in Ruby! 😉 Nate ---
**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2006, 10:00pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-the-saveas-in-excel-not-working-with-ruby/79142/7 "2006-12-12T22:00:43Z")
Ok, this code provides the date… xlsname = ‘application’ + Time.now.strftime("%m%d%y") + ‘.xls’ If i want to add a time stamp to? is it ("%m%d%y%h%mm%s")???