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c#excelnetoffice

Creating a Name Range in Excel using NetOffice throws a COMException

I would like to create a Named Range in Excel from a NetOffice, but I cannot figure out how to invoke the method. Whatever the input, the underlying Excel Object throws a COMException with a generic HRESULT 0x800A03EC Error.

  • Excel version Office 365, 16.0.13001, 64 bits
  • NetOfficeFw package, version 1.7.4.11

I have no hint about what is wrong (syntax? Excel version? NetOffice version?).Is there a known bug on this method?

Thanks for your help!

    private void CreateNameRange(Workbook wb, Range range)
    {
        try
        {
            Name existingName = (Name)wb.Names.FirstOrDefault(); //works fine if a name already exists in Excel

            wb.Names.Add(); //throws
            wb.Names.Add("name1"); //throws
            wb.Names.Add("name1", range); //throws
            wb.Names.Add("name1", range.Address); //throws
            wb.Names.Add("name1", "F7"); //throws
            wb.Names.Add("myName", "=Sheet1!$F$7:$I$13"); //throws
            wb.Names.Add("myName", "'=Sheet1!$F$7:$I$13'"); //throws

            if (_wb.ActiveSheet is Worksheet ws) {
                ws.Names.Add("myname", "=Sheet1!$F$7:$I$13");  //throws as well
            }
        }
        catch (COMException e)
        {
            //always ends up here with Inner Exception : COMException (HRESULT 0x800A03EC)
        }
    }
Solution

  • Actually, the root cause of this issue was not the method itself, but when the method was called.

    I was trying to create Named Ranges from within a UDF Function but Excel considers this operation as unauthorized, along with other worksheet/data manipulation when calculation is being made, and that's why the COM Exception was raised.

    Bottom line : Named Ranges cannot be created when a workbook calculation is in progress.