Get path, filename, sheet and address of defined name in closed workbook

Question

This code can add a defined name to another workbook perfectly fine:

Sub AddDefinedName()
    Dim sPath As String
    Dim sFilename As String
    Dim sSheetname As String
    Dim sRangeAddress As String

    sPath = "C:\Me\Folder"
    sFilename = "source.xls"
    sSheetname = "Sheet1"
    sRangeAddress = "$A$1:$B$5"

    ThisWorkbook.Names.Add "Source", _
            RefersTo:="='" & sPath & "\[" & sFilename & "]" & sSheetname & "'!" & sRangeAddress
End Sub

And this code allows to get all the information IF the said workbook is open:

Sub GetDefinedName()
    Dim sPath As String
    Dim sFilename As String
    Dim sSheetname As String
    Dim sRangeAddress As String

    sPath = Range("Source").Parent.Parent.Path
    sFilename = Range("Source").Parent.Parent.Name
    sSheetname = Range("Source").Parent.Name
    sRangeAddress = Range("Source").Address

    MsgBox sPath
    MsgBox sFilename
    MsgBox sSheetname
    MsgBox sRangeAddress
End Sub

How can I get these when the workbook "source.xls" is closed (so I can open it through VBA).

Answer 1

You can use the Name object to get the address string, like this
(assuming you have defined the name as Workbook scope)

Dim nm as Name

Set nm = ThisWorkbook.Names("Source")
Debug.Print nm.RefersTo

This will give you the full path and address in the form

'=C:\Me\Folder\[source.xls]Sheet1'!$A$1:$B$5

Note: without the ''s if there are no spaces in the path, filename or sheet name

The above will return info for a specific named range. if you want to get info for all remote references, try using

ThisWorkbook.LinkSources

This will return an array of all link sources as strings. For links to other worksheets, it will be in the form

C:\Me\Folder\source.xls

Answer 2

You could just open it and close it again, I know it's not the same as "not opening it physically" but it does the same job. Just be aware that any macros that are in the "Source" workbook's Workbook_Open and Workbook_close will be fired when this code runs:

Sub GetDefinedName()
    Application.ScreenUpdate = False
    Dim sPath As String
    Dim sFilename As String
    Dim sSheetname As String
    Dim sRangeAddress As String



    sPath = Range("Source").Parent.Parent.Path
    sFilename = Range("Source").Parent.Parent.Name
    sSheetname = Range("Source").Parent.Name
    sRangeAddress = Range("Source").Address
    Application.Workbooks.Open sPath & sFilename


    MsgBox sPath
    MsgBox sFilename
    MsgBox sSheetname
    MsgBox sRangeAddress

    sFilename.close False
    Application.ScreenUpdate = True
End Sub