Get Cell Value

Retrieves the value in a specific cell of an opened Excel file.

Common Properties

• Name - The custom name of the node.
• Color - The custom color of the node.
• Delay Before (sec) - Waits in seconds before executing the node.
• Delay After (sec) - Waits in seconds after executing node.
• Continue On Error - Automation will continue regardless of any error. The default value is false.

info

If the ContinueOnError property is set to true, no error is caught when the project is executed even if a Catch node is used.

Input

• Excel File Descriptor - ID of the Excel file descriptor where the cell value will be retrieved from. This ID is generated by the Open Excel or the Create Excel node.
• Cell - Address of the cell in the format of column letter and row number (e.g. A1). If Active Cell is selected for target, this field may be left empty.

Output

• Cell Value - The value in the specified cell.

Options

• Target - Select where to get the cell value
  • Active Cell - Gets the current active cell value
  • Specific Cell - Gets the current cell value by specifying the cell address

How It Works

1. Validates Input: Checks that file descriptor is provided
2. Verifies Cell: If specific-cell target, validates that cell reference is provided
3. Retrieves Handle: Gets the Excel file handle from the descriptor
4. Determines Cell: Based on target option, uses either active cell or specified cell
5. Reads Value: Retrieves the cell value from the active sheet
6. Processes Options: Applies optional processing:
   • Raw Value: Returns numeric values as numbers instead of strings
   • Is Formula: Calculates formula result instead of formula text
   • Include Hyperlinks: Returns value with hyperlink if present
7. Returns Value: Outputs the cell value

Requirements

• The Excel file must be opened with Open Excel or created with Create Excel
• A valid file descriptor must be provided
• When using specific-cell target, a valid cell reference must be provided
• When using active-cell target, an active cell must be set

Error Handling

Error Code	Description	Solution
Core.Excel.GetCellValue.ErrOnCreate	Configuration parsing failed	Check node configuration is valid
Core.Excel.GetCellValue.ErrOnMessage	Message parsing failed	Verify input message format
Core.Excel.GetCellValue.ErrFileDescriptor	File descriptor is empty or file not found	Ensure file is opened/created before getting value
Core.Excel.GetCellValue.ErrCell	Cell reference is empty for specific-cell	Provide valid cell reference when using specific-cell
Excel.GetCellValue.ErrCalCellValue	Failed to calculate formula	Check formula is valid
Excel.GetCellValue.ErrCellValue	Failed to get cell value	Verify cell reference is valid
Excel.GetCellValue.ErrCellType	Failed to get cell type	Check cell exists and is accessible

Usage Examples

Example 1: Get Specific Cell Value

Read value from a specific cell:

- Open Excel (data.xlsx) -> fileDesc
- Get Cell Value:
  - Excel File Descriptor: fileDesc
  - Cell: "A1"
  - Target: specific-cell
  -> cellValue
- Log ("Cell A1 contains: {{cellValue}}")
- Close Excel (fileDesc)

Example 2: Get Active Cell Value

Read value from the currently active cell:

- Open Excel (report.xlsx) -> fileDesc
- Set Active Cell (fileDesc, "B5")
- Get Cell Value:
  - Excel File Descriptor: fileDesc
  - Target: active-cell
  -> value
- Close Excel (fileDesc)

Example 3: Get Formula Result

Calculate and return formula result:

- Open Excel (calculations.xlsx) -> fileDesc
- Get Cell Value:
  - Excel File Descriptor: fileDesc
  - Cell: "C10"
  - Target: specific-cell
  - Is Formula: true
  -> result
- // Returns calculated value, not formula text
- Close Excel (fileDesc)

Example 4: Get Raw Numeric Value

Get numbers as numeric type instead of string:

- Open Excel (numbers.xlsx) -> fileDesc
- Get Cell Value:
  - Excel File Descriptor: fileDesc
  - Cell: "D5"
  - Target: specific-cell
  - Raw Value: true
  -> numericValue
- // Returns 123.45 as number, not "123.45" as string
- Close Excel (fileDesc)

Example 5: Get Value with Hyperlink

Retrieve cell value and its hyperlink:

- Open Excel (links.xlsx) -> fileDesc
- Get Cell Value:
  - Excel File Descriptor: fileDesc
  - Cell: "E2"
  - Target: specific-cell
  - Include Hyperlinks: true
  -> cellData
- // Returns object with Text and Hyperlink properties
- Close Excel (fileDesc)

Usage Notes

• By default, cell values are returned as strings
• Use Raw Value option to get numeric values as numbers
• Use Is Formula option to calculate formulas and get results
• Include Hyperlinks returns an object with Text and Hyperlink properties
• Empty cells return empty string ("")
• The node reads from the currently active sheet
• For formula cells, default behavior returns the formula text, not the result
• DateTime values are returned in Excel's internal format unless formatted

Tips

• Use specific-cell target when you know the exact cell address
• Use active-cell target when iterating through cells or after searching
• Enable Raw Value when reading numbers for calculations or comparisons
• Enable Is Formula to get calculated results from formula cells
• Use Get Range instead for reading multiple cells at once
• Combine with conditional logic to process cell values
• For reading multiple values, consider using Get Row or Get Column
• Use Set Active Cell before Get Cell Value for dynamic cell reading

Related Nodes

• Set Cell Value - Write values to cells
• Get Range - Read multiple cells at once
• Get Row - Read entire row
• Get Column - Read entire column
• Set Active Cell - Change active cell
• Set Formula - Write formulas to cells