GetNamedRangeFromExcel(RangeName, ExcelFile)

function MATLABValue = GetNamedRangeFromExcel(RangeName, ExcelFile)
%GETNAMEDRANGEFROMEXCEL Retrieve a named range from an Excel workbook
%  This function allow the user to retrieve a named range of cells inside
%  a MATLAB variable
%  
%  Inputs: 
%       RangeName is the name of the Excel range ("named range") we want to
%       retrieve in teh workbook
%
%       ExcelFile is the name of the worbook 
%
%  Outputs: 
%       MATLABValue is a matrix containing the content of the named range
%       from excel. If the named range is not found, an empty matrix is
%       returned and a warning is issued. IT si typically a cell array . If
%       one wants a numeric result, you have to call the cell2mat function

% Opening a link to excel

Excel = actxserver( 'excel.application' );
Excel.Visible = 0;
 
%Open the worbook specified as a function parameter
workbook = Excel.workbooks.Open( ExcelFile );
 
% Retrieve the number of named ranges in teh workbook
 
NamedRangeCount = Excel.ActiveWorkBook.names.count;
 
% Loop on each element of the collection

if NamedRangeCount > 0
    for ii=1:NamedRangeCount
        RName=get( Excel.ActiveWorkbook.names.Item( ii ) );
% Is it the variable we are looking for ?
        if ( strcmp(RName.Name, RangeName) )
% It is !
           RangeOfNamedCells  = RName.Value;
           RangeOfNamedCells(1) = [];
% Now we look in which sheet is located this variable
           pos = findstr(RangeOfNamedCells,'!');
           SheetName = RangeOfNamedCells(1: pos - 1);
% What is the position of this variable 
           NameOfTheRange = RangeOfNamedCells(pos + 1 : end);
% We go on the good sheet
           xlSheet = workbook.get('Sheets',SheetName);
% Get the content of the named range
           eRange = xlSheet.get('Range', NameOfTheRange);
           MATLABValue  = eRange.Value;
           break;
        end
    end
end
 
if ( ~exist('MATLABValue','var') )
    % Variable not found, send an empty matrix as result
    warning('The named range has not been found in the specified Workbook.');
    MATLABValue = [];
end;
 
% Close of the link to Excel
 
Excel.Quit;
Excel.delete;