gistfile1.txt

'had to add the Excel and Office files from the COM tab in Add Reference, under Project menu item
Imports Excel = Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel

Public Class Form1

    Private Sub cmdAD_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles cmdAD.Click

        Dim ADdata(,) As Integer
        Dim xlApp As Excel.Application
        Dim xlWorkBook As Excel.Workbook
        Dim xlWorkSheet As Excel.Worksheet
        Dim range As Excel.Range
        Dim rCnt As Integer
        Dim cCnt As Integer
        Dim Obj As Object
        Dim myfile As String
        Dim mymessage As String


        'prompt to select XLS file to load into array
        myfile = ""
        If OpenFileDialog1.ShowDialog() = DialogResult.OK Then
            myfile = OpenFileDialog1.FileName
        End If

        xlApp = New Excel.Application
        xlWorkBook = xlApp.Workbooks.Open(myfile)
        xlWorkSheet = xlWorkBook.Worksheets("sheet1")
        range = xlWorkSheet.UsedRange

        'reads from left to right, top down
        For rCnt = 1 To range.Rows.Count
            For cCnt = 1 To range.Columns.Count
                Obj = CType(range.Cells(rCnt, cCnt), Excel.Range)
                'mymessage = "Row " & rCnt & " Col " & cCnt & " Value " & Obj.value()   <----  displays Row #, Col #, and Value 

                ADdata(rCnt, cCnt) = Obj.value
                MsgBox(Obj.value)
            Next
        Next

        'close file handles, release apps
        xlWorkBook.Close()
        xlApp.Quit()

        releaseObject(xlApp)
        releaseObject(xlWorkBook)
        releaseObject(xlWorkSheet)

    End Sub
    'garbage collection and clean up
    Private Sub releaseObject(ByVal obj As Object)
        Try
            System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.ReleaseComObject(obj)
            obj = Nothing
        Catch ex As Exception
            obj = Nothing
        Finally
            GC.Collect()
        End Try
    End Sub

    'ends program
    Private Sub cmdExit_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles cmdExit.Click
        Close()
    End Sub