Example of using JavaScript (specifically JScript) to automate Excel. To execute, run 'cscript excel.js' at Command Prompt.

excel.js

// Imports - inspired by http://stackoverflow.com/a/10295725
var FS = new ActiveXObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject");
eval(FS.OpenTextFile("Util_GlobalsMgmt.js", 1).ReadAll());

// Set up Excel
var app = new ActiveXObject("Excel.Application");
var directory = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell").CurrentDirectory + '\\'
var wb = app.Workbooks.Open(directory + "excel_test.xlsx",  false)
var lo = wb.Worksheets("Sheet1").ListObjects("table_test")

// Do something
function change_data(lo) {
   with (lo.DataBodyRange.Cells(2, 1)) {
       Value2 = Math.random();
       return Value2
   }
}

var result = Utils_GlobalsMgmt.temp_disable_screenupdating(
    app, 
    function() { return change_data(lo); }
)

// Tear down Excel
Utils_GlobalsMgmt.temp_disable_displayalerts(app, function(){ wb.Save(); });
app.Quit();

WScript.Echo(result);

Utils_GlobalsMgmt.js

var Utils_GlobalsMgmt = {
    
    temp_disable_screenupdating: function(excel_app, func) {
        var original_setting = excel_app.ScreenUpdating
        excel_app.ScreenUpdating = false;
        var output = func();
        excel_app.ScreenUpdating = original_setting;
        return output;
    },

    temp_disable_displayalerts: function(excel_app, func) {
        var original_setting = excel_app.DisplayAlerts
        excel_app.DisplayAlerts = false;
        var output = func();
        excel_app.DisplayAlerts = original_setting;
        return output;
    }

}