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x315307's avatar
x315307
Copper Contributor
Apr 10, 2025
Solved

Extract image from http response and save it to local folder

Below excel macro code triggers provider to generate an image in .png format:

 

Sub GetImg ()
    Dim MyRequest As Object

    Set MyRequest = CreateObject("WinHttp.WinHttpRequest.5.1")
    MyRequest.Open "GET", _
    "https://<provider addr>?text=<instruction for image>"

    ' Send Request.
    MyRequest.Send

    'And we get this response with the .png image
    MsgBox MyRequest.ResponseText

End Sub

 

The image is there, content type is image/png.

How can I extract it from the body and save the image to a local folder e.g. to the same folder where the .xlsm excel file is.

excel
Macros and VBA
  • NikolinoDE's avatar
    NikolinoDE
    Apr 11, 2025
    Sub GetImg()
    Dim MyRequest As Object
    Dim ByteArray() As Byte
    Dim FileNum As Integer
    Dim FilePath As String
    Dim FileName As String

    ' Create the request
    Set MyRequest = CreateObject("WinHttp.WinHttpRequest.5.1")
    MyRequest.Open "GET", "https://<provider addr>?text=<instruction for image>", False
    MyRequest.Send

    ' Check if the content type is image/png
    If InStr(1, MyRequest.GetResponseHeader("Content-Type"), "image/png", vbTextCompare) > 0 Then
        
        ' Get binary response body
        ByteArray = MyRequest.ResponseBody
        
        ' Create file path in the same folder as the workbook
        FileName = "downloaded_image_" & Format(Now, "yyyymmdd_hhnnss") & ".png"
        FilePath = ThisWorkbook.Path & "\" & FileName
        
        ' Save binary data to file
        FileNum = FreeFile
        Open FilePath For Binary As #FileNum
        Put #FileNum, , ByteArray
        Close #FileNum
        
        MsgBox "Image saved to: " & FilePath
    Else
        MsgBox "Response was not an image. Content-Type: " & MyRequest.GetResponseHeader("Content-Type")
    End If
End Sub

    Since your response is a binary .png image, and you're getting it via a WinHttpRequest, you need to work with the binary response body, not ResponseText.

    Hope this helps you.

1 Reply

  • NikolinoDE's avatar
    NikolinoDE
    Platinum Contributor
    Apr 11, 2025
    Sub GetImg()
    Dim MyRequest As Object
    Dim ByteArray() As Byte
    Dim FileNum As Integer
    Dim FilePath As String
    Dim FileName As String

    ' Create the request
    Set MyRequest = CreateObject("WinHttp.WinHttpRequest.5.1")
    MyRequest.Open "GET", "https://<provider addr>?text=<instruction for image>", False
    MyRequest.Send

    ' Check if the content type is image/png
    If InStr(1, MyRequest.GetResponseHeader("Content-Type"), "image/png", vbTextCompare) > 0 Then
        
        ' Get binary response body
        ByteArray = MyRequest.ResponseBody
        
        ' Create file path in the same folder as the workbook
        FileName = "downloaded_image_" & Format(Now, "yyyymmdd_hhnnss") & ".png"
        FilePath = ThisWorkbook.Path & "\" & FileName
        
        ' Save binary data to file
        FileNum = FreeFile
        Open FilePath For Binary As #FileNum
        Put #FileNum, , ByteArray
        Close #FileNum
        
        MsgBox "Image saved to: " & FilePath
    Else
        MsgBox "Response was not an image. Content-Type: " & MyRequest.GetResponseHeader("Content-Type")
    End If
End Sub

    Since your response is a binary .png image, and you're getting it via a WinHttpRequest, you need to work with the binary response body, not ResponseText.

    Hope this helps you.

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