Retrieving the evaluation result of an Initialization Cell in a notebook `nb1` from another notebook `nb2`

I have a very long code in a notebook nb1 in which all the initialization cells are tagged. I have another notebook nb2 where I want to evaluate the initialization cells in nb1 and get the results in nb2 by using CellTags.

I tried the following code, which does something but I cannot see the results in nb2.

myButton[tag_] := 
Button["Evaluate " <> tag, 
NotebookEvaluate[
"C:\\Users\\ttemel\\Desktop\\World_Bank_projects\\WB_Contract_2\\\
Extension_to_1st_contract_27oct19\\IOdatabase_oecd\\database_IOtables_\
SA_NO_UK_2000_2015_run_1.m", EvaluationElements -> {"Tags" -> {tag}}],
Method -> "Queued"];
Grid[{Map[myButton, {"SectorIOMarketChains", "DensityPlot"}]}]

CellPrint[
ExpressionCell[Defer[Print["SectorIOMarketChains"]], "Input", 
CellTags -> {"SectorIOMarketChains"}, ShowCellTags -> True]]
CellPrint[
ExpressionCell[Defer[Print["DensityPlot"]], "Input", 
CellTags -> {"DensityPlot"}, ShowCellTags -> True]]

Why does not this code give me the results in nb2?

Answer

Your file "database_IOtables _SA _NO _UK _ 2000_ 2015_run _ 1.m" isn't a Notebook, but a Package - right? Hence the EvaluationElements option is simply ignored, because Packages has no Cells and associated CellTags.

Obviously, you are trying to adapt the code from the section Examples ► Applications on the Documentation page for NotebookEvaluate.

Here is how it is supposed to work:

1. 
   

   Create a Notebook with your cells:

   
   

   nb = CreateDocument[{
          ExpressionCell[Defer[Print["SectorIOMarketChains"]], "Input", 
           CellTags -> {"SectorIOMarketChains"}, ShowCellTags -> True],
          ExpressionCell[Defer[Print["DensityPlot"]], "Input", CellTags -> {"DensityPlot"}, 
           ShowCellTags -> True]
   
          }];
   



2. 
   

   In current Notebook create Buttons for evaluating tagged cells from that Notebook:

   
   

   myButton[nb_, tag_] := 
     Button["Evaluate " <> tag, 
      NotebookEvaluate[nb, EvaluationElements -> {"Tags" -> {tag}}], Method -> "Queued"];
   Grid[{Map[myButton[nb, #] &, {"SectorIOMarketChains", "DensityPlot"}]}]
   

   
   

   
   
   

   

   
   

   
   


3. 
   

   Sequentially press the buttons, the results will appear in current Notebook:

   
   

   
   

   

   
   

   
   

When working with an existing Notebook, on the first step you should use NotebookOpen (possibly with the option Visible -> False if you don't want it to be displayed):

nb = NotebookOpen[filePath, Visible -> False];

Do not forget to close the invisible Notebook when it is no longer needed:

NotebookClose[nb]

You can get the list of currently opened Notebooks (including invisible) via Notebooks:

Notebooks[]

---

Note that NotebookEvaluate is a relatively old function, introduced when CellObject wasn't available. Similar (but not exactly the same) effect can be achieved with Cells and ToExpression:

ToExpression[NotebookRead[Cells[nb, CellTags -> {"SectorIOMarketChains"}]][[1, 1]]]

SectorIOMarketChains

You can see what ToExpression returns using its three-argument form:

ToExpression[
 NotebookRead[Cells[nb, CellTags -> {"SectorIOMarketChains"}]][[1, 1]], StandardForm, Hold]

Hold[Print["SectorIOMarketChains"]]