Scripting Word from vbs - vbscript

I'm trying to get Word to fill in cells in a table. The script works when run as a macro from within Word, but fails when saved as a .vbs file and double-clicked, or run with wscript. This is a part of it.
set obj = GetObject(,"Word.Application)
With obj
With .Selection
MsgBox .text
If (.Information(wdWithInTable) = True) Then
.Collapse Direction:=wdCollapseStart
tCols = .Tables(1).Columns.Count
tRow = .Information(wdStartOfRangeRowNumber)
tCol = .Information(wdStartOfRangeColumnNumber)
For I = 2 To 5
.Tables(1).Cell(tRow, I).Range.Text = "fred" & Str(I)
Next
` now make new row
For I = 1 To tCols - tCol + 1
.MoveRight unit:=wdCell
Next
End If
End With
End With
I have three problems. First, it won't compile unless I comment out the .Collapse and .MoveRight lines. Second, although the MsgBox .text displays the selected text, I get "out of range" errors if I try to access any .Information property.
I'm sure I'm missing something very simple: I usually write software for Macs, and I'd do this using AppleScript. This is my first attempt at getting anything done under Windows.

VBScript and VBA are different languages.
They are a bit similar, but not very. Moreover, VBScript is not like AppleScript; it doesn't let you easily interface with running programs.
The interfaces you'll get from VBScript can behave subtly differently in VBA and VBScript. However, I think you've got two problems here:
:= is invalid syntax in VBScript; you'll need to find an alternative way of calling the function. Try just using positional arguments.
You've no guarantee that this will open the expected file; there could be another instance of Word that it's interacting with instead.

Since your code is not running within the Word environment it would require a reference to the Word object library in order to use enumeration constants (those things that start with wd).
VBScript, however, cannot work with references, which means the only possibility is to use the long value equivalents of the enumerations. You'll find these in the Word Language References. Simplest to use is probably the Object Browser in Word's VBA Editor. (In Word: Alt+F11 to open the VBA Editor; F2 to start the Object Browser; type in the term in the "Search" box, click on the term, then look in the bottom bar.)
The code in the question uses, for example:
wdWithInTable
wdCollapseStart
wdStartOfRangeRowNumber
wdStartOfRangeColumnNumber
wdCell
The reason you get various kinds of errors depends on where these are used.
Also, VBScript can't used named parameters such as Unit:=. Any parameters must be passed in comma-delimited format, if there's more than one, in the order specified by the method or property. If there are optional parameters you don't want to use these should be left "blank":
MethodName parameter, parameter, , , parameter

Related

VBScript passing value by reference (VarPtr) to ActiveX function

I'm trying this:
Dim oApp
Dim iReturnedResult
Set oApp = CreateObject("Some.Application")
Set F_Ord = oApp.Documents.Open("Window 1", VarPtr(iReturnedResult))
The ActiveX control expects the second parameter to be a Long by reference.
This works perfectly well inside Excel VBA.
I can run this step by step, and see the result is returned like it should.
But, when I move this code to a VBS file and run it from the command line (CScript.exe), I get an error 800A000D, meaning it's the wrong type.
I have also tried creating an array instead, and tested with these commands, without any luck:
Set F_Ord = oApp.Documents.Open("Window 1", VarPtr(iReturnedResult(0)))
Set F_Ord = oApp.Documents.Open("Window 1", iReturnedResult(0))
Does anyone know how to pass a long variable by reference to an ActiveX control from VBScript?
The simple answer is VarPtr() is not supported by VBScript.
To my knowledge, there is no equivalent that allows you to pass a pointer to a variables memory address.
Useful Links
Visual Basic for Applications Features Not In VBScript

Referencing Two-Word Variables in Applescript?

I'm attempting to get some data from an app called "Timing", which is local to my computer, and post it to a URL to notify a webhook, from which some process automation will occur.
According to the Applescript integration with Timing,
There is a time summary object that's returned from a command which I've successfully executed. When displayed as an alert, that data looks like this:
Can't get |times per project| of {id:5C6CD8C8-357F-4EE7-890C-5946DC03BBB9", overall total:1.18092493622303E+4, times per project:{Maintenance:81.091759443283, Youtube:4820.38001298904, |self improvement effors|:876.930474758148, Homework:2383.20326805115, |(no project)|:3647.64384698868}, overall total without tasks:1.18092493622303E+4, productivity score:0.388005592511, times per project without tasks:{Maintenance:81.091759443283, Youtube:4820.38001298904, |self improvement efforts|:876.930474758148, Homework:2383.20326805115, |(no project)|:3647.64384698868}, class:time summary}.
As you can see, (above), there is a property called productivity score, which is two words.
When attempting to get this datapoint from the object (which I will use to notify the webhook:)
set newnewVar to productivity score of newvar
display alert newvar
Obviously this wont work, because the variable name is two words. I've tried surrounding the name in quotes and surround it with other characters, but nothing seems to work, and the documentation for getting specific properties only has examples with variables with one word.
What's the solution to this problem?
In AppleScript, user-defined variables cannot generally have spaces. Typically they start with a letter or underscore, and then can contain only letters, numbers, or underscores. A user-defined variable can only contain spaces if it is contained within vertical pipes. So all of the following are valid variable forms: alphaUnit, slideRow3, _tempItem, |my variable|, left_hand_vector
However, any application or script that creates and uses a scripting definition can create commands and classes and properties that have multi-word names. For instance, if you look at the System Events app, you'll see that the Disk-Folder-File Suite has a class named disk item with properties like creation date. The reason this works is that these multi-word names are actually represented by a numeric (four-char) code: disk item is actually 'ditm' and creation date is 'ascd'. You often see these codes pop up in error strings like so:
"cannot make class ≪ditm≫ into..."
Make sure you have the scope right to invoke the dictionary — i.e. be within a tell block for the app or script that invokes the scripting dictionary — and the multi-word names should 'just work'. After compiling, you'll see them highlighted in a purple color that's just a bit different from the red of uncompiled text. You do not need to enclose dictionary terms in vertical pipes; if you do, they will be treated as user-defined variables and lose their special scripting purposes.

VB6, Adding an integer to a control name in a for loop

I am currently trying you learn VB6 and came across this issue.
I wanted to loop through a for loop and adding a number to a control name.
Dim I As Integer
For I = 1 To 5
S = CStr(I)
If TextS.Text = "" Then
LabelS.ForeColor = &HFF&
Else
LabelS.ForeColor = &H80000012
End If
Next I
This S needs to be added to Text and Label so the colour will be changed without needing to use 5 If Else statements
I hope you can help me with this.
From your comment below:
What i mean is this: If Text1.text = "" Then I need this 1 to be replaced with the variable I, so the for loop can loop through my 5 textboxes and the same for my Labels.
You can't do that (look up a variable using an expression to create its name) in VB6. (Edit: While that statement is true, it's not true that you can't look up form controls using a name from an expression. See "alternative" below.)
What you can do is make an array of your textboxes, and then index into that array. The dev env even helps you do that: Open your form in the dev env and click the first textbox. Change its name to the name you want the array to have (perhaps TextBoxes). Then click the next textbox and change its name to the same thing (TextBoxes). The dev env will ask you:
(Don't ask me why I have a VM lying around with VB6 on it...)
Click Yes, and then you can rename your other textboxes TextBoxes to add them to the array. Then do the same for your labels.
Then your code should look like this:
For I = TextBoxes.LBound To TextBoxes.UBound
If TextBoxes(I).Text = "" Then
Labels(I).ForeColor = &HFF&
Else
Labels(I).ForeColor = &H80000012
End If
Next
LBound is the lowest index of the control array, UBound is the highest. (You can't use the standard LBound and Ubound that take the array as an argument, because control arrays aren't quite normal arrays.) Note also that there's no need to put I on the Next line, that hasn't been required since VB4 or VB5. You can, though, if you like being explicit.
Just make sure that you have exactly the same number of TextBoxes as Labels. Alternately, you could create a user control that consisted of a label and a textbox, and then have a control array of your user control.
Alternative: : You can use the Controls array to look up a control using a name resulting from an expression, like this:
For I = 1 To 5
If Me.Controls("Text" & I).Text = "" Then
Me.Controls("Label" & I).ForeColor = &HFF&
Else
Me.Controls("Label" & I).ForeColor = &H80000012
End If
Next
This has the advantage of mapping over to a very similar construct in VB.Net, should you migrate at some point.
Side note:
I am currently trying you learn VB6...
(tl;dr - I'd recommend learning something else instead, VB6 is outdated and the dev env hasn't been supported in years.)
VB6's development environment has been discontinued and unsupported for years (since 2008). The runtime is still (I believe) supported because of the sheer number of apps that use it, although the most recent patch seems to be from 2012. But FWIW, you'd get a better return on your study time learning VB.net or C#.Net (or any of several non-Microsoft languages), rather than VB6...

VB6 control iteration: one control gives me an error; which one?

I am trying to loop through all controls in a form:
For Each ctrl in Me.Controls
in order enable/disable the control based on some conditions.
But there is a control on the form that gives an error when I try to access it. What kind of control does that, and how do I find it?
When you get your error and click Debug, is the error on the line setting a control's Enabled property?
If so, add a Debug.Print statement writing out the control's name. Do so on the line before setting the Enabled property.
Here's what I mean:
Dim ctrl As Control
For Each ctrl In Me.Controls
Debug.Print ctrl.Name
ctrl.Enabled = True
Next
The Debug.Print statement will write out to the Immediate Window the name of the control that was last processed in the loop, presumably the one that caused your error.
EDIT
This might work. Put this control in a Panel control and set the Panel's Enabled property to False. If I recall correctly, in VB6 setting a container control's Enabled property to False will also set the container's child controls Enabled to False. If your control's Enabled property really is read-only, I'm curious what would happen.
Try this:
Dim ctr As Control
Dim CtrStatus Boolean
CtrStatus = False
For Each ctr In Me.Controls
If (SSTab.hwnd = GetParent(ctr.hwnd)) Then
Call CallByName(ctr, "Enabled", VbLet, CtrStatus)
else
ctr.Enabled = CtrStatus
End If
Next
Another approach is as follows, that also works at runtime (as opposed to just in the IDE):
private sub SetEnabled()
on error goto errHandle
Dim ctrl As Control
For Each ctrl In Me.Controls
ctrl.Enabled = True
Next
exitPoint:
exit sub
errHandle:
MsgBox "Error " & err.Description & " with Control " & ctrl.Name
resume exitPoint
end sub
Suppress the error reports before the loop and then set it back to standard error handling:
On Error Resume Next
For Each ctrl In Me.Controls
ctrl.Enabled = lIsEnabled
Next
On Error GoTo 0
OR name your controls with a standard prefix/suffix that you can check by name and skip in the loop.
For Each ctrl In Me.Controls
If Left(ctrl.Name, 3) = "sst" Then
ctrl.Enabled = lIsEnabled
End If
Next
Tosa: from your comment on AngryHacker's answer, I think you are checking the container incorrectly.
Your code is like this
' BAD CODE '
If ctrl.Container = fraMovies Then
For me that gives error 450 Wrong number of arguments or invalid property assignment. Do you get the same error?
The code should use Is rather than =, like this
' GOOD CODE '
If ctrl.Container Is fraMovies Then
Explanation. You want to check whether two variables "point" to the same control. Controls are objects: you must use Is not = to check whether two object variables "point" to the same object. This is a classic pitfall in VB6.
One last word. Next time, could you try to post 10 lines or less of actual code, reproducing the error, and give the exact error number and message and the exact line on which it occurs? It really does make it much easier for us to solve your problem - I know it's work for you to shorten the code, but you'll get better answers that way.
EDIT Welcome back! :) You said some controls don't have a Container property. You could try wrapping the test in On Error Resume Next, something like this.
' GOOD CODE '
Dim bMatch As Boolean
Dim ctrl As Control
For Each ctrl In Me.Controls
bMatch = False
On Error Resume Next
bMatch = (ctrl.Container Is fraMovies)
On Error Goto 0
If bMatch Then
ctrl.Enabled = True
End If
Next
To avoid such problems follow the given rules while naming contols
When you name an element in your Visual Basic application, the first character of that name must be an alphabetic character or an underscore.
**Begin each separate word in a name with a capital letter, as in FindLastRecord and RedrawMyForm.
Begin function and method names with a verb, as in InitNameArray or CloseDialog.
Begin class, structure, module, and property names with a noun, as in EmployeeName or CarAccessory.
Begin interface names with the prefix "I", followed by a noun or a noun phrase, like IComponent, or with an adjective describing the interface's behavior, like IPersistable. Do not use the underscore, and use abbreviations sparingly, because abbreviations can cause confusion.
Begin event handler names with a noun describing the type of event followed by the "EventHandler" suffix, as in "MouseEventHandler".
In names of event argument classes, include the "EventArgs" suffix.
If an event has a concept of "before" or "after," use a suffix in present or past tense, as in "ControlAdd" or "ControlAdded".
For long or frequently used terms, use abbreviations to keep name lengths reasonable, for example, "HTML", instead of "Hypertext Markup Language". In general, variable names greater than 32 characters are difficult to read on a monitor set to a low resolution. Also, make sure your abbreviations are consistent throughout the entire application. Randomly switching in a project between "HTML" and "Hypertext Markup Language" can lead to confusion.
Avoid using names in an inner scope that are the same as names in an outer scope. Errors can result if the wrong variable is accessed. If a conflict occurs between a variable and the keyword of the same name, you must identify the keyword by preceding it with the appropriate type library. For example, if you have a variable called Date, you can use the intrinsic Date function only by calling DateTime.Date.

Is it possible to retrieve the call stack programmatically in VB6?

When an error occurs in a function, I'd like to know the sequence of events that lead up to it, especially when that function is called from a dozen different places. Is there any way to retrieve the call stack in VB6, or do I have to do it the hard way (e.g., log entries in every function and error handler, etc.)?
You do have to do it the hard way, but it's not really all that hard... Seriously, once you've written the template once, it's a quick copy/paste/modify to match the function name in the Err.Raise statement to the actual function name.
Private Function DoSomething(ByVal Arg as String)
On Error GoTo Handler
Dim ThisVar as String
Dim ThatVar as Long
' Code here to implement DoSomething...
Exit Function
Handler:
Err.Raise Err.Number, , "MiscFunctions.DoSomething: " & Err.Description
End Function
When you have nested calls, this unwinds as each routine hits its Handler and adds its name to the error description. At the top level function, you get a "call stack" showing the list of routines that were called, and the error number and description of the error that actually occurred. It's not perfect, in that you don't get line numbers, but I've found that you don't usually need them to find your way to the problem. (And if you really want line numbers, you can put them in the function and reference them in the Err.Raise statement using the Erl variable. Without line numbers, that just returns 0.)
Also, note that within the function itself, you can raise your own errors with the values of interesting variables in the message like so:
Err.Raise PCLOADLETTER_ERRNUM, , "PC Load Letter error on Printer """ & PrinterName & """"
(The syntax highlighting looks wonky in the preview... I wonder how will it look when posted?)
I'm pretty sure you have to do it the hard way. At a previous job of mine, we had a very elegant error handling process for VB6 with DCOM components. However, it was a lot redundant code that had to be added to every method, so much that we had home-grown tools to insert it all for you.
I can't provide too much insight on its implementation (both because I've forgotten most of it and there's a chance they may consider it a trade secret). One thing that does stand out was that the method name couldn't be derived at run-time so it was added as a string variable (some developers would copy-paste instead of using the tool and it would lead to error stacks that lied...).
HTH
The hard, manual way is pretty much the only way. If you check out this question, someone suggested a tool called MZTools that will do much of the grunt work for you.
As other people said (years ago, I see... but there's so many people still using VB6! :) ), I think it's not possible to programmatically retrieve the Call Stack, unless you use some 3rd-party tool.
But if you need to do that for debugging purposes, you can consider of adding to the called routine an Optional input string variable, were you'll put the caller's name.
Sub MyRoutine
(...) ' Your code here
call DoSomething (Var1, Var2, Var3, "MyRoutine")
' ^
' Present routine's name -----------+
(...) ' Your code here
End Sub
Public DoSomething (DoVar1, DoVar2, DoVar3, Optional Caller as string = "[unknown]")
Debug.Print " DoSomething Routine Called. Caller = " & Caller
... ' (your code here)
End Sub
Not so elegant, maybe, but it worked for me.
Regards,
Max - Italy
Compuware (or was it Numega at the time) DevStudio for Visual Basic 6 used to do this. The way was by adding adding instrumenation to every call that called a very small snippet that added to the code stack. On any error it dumped out that callstack, and then did things like mail or post to a webserver all the debuging information. Adding and removing the instrumentation was a potentially lethal operation (especially back then, when we were using VSS as our source control), but if it worked, it work well.
As Darrel pointed out, you could add something very simlar by using MZTools and setting up a template. It's a lot of working, and is probably more effeort than the reward would be but if you have very difficult to track down bugs, it might help).

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