Create COM Object Fails

[Nick Bourne]

I've done a bit of work with COM before to drive Excel - no problems, all worked following the examples on here. I've now got a small project to link to a third party VB6 DLL that has been supplied with a TLB file, should be no problem I thought but I cannot get the COM object to initialise. Here's what I've done:

1. Registered the VB6 DLL using regsvr32.
2. Used the PB object browser to create an include file.
3. Run the code below:

#COMPILE EXE
#INCLUDE "teCPPClient.INC"

FUNCTION PBMAIN () AS LONG
    DIM oCPPClient AS teCPPClientclsConnect
    :
    LET oCPPClient = NEW teCPPClientclsConnect IN $PROGID_teCPPClientclsConnect
    IF ISFALSE ISOBJECT(oCPPClient) OR ERR THEN
        MSGBOX "Error linking  to CPP Client "+STR$(ERR)
    END IF
END FUNCTION

The include file is as follows:

' ------------------------------------------------------------
' Library Name:      teCPPClient 2.0
' Library File:      C:\IMPRINT\teCPPClient.DLL
' ------------------------------------------------------------
' Version Info:
' -------------
' File Version:      2.02
' Internal Name:     teCPPClient
' Original Filename: teCPPClient.dll
' Product Name:      teCPPClient
' Product Version:   2.02
' ------------------------------------------------------------
' ProgID:            teCPPClient.clsConnect
' Interface Name:    teCPPClientclsConnect
'
' Interface Prefix:  teCPPClient
' ------------------------------------------------------------

$PROGID_teCPPClientclsConnect = "teCPPClient.clsConnect"


'Enumeration eSecurityLevel
MACRO enumteCPPClienteSecurityLevel = LONG
%High                                                   = &H00000000
%Low                                                    = &H00000001


INTERFACE DISPATCH teCPPClientclsConnect
    MEMBER LET UseHTTP<&H68030015>()   'Parameter Type As Long
    MEMBER GET UseHTTP<&H68030015>() AS LONG
    MEMBER LET STATUS<&H68030014>()   'Parameter Type As String
    MEMBER GET STATUS<&H68030014>() AS STRING
    MEMBER CALL SEND<&H60030016>(OPTIONAL IN Request AS STRING<&H00000000>)
    MEMBER LET SecurityLevel<&H68030013>()   'Parameter Type As enumteCPPClienteSecurityLevel
    MEMBER GET SecurityLevel<&H68030013>() AS enumteCPPClienteSecurityLevel
    MEMBER LET ProxyPassword<&H68030012>()   'Parameter Type As String
    MEMBER GET ProxyPassword<&H68030012>() AS STRING
    MEMBER LET ProxyUsername<&H68030011>()   'Parameter Type As String
    MEMBER GET ProxyUsername<&H68030011>() AS STRING
    MEMBER GET Response<&H68030010>() AS VARIANT
    MEMBER GET ContentType<&H6803000F>() AS STRING
    MEMBER LET Request<&H6803000E>()   'Parameter Type As String
    MEMBER GET Request<&H6803000E>() AS STRING
    MEMBER LET ProxyPort<&H6803000D>()   'Parameter Type As Integer
    MEMBER GET ProxyPort<&H6803000D>() AS INTEGER
    MEMBER LET Proxy<&H6803000C>()   'Parameter Type As String
    MEMBER GET Proxy<&H6803000C>() AS STRING
    MEMBER LET URL<&H6803000B>()   'Parameter Type As String
    MEMBER GET URL<&H6803000B>() AS STRING
END INTERFACE

Any clues at to what I'm not doing or doing wrong that could be causing the object not to load? Or the best way to start trying to debug this.

Nick

[Robert Wallace]

Have you tried to prototype it in VB6 ?

I often do this with new projects to double check that the tlb is OK as I am not a COM expert.

Bob

[Nick Bourne]

No, not tried that yet - don't really like to use MS products unless I have to

The DLL was written by a third party in VB6, I don't have a copy of that to try a prototype but I could try a .NET program - not all that experienced with .NET tending to use PB or PHP only.

Nick

[Robert Wallace]

I have just looked at one of my recent programs - seem to start the program a different way :

LET myInDesign = NEW DISPATCH IN "InDesign.Application.CS3"
IF ISFALSE ISOBJECT(myInDesign) THEN
    MSGBOX "Not there!"
END IF

Just realised I am linking to a full program so the above may not mean anything - sorry!

Bob

[Nick Bourne]

Thanks Robert, that's a late bound example you have posted where I have used early binding. Neither method works unfortunately

Nick

[Michael Mattias]

Compiler version not shown, but in 9x "NEW" is, well, "old" ....

LET objvar = NEWCOM ProgID$
LET objvar = GETCOM ProgID$
LET objvar = ANYCOM ProgID$

...
Previous versions of PowerBASIC Compilers supported another syntax for the
creation of objects:

LET objvar = [NEW] Interface name ON ClassName|ProgID$

While this syntax will still be temporarily supported for the sake of compatibility, it will be removed in the next major release of PowerBASI
...

But I can't believe that is your problem.

[Nick Bourne]

Yep, sorry forgot that one! I'm using 8.04, we still have a few variable name clashes with new reserved words in version 9.

My main question is what could cause the object not to load and how do I go about debugging that. I'm on Vista if that causes any issues such as me thinking the DLL is registered but Windows thinking otherwise...

[John Petty]

As this is a VB DLL or exe go to Jose's forum and download his TLB etc. Has fixed similar problems for me using PB 8
Later
Actually I open them with
LET oCPPClient = NEW teCPPClientclsConnect IN "teCPPClientclsConnect"
instead of
LET oCPPClient = NEW teCPPClientclsConnect IN $PROGID_teCPPClientclsConnect

hope that helps