Announcement

**Michael Mattias** · 30 Sep 2009, 09:18 AM

Purpose
Return the numeric value contained in a Variant variable.

Syntax
numericvar = VARIANT#(vrntvar)

Remarks
The value returned by VARIANT# may be any range from BYTE to DOUBLE/QUAD/CURRENCY, depending upon the internal representation used within the Variant

A uint64 will be out of range for a QUAD when bit 63 is set. While I'm surprised that VARIANT#() does not (allegedly, code not shown) just return the 64 bits in a sign-agnostic manner... wait a minute, I don't believe it doesn't. Let me write some test code and see what happens.

(While I am doing this, you should make a note that VARIANT#() also does not handle VT_DECIMAL types, but there is code here to handle that for you). (Yes, I have submitted a new feature suggestion for same).

MCM

**Michael Mattias** · 30 Sep 2009, 09:34 AM

VARIANT#(VT_UI8 var) Works here... (PB/Win 9.0.1)

Code:

FUNCTION PBMAIN () AS LONG

    LOCAL StStart AS SYSTEMTIME, STEnd AS SYSTEMTIME
    
    CALL TestVUint64()
    EXIT FUNCTION


END FUNCTION

FUNCTION TestVUint64() AS LONG
  LOCAL pV  AS VARIANTAPI PTR, v AS VARIANT
  
  LOCAL Q AS QUAD, pQ AS QUAD PTR
  
  LET V = EMPTY   '  intialize
  PV    = VARPTR (V) ' pointer
  
  @pV.vt  = %VT_UI8    ' unint 64
  pQ      = VARPTR (@pV.VD)
  Q       = 12345&&
  @pq     = Q
  
  
  ' get variant#() value from intrinsic function
  
  Q  =  VARIANT#(V)
  MSGBOX FORMAT$(Q)

' hmm, try with bit 63 set...
  LET Q = -12345&&
  @pq   = Q
  Q     = VARIANT#(V)
  MSGBOX FORMAT$(Q),, "With value -12345"

  
    
END FUNCTION

.. so you will HAVE to show your failing code if you are having problems.

MCM

**Peter Lameijn** · 30 Sep 2009, 10:37 AM

Strange enough, when I use VariantVT it returns NULL string (%VT_NULL)
But if I use Variant$ on any UINT64 member of Win32_DiskDrive, the correct value is returned...

**Michael Mattias** · 30 Sep 2009, 10:43 AM

Strange enough, when I use VariantVT it returns NULL string (%VT_NULL)
But if I use Variant$ on any UINT64 member of Win32_DiskDrive, the correct value is returned...

VT_NULL does NOT describe a "null string", it describes NULL. (Nothing, no value of any type, not even what type it isn't.)

VARIANT$() cannot possibly return the 'correct value' of a VT_UI8 (UINT64): UINT64 is numeric; VARIANT$() returns a string.

Here's an idea: Let's try, "SHOW FAILING CODE." (I probably should have thought of that earlier.)

MCM

**Peter Lameijn** · 30 Sep 2009, 11:00 AM

Here it is. (Bit messy, it's only a test.) Size, TotalCylinders and TotalSectors are UINT64. It's for enumerating USB storage devices.

Code:

' ========================================================================================
' WMI example - Retrieving Disk information
' ========================================================================================

#Compile Exe
#Dim All
#Include "win32api.inc"
#Include "TB_WMILIB.INC"    ' // WMI helper functions
                            ' see [url]http://www.powerbasic.com/support/pbforums/showpost.php?p=171374&postcount=3[/url]

' ========================================================================================
' Main
' ========================================================================================
Function PBMain

   Local hr As Long                   ' // HRESULT
   Local oServices As Dispatch        ' // Services object
   Local vServices As Variant         ' // Services object reference
   Local oItems As Dispatch           ' // Generic collection object
   Local vItems As Variant            ' // Generic collection object reference
   Local oItem As Dispatch            ' // Generic item object
   Local vItem As Variant             ' // Generic item object reference
   Local penum As Dword               ' // Collection's enumerator reference
   Local vCount As Variant            ' // Number of items in the collection
   Local vVar As Variant              ' // General purpose variant
   Local vRes As Variant              ' // General purpose variant
   Local i As Long                    ' // Loop counter
   Local x As Long                    ' // Loop counter
   Local Result As Long
   Local Tmp As String
   Local Disp As String
   Dim vArray(0) As Variant           ' // General purpose array of variants


   ' // Connect to WMI using a moniker
   hr = WmiGetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\.\root\cimv2", vServices)
   If hr <> %S_Ok Then GoTo Terminate
   Set oServices = vServices
   vServices = Empty
   If IsFalse IsObject(oServices) Then GoTo Terminate

   ' // Execute a query to get a reference to the collection of running processes
   vVar = "SELECT * FROM Win32_DiskDrive WHERE InterfaceType='USB'"
   Object Call oServices.ExecQuery(vVar) To vItems
   If ObjResult Then GoTo Terminate
   Set oItems = vItems
   vItems = Empty
   If IsFalse IsObject(oItems) Then GoTo Terminate

   ' // Retrieve the number of items in the collection
   Object Get oItems.Count To vCount

   ' // Retrieve a reference to the collection's enumerator
   hr = Wmi_NewEnum(ObjPtr(oItems), penum)
   If hr <> %S_Ok Or penum = %NULL Then GoTo Terminate

   ' // Iterate throught the collection of objects.
   For i = 1 To Variant#(vCount)
      ' // Retrieve a reference to the next object in the collection
      hr = WmiEnum_NextItem(penum, vItem)
      If hr <> %S_Ok Then Exit For
      Set oItem = vItem
      If IsFalse IsObject(oItem) Then Exit For
      '------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Object Get oItem.MediaType To vRes
      Disp = $Cr & "MediaType: "  & $Tab & Variant$(vRes)
      '------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Object Get oItem.VolumeSerialNumber To vRes
      Disp = Disp & $Cr & "VolumeSerialNumber: "  & $Tab & Variant$(vRes)
      '------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Object Get oItem.Model To vRes
      Disp = Disp & $Cr & "Model: "  & $Tab & Variant$(vRes)
      '------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Object Get oItem.PNPDeviceID To vRes
      Disp = Disp & $Cr & "PNP Device ID: "  & $Tab & Variant$(vRes)
      '------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Object Get oItem.DeviceID To vRes
      Disp = Disp & $Cr & "Device ID: "  & $Tab & Variant$(vRes)
      '------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Object Get oItem.Size To vRes
      Disp = Disp & $Cr & "Size: "  & $Tab & Variant$(Vres)'Format$(Variant#(Vres))
      '------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Object Get oItem.TotalCylinders To vRes
      Disp = Disp & $Cr & "Cylinders: "  & $Tab & Variant$(vRes) 'Format$(Variant#(vRes))
      '------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Object Get oItem.TotalHeads To vRes
      Disp = Disp & $Cr & "Heads: "  & $Tab & Format$(Variant#(vRes))
      '------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Object Get oItem.TotalSectors To vRes
      Disp = Disp & $Cr & "Sectors: "  & $Tab & Variant$(vRes) 'Format$(Variant#(vRes))
      '------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Object Get oItem.BytesPerSector To vRes
      Disp = Disp & $Cr & "BytesPerSector: "  & $Tab & Format$(Variant#(vRes))
      '------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Set oItem = Nothing
      MsgBox Disp,, Tmp
   Next

   WmiRelease penum
   If IsObject(oItems) Then Set oItems = Nothing
Terminate:
   If IsObject(oServices) Then Set oServices = Nothing
End Function
' ========================================================================================

**Michael Mattias** · 30 Sep 2009, 11:35 AM

Add to display for each line the VARIANTVT() of vRes.

Then post output.

You have things in there like

Code:

Object Get oItem.TotalSectors To vRes
Disp = Disp & $Cr & "Sectors: "  & $Tab & Variant$(vRes) 'Format$(Variant#(vRes))

Seems to me "total sectors" should be numeric and your commented out FORMAT$(VARIANT#(vRes)) should be the correct thing to use.

You may be getting something like VT_DECIMAL, or even a VT_ARRAY|VT_UI1 back, and VARIANT#() is just not prepared for it, e.g., my reference above to a known (to me and PB if nobody else) bug when VARIANTVT returns VT_DECIMAL.

I suppose I could try it but I'm just a shiftless lazy person of questionable legitimacy.

MCM

**José Roca** · 30 Sep 2009, 11:40 AM

Peter,

It doesn't return VT_NULL, but 8 (VT_BSTR), a dynamic unicode string (clean your glasses

). This is why VARIANT$ returns the correct result. I know that the M$ documentation says that it returns an unsigned 64-bit integer, but you can't blindly trust M$.

I guess that they changed his mind and returned an string instead because many compilers don't support unsigned 64-bit integers.

**Michael Mattias** · 30 Sep 2009, 11:40 AM

OR.....

You could be running into compiler assumptions about the required intermediate data types when doing everything within an expression.

For the numeric returns, try (as demonstrated above)...

Code:

LOCAL Q AS QUAD 
...
Object Get oItem.TotalSectors To vRes
Q =   VARIANT#(vRes)
Disp = Disp & $Cr & "Sectors: "  & $Tab & FORMAT$(Q, 18) 'specify max possible decimal digits

MCM

**Edwin Knoppert** · 30 Sep 2009, 11:53 AM

Do note that a variant *can* be set to a vartype but not having any data.
The remark above about null string is incorrect.
I have met a situation that a vartype was set but a 'null' as value (pointer).
The PB app gpf'ed.
If you don't trust a certain com result you must test both vartype and data.

This was submitted to support a few months ago.

**Michael Mattias** · 30 Sep 2009, 11:56 AM

Methinks Jose hit the jackpot by testing for and finding VT_BSTR.

FWIW, this demo contains code you can cut and paste when you need to deal with the possibility of 'many different VT_xxxxx' (includes functions for VT_DECIMAL, VT_DATE and VT_ARRAY|VT_UI1) ...

Generic 'ADO' Connection and Query Tester (CC 5+/Win 9+) 11-02-08

MCM

**Peter Lameijn** · 30 Sep 2009, 12:49 PM

Thanks all,

So it's a MS flaw after all... It would have been nice if they were consistent. (But I don't think that word is in their vocabulary

)
Size, TotalCylinders and TotalSectors return a string, Totalheads a UINT32...

I now am going to try to implement this code:

PowerBASIC

http://www.powerbasic.com/support/pbforums/showpost.php?p=305830&postcount=16

so I can get the driveletters with the physical drive...

**Michael Mattias** · 30 Sep 2009, 04:29 PM

>So it's a MS flaw after all... Size, TotalCylinders and TotalSectors are UINT64
> ("replaced with Size, TotalCylinders and TotalSectors return a string") ...
> Totalheads a UINT32

Where does it say Size, TotalCylinders and TotalSectors are uint64? When you generate the COM interface file, everything always comes back a VARIANT....which means the burden is on you to query the returned VARIANTVT an retrieve and assign to a suitable variable.

I really don't want to say, "that's the beauty of the VARIANT datatype", but it is.

MCM

**Peter Lameijn** · 30 Sep 2009, 04:59 PM

It says they are uint64 in de M$ docs: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...32(VS.85).aspx

**Michael Mattias** · 1 Oct 2009, 09:30 AM

Those docs apply to programming in WMI script.

I believe COM properties and methods always return a VARIANT, which the compiler/interpreter product may or may not convert/cast to something handy.

Sounds like WMISCRIPT converts it to something handy. But I cannot find fault with the compiler design here... the variant it gets back is a VT_BSTR and you can't really expect it to guess that string - this time - is 'really' a zoned character decimal and therefore VARIANT#() should be able to cast it to a numeric datatype.

I suppose you could put in a new feature suggestion to ask that when VARIANT#() is called against VT_BSTR it perform the equivalent of VAL() on it.

But I would think the programmer should know, "when I call this method/property, I expect a number/string/date and therefore I must convert whatever the VARIANTVT() supplied happens to be to that target data type."

MCM

**Dominic Mitchell** · 1 Oct 2009, 03:43 PM

I believe COM properties and methods always return a VARIANT, which the compiler/interpreter product
may or may not convert/cast to something handy.

Really!? Methinks you have got that backwards.

Think back to the code used to access the methods of a COM server using version 8.xxx of the compiler.
While you are at it, have a look at the type library(not the generated include file) for that server.
Think Automation and Automation-compatible data types.

**Michael Mattias** · 1 Oct 2009, 04:19 PM

Maybe it's the PB compiler via the dispatch interface (OBJECT GET...TO var , OBJECT CALL.... TO var) which always returns a VARIANT?

**José Roca** · 1 Oct 2009, 05:58 PM

When using Automation, what PB (and any other language that supports Automation) does is to fill an array of variants with the values and types of the parameters and call the Invoke method of the IDispatch interface. The server will delegate the call to the standard DispInvoke function or implement its own code, in which case it has to unpack the parameters, call the method or property and fill the pvarResult parameter of the Invoke method with the return value.

See: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms221479.aspx

But the methods themselves can use any kind of types if using direct interface calls or any kind of Automation-compatible types if using Automation. This applies both to the parameters and the return values.

**Dominic Mitchell** · 1 Oct 2009, 06:16 PM

Exactly, the COM subsystem does all the work when the client uses Automation.

**Dominic Mitchell** · 1 Oct 2009, 07:14 PM

Michael, to demonstrate the fallacy of your statement, I will provide an example.

The following is the PowerBASIC code that implements the TextLoc property of an ActiveX control.
It returns an HRESULT and has an out parameter that returns a struct. Notice not a single variant is used.

Code:

FUNCTION treeINode_get_TextLoc(BYVAL pThis AS DWORD, pTextLoc AS udtTextLoc) AS LONG

  LOCAL trc           AS RECT
  LOCAL pTreeCtl      AS ITreeControl PTR
  LOCAL pttid         AS INode PTR
  LOCAL pCIFace       AS CIFace PTR
  LOCAL pCIFace2      AS CIFace PTR
  LOCAL pINodes       AS DWORD
  LOCAL pLoc          AS udtTextLoc PTR
  LOCAL hr            AS LONG

  pttid = pThis

  pCIFace = pThis
  pINodes = @pCIFace.pObject

  pCIFace2 = pINodes
  pTreeCtl = @pCIFace2.pObject

  IF VARPTR(pTextLoc) = %NULL THEN
    FUNCTION = %E_POINTER
    EXIT FUNCTION
  END IF

  hr = %E_FAIL

  trc.nLeft = %TGIR_LABEL
  IF SendMessage(@pTreeCtl.m_hWnd, %TRM_GETITEMRECT, pThis, BYVAL VARPTR(trc)) THEN
    IF treeINode_get_Text(pThis, pTextLoc.bstrText) = %S_OK THEN
      pTextLoc.nOffset = trc.nTop
      hr = %S_OK
    END IF
  END IF

  FUNCTION = hr

END FUNCTION

The following is an excerpt from the IDL file for the control. The interface is defined as dual
because we want to allow both direct Vtbl binding and Automation.
Note: In the following excerpts only the methods of interest have been included.

Code:

  // The following two structs are here to test IRecordInfo and are not part of this library.
  typedef [uuid(DDC45BA7-C40E-4EB1-9554-417897C31885)]
  struct udtTextLoc {
    BSTR bstrText;
    long nOffset;
  } udtTextLoc;

  [
    uuid(18C9C171-C7B0-456C-B8D6-67AC59B40D7D),
    helpstring("An object in a tree control that can contain images and text."),
    hidden,
    dual,
    nonextensible,
    oleautomation
  ]
  interface ITreeNode : IDispatch
  {
    [id(0x00000019), propget, helpstring("Returns/sets a user-defined type.")]
    HRESULT TextLoc([out, retval] udtTextLoc* Location);
    [id(0x00000019), propput, helpstring("Returns/sets a user-defined type.")]
    HRESULT TextLoc([in] udtTextLoc* Location);
  };

The following is an excerpt from the include file generated for the PowerBASIC compiler.

Code:

' ****************************************************************************************
' Library Name: TreeControl
' Library ID:   {9D39F2C1-7047-438F-9620-5F7E2692A67F}
' Library File: F:\Phoenix3\COM\TreeCtl\Bin\TreeCtl.dll
' Description:  TreeCtl 1.0
' Code generated by Phoenix Visual Designer
' ****************************************************************************************

' ****************************************************************************************
' ProgIDs (Program identifiers)
' ****************************************************************************************

$PROGID_PROMETHEUSTREECONTROL1                               = "Prometheus.TreeControl.1"

' ****************************************************************************************
' udtTextLoc
' uuid: {DDC45BA7-C40E-4EB1-9554-417897C31885}
' ****************************************************************************************

TYPE udtTextLoc
  bstrText  	AS STRING PTR                                   ' <VT_BSTR>
  nOffset   	AS LONG                                         ' <VT_I4>
END TYPE

' ****************************************************************************************
' coclass:        TreeControl
' clsid:          {24D9B84A-BED7-4EA2-888E-F291EB80320D}
' ProgID:         Prometheus.TreeControl
' Version ProgID: Prometheus.TreeControl.1
' Description:    Prometheus ActiveX Tree Control
' Type Flags:     [cancreate, control]
' ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
' Interface:      ITree
' uuid:           {0CCED9FC-7D43-4CC0-BE9C-12F3790AC8B9}
' Description:    Displays a hierarchical list of Node objects, each of which consists of a label and an optional bitmap.
' Type Flags:     [hidden, dual, nonextensible, dispatchable]
' ****************************************************************************************

$CLSID_PROMETHEUSTREECONTROL = GUID$("{24D9B84A-BED7-4EA2-888E-F291EB80320D}")
$IID_PROMETHEUSTREECONTROL   = GUID$("{0CCED9FC-7D43-4CC0-BE9C-12F3790AC8B9}")

' ****************************************************************************************
' coclass:        TreeNode
' clsid:          {0C154109-C88D-400D-B215-04C112AF4DDB}
' Description:    An object in a tree control that can contain images and text.
' ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
' Interface:      ITreeNode
' uuid:           {18C9C171-C7B0-456C-B8D6-67AC59B40D7D}
' Description:    An object in a tree control that can contain images and text.
' Type Flags:     [hidden, dual, nonextensible, dispatchable]
' ****************************************************************************************

$CLSID_PROMETHEUSTREENODE = GUID$("{0C154109-C88D-400D-B215-04C112AF4DDB}")
$IID_PROMETHEUSTREENODE   = GUID$("{18C9C171-C7B0-456C-B8D6-67AC59B40D7D}")

INTERFACE PrometheusTreeNode $IID_PROMETHEUSTREENODE
  INHERIT Dual
  Property GET Text<&H00000000>() AS STRING
  Property SET Text<&H00000000>(IN BYVAL rhs AS STRING)
  Property GET TextLoc<&H00000019>() AS udtTextLoc
  Property SET TextLoc<&H00000019>(IN BYREF rhs AS udtTextLoc)
END INTERFACE

So far there isn't a single variant in sight. But look at what happens when the location of text
is retrieved using Automation.

Code:

LOCAL oNode     AS INode
LOCAL vLoc      AS VARIANT

OBJECT GET oNode.TextLoc TO vLoc

What is going on here?
The COM subsystem using information from the type library allocates memory for the struct(let's call it pTextLoc)
and invokes TextLoc. It then passes back to the client a variant containing the following values:

Code:

 
vLoc.vt = %VT_RECORD
vLoc.br.pvRecord = pTextLoc     <-- address of memory allocated for struct
vLoc.br.pRecInfo = pIRecordInfo <-- a pointer to an instance of an IRecordInfo that describes the struct

Announcement

Variant and uint64

Variant and uint64

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