IE.au3 IEAttach

[jvalenc]

I was using the following code as a general way to have scripts run against the next browser selected.

WinWaitActive("[CLASS:IEFrame]")
Dim $olsHandle = WinGetHandle ( "[CLASS:IEFrame]" )
Dim $oIE = _IEAttach ($olsHandle, "HWND")

When I switched to my new laptop the scripts stopped working. I have found what I think is the issue.

First here is the error I get when running in SCITE

E:\Bin\autoit\install\Include\IE.au3 (2674) : ==> The requested action with this object has failed.:
Return SetError($_IEStatus_Success, 0, HWnd($o_object.HWnd()))
Return SetError($_IEStatus_Success, 0, HWnd($o_object.HWnd()^ ERROR
->16:21:10 AutoIT3.exe ended.rc:1

Looking into the code I think this is the issue.

Basically I created the following code to reproduce the issue

Local $o_Shell = ObjCreate("Shell.Application")
    Local $o_ShellWindows = $o_Shell.Windows(); collection of all ShellWindows (IE and File Explorer)

    Local $i=0;
    ;MsgBox( 0, "Count", $o_ShellWindows.Count );
    For $o_window In $o_ShellWindows
        MsgBox( 0, $i, $o_window.Name() & @CrLf & $o_window.locationURL() );
        MsgBox( 0, $i, $o_window.Hwnd() );
        $i = $i + 1;
    Next

What I found the issue to be is the call $o_window.Hwnd().

When I run this code I get 3 as the Count. In order this is output

----
Microsoft Internet Explorer
file://.../xx.html
---
12341234
----
Microsoft Internet Explorer
file://.../xx.html
----
12341324
----
Microsoft Web Browser Control
file://.../xx.html
----
  Script crashes here trying to get new HWND

So with the name of the .html I was able to find the application causing the problem. IBM has a program called "IBM Help"

This program has an icon in the task bar, and I believe it has other processes running in the background. When I kill the

application the scripts work.

My question is, is there a bug here.

Should the logic calling the problem method "_IEGetObjByName" be better protected?

Case "hwnd"
                    If $i_instance > 1 Then
                        $i_instance = 1
                        __IEErrorNotify("Warning", "_IEAttach", "$_IEStatus_GeneralError", "$i_instance > 1 invalid with HWnd.  Setting to 1.")
                    EndIf
                    If _IEPropertyGet($o_window, "hwnd") = $s_string Then
                        Return SetError($_IEStatus_Success, 0, $o_window)
                    EndIf
                Case Else

Or the logic in the method itself

Func _IEPropertyGet(ByRef $o_object, $s_property)
...
    Case $s_property = "hwnd"
            If Not __IEIsObjType($o_object, "browser") Then
                __IEErrorNotify("Error", "_IEPropertyGet", "$_IEStatus_InvalidObjectType")
                Return SetError($_IEStatus_InvalidObjectType, 1, 0)
            EndIf
            Return SetError($_IEStatus_Success, 0, HWnd($o_object.HWnd()))

[PsaltyDS]

You left this code from the real _IEAttach() out of your simulation, which is why it crashes when it hits the IBM application's ShellWindow:

; Trap COM errors and turn off error notification
        $status = __IEInternalErrorHandlerRegister()
        If Not $status Then __IEErrorNotify("Warning", "_IEAttach", _
                "Cannot register internal error handler, cannot trap COM errors", _
                "Use _IEErrorHandlerRegister() to register a user error handler")
        $f_NotifyStatus = _IEErrorNotify() ; save current error notify status
        _IEErrorNotify(False)

That was put in specifically because there are ShellWindows that fail in various ways during this check.

I have no idea what "...a general way to have scripts run against the next browser selected" means, so I can't address your exact usage.

[jvalenc]

You left this code from the real _IEAttach() out of your simulation, which is why it crashes when it hits the IBM application's ShellWindow:

; Trap COM errors and turn off error notification
        $status = __IEInternalErrorHandlerRegister()
        If Not $status Then __IEErrorNotify("Warning", "_IEAttach", _
                "Cannot register internal error handler, cannot trap COM errors", _
                "Use _IEErrorHandlerRegister() to register a user error handler")
        $f_NotifyStatus = _IEErrorNotify() ; save current error notify status
        _IEErrorNotify(False)

That was put in specifically because there are ShellWindows that fail in various ways during this check.

I have no idea what "...a general way to have scripts run against the next browser selected" means, so I can't address your exact usage.

Basically, I want the au3 script to run against the next instance of IE that is activated.

Here is a very simple script that is having the same issue.

Capture IE snapshot to ClipBoard ( used to paste screen shots of IE into documents by testers )

#include <IE.au3>
#include <ScreenCapture.au3>

WinWaitActive("[CLASS:IEFrame]")


Dim $handle = WinGetHandle ( "[CLASS:IEFrame]" )
Dim $oIE = _IEAttach ($handle, "HWND")

Sleep(1000)
Send( "{ALTDOWN}{PRINTSCREEN}{ALTUP}" )

Another bit of code to do what I need is

Dim $handle = WinGetHandle ( "[CLASS:IEFrame]" )
Dim $title = StringMid ( WinGetTitle($handle, ""),1, 10 )
Dim $oIE = _IEAttach ($title)

You are correct I did not include that code into my example script. When I run my scripts I never see this error message output.

I changed the DEBUG flag for IE.au3 script and this is what output was

>Running:(3.3.4.0):E:\Bin\autoit\install\autoit3.exe "E:\Bin\src\Scripts\AutoIt\Tools\web\xprs_screencapture.au3"    
--> COM Error Encountered in xprs_screencapture.au3
----> $IEComErrorScriptline = 395
----> $IEComErrorNumberHex = 80020009
----> $IEComErrorNumber = -2147352567
----> $IEComErrorWinDescription = No such interface supported
----> $IEComErrorDescription = 
----> $IEComErrorSource = 
----> $IEComErrorHelpFile = 
----> $IEComErrorHelpContext = 0
----> $IEComErrorLastDllError = 1008

E:\Bin\autoit\install\Include\IE.au3 (2675) : ==> The requested action with this object has failed.:
Return SetError($_IEStatus_Success, 0, HWnd($o_object.HWnd()))
Return SetError($_IEStatus_Success, 0, HWnd($o_object.HWnd()^ ERROR
->21:15:10 AutoIT3.exe ended.rc:1
>Exit code: 1    Time: 4.143

So, I"m not sure that I understand if this is a issue should be happening or not. Basically the code when running now, just stops, and the reason is the window

it comes across does not have HWND property set.

[PsaltyDS]

It's actually a COM method being called ".hwnd()", not just a property retrieved. The presumption is that when it hits the ShellWindow instance of this IBM app, that attempted call fails in such a way that even the "silent" COM error handler still crashes the script.

I don't know what's special about this app, or the error it throws.

[Samoth]

You can modify your IE.au3 to check whether your IE object is a TopLevelContainer and respond accordingly in Func _IEPropertyGet(ByRef $o_object, $s_property) from line 2669 on:

Case $s_property = "hwnd"
    If Not __IEIsObjType($o_object, "browser") Then
        __IEErrorNotify("Error", "_IEPropertyGet", "$_IEStatus_InvalidObjectType")
        Return SetError($_IEStatus_InvalidObjectType, 1, 0)
    EndIf
    ;Return SetError($_IEStatus_Success, 0, HWnd($o_object.HWnd()))
    ;--------------
    If $o_object.TopLevelContainer Then
        Return SetError($_IEStatus_Success, 0, HWnd($o_object.HWnd()))
    Else
        Return SetError($_IEStatus_Success, 0, 0)
    EndIf
    ;--------------