word com error trapping possible bug in udf

[aiter]

I am testing intercepting com errors in Word and I have found a possible bug in the UDF, it might not be a bug it just means a workaround.

I have found the com error bug in _Word_Create

Func _Word_Create($bVisible = Default, $bForceNew = Default)
    Local $oAppl, $bApplCloseOnQuit = False
    If $bVisible = Default Then $bVisible = True
    If $bForceNew = Default Then $bForceNew = False
    If Not $bForceNew Then $oAppl = ObjGet("", "Word.Application")  <------- here is the line which causees com error

This happens in the following example

#include <Word.au3>
main()
func main()
local $oErrorHandler = ObjEvent("AutoIt.Error", "_ErrFunc")
$oWord = _Word_Create()
$oDoc = _Word_DocOpen($oWord, @ScriptDir & "\Dear.docx", False, Default, True)
$myrange =  $oDoc.Range
$myrange.Select
sleep(3000)
_Word_DocClose($oDoc)
_Word_Quit($oWord)
endfunc


; User's COM error function. Will be called if COM error occurs
Func _ErrFunc($oError)
    ; Do anything here.
    ConsoleWrite(@ScriptName & " (" & $oError.scriptline & ") : ==> COM Error intercepted !" & @CRLF & _
            @TAB & "err.number is: " & @TAB & @TAB & "0x" & Hex($oError.number) & @CRLF & _
            @TAB & "err.windescription:" & @TAB & $oError.windescription & @CRLF & _
            @TAB & "err.description is: " & @TAB & $oError.description & @CRLF & _
            @TAB & "err.source is: " & @TAB & @TAB & $oError.source & @CRLF & _
            @TAB & "err.helpfile is: " & @TAB & $oError.helpfile & @CRLF & _
            @TAB & "err.helpcontext is: " & @TAB & $oError.helpcontext & @CRLF & _
            @TAB & "err.lastdllerror is: " & @TAB & $oError.lastdllerror & @CRLF & _
            @TAB & "err.scriptline is: " & @TAB & $oError.scriptline & @CRLF & _
            @TAB & "err.retcode is: " & @TAB & "0x" & Hex($oError.retcode) & @CRLF & @CRLF)
EndFunc   ;==>_ErrFunc

This script causes a com error to occur and it has the following error

test.au3 (53) : ==> COM Error intercepted !
    err.number is:      0x80020006
    err.windescription: Unknown name.

    err.description is:     
    err.source is:      
    err.helpfile is:    
    err.helpcontext is:     
    err.lastdllerror is:    0
    err.scriptline is:  53
    err.retcode is:     0x00000000

Line 53 is

If Not $bForceNew Then $oAppl = ObjGet("", "Word.Application")

as I mentioned above.

When I force a new instance of Word, no error occurs eg

#include <Word.au3>
main()
func main()
local $oErrorHandler = ObjEvent("AutoIt.Error", "_ErrFunc")
$oWord = _Word_Create(True,True)
$oDoc = _Word_DocOpen($oWord, @ScriptDir & "\Dear.docx", False, Default, True)
$myrange =  $oDoc.Range
$myrange.Select
sleep(3000)
_Word_DocClose($oDoc)
_Word_Quit($oWord)
endfunc

So it seems that if I want to open up  existing Word instance (use _Word_Create() ) I will have to create my own _Word_Open to bypass this problem.

(If Word is already open the problem will not occur)

Comment?

 

Edited September 19, 2016 by aiter
Correction

[water]

Which version of AutoIt do you run?

[aiter]

the latest version

[water]

"Unknown name" is no error. It's an information that is handled by the UDF.
Means: The UDF checks if there is a running Word instance. If true it connects to this instance. If false, it creates a new one.

As - starting with AutoIt > 3.3.12.0 - all COM errors are now handled (means: ignored) in the _Word* functions you can't grab COM errors without a lot of modifications in this functions.

[aiter]

Running 3.3.14.2

Are you saying my com error handling is redundant?

When I put in my own com error handling as posted above, I encounter the com error (i.e it hits my com error function).

If I don't have the the com error handling and run it from dos within a framework, the program just hangs for doomsday, so I need the error handling. The reason it hangs is because any input that is required (whether console input or windows input) hangs it within the framework.

Anyway, I only need a new instance of word so no issue for me, but anyone else will encounter it if they have the same sort of script.

Edited September 24, 2016 by aiter

[water]

When Jon changed the way COM errors are handled he needed to insert a COM error handler into the Excel and Word UDF.
It was implemented by inserting a local COM error handler into (nearly) each function. _Word_Create misses this error handler so you can grab the COM error with your global COM error handler. But this does not work for those functions with a local error handler.

But there should b no need to implement a global COM error handler. Check @error after each function call - that's all it needs to grab errors.

[aiter]

Unfortunately without my global com error handler the program hangs within the framework I run it in as I tried to explain the post above.  I see that the normal com error handler works nicely with a dialog if I run it from dos. When I run it within my framework (database system) it hangs because an error dialog is an input (okay, not this particular problem, but another one, say $oRange.lotofjunk. By using my own com error handler I can intercept this and output the message to console) . I will post the link to another problem I had just now.

Edited September 24, 2016 by aiter

[aiter]

See

 

[water]

The Word UDF should never create a GUI to output error information. If it does then it's a bug.
Ignore the "unknown name" message by _Word_Create. I would be interested in all other messages originating by the Word UDF.
 

[aiter]

It does

#Region ;**** Directives created by AutoIt3Wrapper_GUI ****
#AutoIt3Wrapper_Change2CUI=y
#EndRegion ;**** Directives created by AutoIt3Wrapper_GUI ****
#include <Word.au3>
main()
func main()
;local $oErrorHandler = ObjEvent("AutoIt.Error", "_ErrFunc")
$oWord = _Word_Create()
$oDoc = _Word_DocOpen($oWord, @ScriptDir & "\Dear.docx", False, Default, True)
$myrange =  $oDoc.Rangeer  ;<--- deliberate error
$myrange.Select
sleep(3000)
_Word_DocClose($oDoc)
_Word_Quit($oWord)
endfunc

Run from cmd prompt, I get

 

 

[aiter]

It comes down to wanting apps compiled for CUI (console) to have pure console error output messages. No inputs (dialog or otherwise) required.

Edited September 24, 2016 by aiter

[water]

8 minutes ago, aiter said:

It comes down to wanting apps compiled for CUI (console) to have pure console error output messages.

I think it comes down to write error free code or to handle errors correctly.
How do you expect the second line to work when line 1 is not able to create the object?

17 minutes ago, aiter said:

$myrange =  $oDoc.Rangeer  ;<--- deliberate error
$myrange.Select

I suggest

$oRange =  $oDoc.Rangeer  ;<--- deliberate error
If @error Then 
    ; Write error to log ...
    Exit
EndIf
$oRange.Select

 

[water]

If you still need to suppress error messages in a GUI you could use trancexx' solution I asked for many years ago:

 

[aiter]

Water, you biscuit

I thought I was alone in this problem.

I agree with you about error free code. The example was just a quick and nasty (when compiled though, it generates the error dialog before it hits the @error clause anyway)

The actual app I am writing I do error check everything, but I wanted what you posted above  just in case the unexpected happened.

Definitely "I stand on the shoulders of giants"

Edited September 24, 2016 by aiter

[water]

If you like the solution then there is a button to tell me

Edited September 24, 2016 by water