C / C++ / MFC

10-Oct-02 6:22

Anyone seen any code or libs for automating Excel wihout using MFC?

I was hoping to use #import, but its a mess, and would rather not have to do everything that hard way as there is quite a bit to do.

I'm trying to avoid VB if I can. Cry | :((

Nick Parker10-Oct-02 6:36

Nick Parker

10-Oct-02 6:36

Giles wrote:
Anyone seen any code or libs for automating Excel wihout using MFC?

Yes, see this MSDN article HOWTO: Automate Excel From C++ Without Using MFC or #import[^]

HTH Smile | :)

Nick Parker

The goal of Computer Science is to build something that will last at least until we've finished building it. - Unknown

Giles10-Oct-02 7:48

10-Oct-02 7:48

Thanks. I think I've seen this one. I was looking for something along the lines of #import to easy make use of smart pointers, but there are loads of clashes in the namespace (renaming seems to have no effect), and then a problem with reference counting.

Stephane Rodriguez.10-Oct-02 7:46

Stephane Rodriguez.

10-Oct-02 7:46

Giles wrote:
I was hoping to use #import, but its a mess

Ah Ah! And you say smart pointers is a mess.

Better think twice. Smart pointers allow to focus on applogic, not on horrible COM details.

She's so dirty, she threw a boomerang and it wouldn't even come back.

Giles10-Oct-02 7:52

10-Oct-02 7:52

I wanted to use smart pointers, but there is a problem with reference counting.

Microsoft recommend using MFC, directly then lastly #import for Excel and other office apps, becuause they have done something funny.

Its not just a case of #import for e.g. ADO, where you only have to rename EOF. With Excel it seems there are over a hundred clashes in the namespace.

Have you had any luck with #import and Excel, if so I would be grateful for any tips. Big Grin | :-D

Stephane Rodriguez.10-Oct-02 8:02

Stephane Rodriguez.

10-Oct-02 8:02

Giles wrote:
Microsoft recommend using MFC, directly then lastly #import for Excel and other office apps, becuause they have done something funny.

There is no direct Office support in the MFC classes.

Giles wrote:
With Excel it seems there are over a hundred clashes in the namespace.

In the unlikely case you have this problem, you may just end your troubles by using the namespace rename attribute in #import.

Giles wrote:
Have you had any luck with #import and Excel, if so I would be grateful for any tips

Using smart pointers to drive Office apps is much like doing it with VB. Code is just easy to work with : in addition, you have intellisense!

The only tip about it, but it's a general tip about using smart pointers, is to avoid at all cost to use smart pointer instances in class members. Smart pointers are almost by design meant to be used as local proc variables.

She's so dirty, she threw a boomerang and it wouldn't even come back.

Giles10-Oct-02 8:36

10-Oct-02 8:36

__Stephane Rodriguez__ wrote:
There is no direct Office support in the MFC classes.

I know, but using the class wizard to import the type library takes about 30 seconds, and makes life very easy.

__Stephane Rodriguez__ wrote:
In the unlikely case you have this problem, you may just end your troubles by using the namespace rename attribute in #import.

Yep, tried that, but it was having none of it.

__Stephane Rodriguez__ wrote:
Using smart pointers to drive Office apps is much like doing it with VB. Code is just easy to work with : in addition, you have intellisense!

Have you got a quick example? When I used namspace rename with #import it did not seem to work.

__Stephane Rodriguez__ wrote:
The only tip about it, but it's a general tip about using smart pointers, is to avoid at all cost to use smart pointer instances in class members. Smart pointers are almost by design meant to be used as local proc variables.

Never knew that. I've used parts of ADO happily as members of a class, well certain parts of it like the ADODB.Connection and Recordset, but not others, that are managed by a parent object e.g. Field, that could go out of scope if you moved to the next record.

As I said if you had a quick snippet of code with #import for Excel I would be really grateful.

Thanks,

Giles

Stephane Rodriguez.10-Oct-02 8:45

Stephane Rodriguez.

10-Oct-02 8:45

Giles wrote:
using the class wizard to import the type library takes about 30 seconds, and makes life very easy.

This *is* #import, it has nothing to do with MFC. (remember #import is not C++ standard, only proprietary MS stuff).

Giles wrote:
As I said if you had a quick snippet of code with #import for Excel I would be really grateful

Always look up samples in the MSDEV CD. You've got ComExcel for instance. And it works like this :
#import "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\excel8.olb" auto_search auto_rename

She's so dirty, she threw a boomerang and it wouldn't even come back.

Giles10-Oct-02 8:48

Check date modified http request?

10-Oct-02 8:48

__Stephane Rodriguez__ wrote:
Always look up samples in the MSDEV CD. You've got ComExcel for instance. And it works like this :
#import "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\excel8.olb" auto_search auto_rename

Thanks, this worked. I was still getting errors withe the rename_namspace() attribute.

dazinith10-Oct-02 6:11

dazinith

10-Oct-02 6:11

is there a way to tell the date modified of a file on the web through an http request? i dont want to do ftp requests..

still a newb.. cut me some slack :P
-dz

Re: Check date modified http request?

Paul M Watt10-Oct-02 6:17

Paul M Watt

10-Oct-02 6:17

I am sure there is probably a way to get that information, I am not sure how to get it though.

However, if you want the date in order to know whether you should download the file or not, you can add the If-modified-since header item, and then the server will only send the file to you if it has been modified since the date that you sent. If the server does not send you back a file then the return status code will be 304.

If you are using MFC here is the sample code that you would use with the CTime object. If you would like sample code for regular C/C++ let me know.

CString sFileDate;
sFileDate.Format("If-modified-since: %s\r\n", ctime.FormatGmt("%a, %d %b %Y %H:%M:%S GMT"));
Good Luck

Build a man a fire, and he will be warm for a day
Light a man on fire, and he will be warm for the rest of his life!

Re: Check date modified http request?

dazinith10-Oct-02 8:00

dazinith

10-Oct-02 8:00

how would i use this if-modified-since when requesting the file? currently i am just giving the location of the file on the web, and where i want to save it.. here is what i have, thanks!

hr = URLDownloadToFile( NULL,      // ptr to ActiveX container
                         sURL,      // URL to get
                         sFile,     // file to store data in
                         0,         // reserved
                         &callback  // ptr to IBindStatusCallback
                       );

still a newb.. cut me some slack :P
-dz

combobox that disappears over a listcontrol...

Joan M10-Oct-02 5:52

Joan M

10-Oct-02 5:52

Hello...

I need to show an editcontrol and a combobox over a listcontrol depending of the kind of edition that is allowed in the field that I want to modify...

(i.e: if I'm editing a field that can only have 3 possible values, the combo have to be shown, but if the field can get any value, then I need to show the editbox)

In order to do this I'm using an article readen in codeproject

http://www.codeproject.com/listctrl/editing_subitems_in_listcontrol.asp[^]

and my problem is that when I do the same that is explained in this article, I don't understand why the editcontrol and the combobox disappear...

I don't want the combo box to disappear, the editbox is OK...

any idea?

NOTE:
I've tried to set it topmost (using SetWindowPos), but it's the same...

As always thank you in advance...

Re: combobox that disappears over a listcontrol...

Roger Allen10-Oct-02 6:14

Roger Allen

10-Oct-02 6:14

My guess would be that you need to change the tab order of the edit/combo controls compared to the list control. They either have to be before or after it in the tab order. I forget which.

Roger Allen
Sonork 100.10016

I think I need a new quote, I am on the prowl, so look out for a soft cute furry looking animal, which is really a Hippo in disguise. Its probably me.

Re: combobox that disappears over a listcontrol...

Joan M10-Oct-02 6:30

Joan M

10-Oct-02 6:30

I hate when the solution is so simple...

I've invalidated the combobox...

but thank you for your interest!

Display Transparent AVI

Brigg Thorp10-Oct-02 5:49

Brigg Thorp

10-Oct-02 5:49

OK guys...I'm trying to display an AVI file on my dialog with a transparent background and I'm not having any luck,

I made an AVI file with a white background on each clip. I have an animation control on my dialog and I have both transparent properties set. When I go to play the AVI, I still see the white background.

Here is the function to create the control:

HWND CreateAnimationCtrl(HWND hwndDlg, int nIDCtl) 
{ 
  HWND hwndAnim = NULL; 
  RECT rc; 
  POINT pt; 
	
  // Create the animation control. 
  hwndAnim = Animate_Create(hwndDlg, IDC_ANIMATE, WS_CHILD, ghInst); 
	
  // Open the AVI clip, and show the animation control. 
  Animate_Open(hwndAnim, MAKEINTRESOURCE(IDR_AVI)); 
  ShowWindow(hwndAnim, SW_SHOW); 
	
  return hwndAnim; 
}

Here is what I call in the WM_INITDIALOG routine:

hAnim = CreateAnimationCtrl(hDlg, IDC_ANIMATE);
Animate_Play(hAnim, 0, -1, -1);

Do I have to do something special to the AVI as well?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Brigg Thorp
Software Engineer
Timex Corporation

Re: Display Transparent AVI

Daniel Strigl10-Oct-02 20:17

Daniel Strigl

10-Oct-02 20:17

Have you added the ACS_TRANSPARENT (2) flag value in the windows style value of the video window?

ACS_TRANSPARENT:
Allows you to match an animation's background color to that of the underlying window, creating a "transparent" background. The control will send a WM_CTLCOLORSTATIC message to its parent. Use SetBkColor to set the background color for the device context to an appropriate value. The control interprets the upper-left pixel of the first frame as the animation's default background color. It will remap all pixels with that color to the value you supplied in response to WM_CTLCOLORSTATIC.

Daniel Wink | ;)

---------------------------
Never change a running system!

::CreateFileMapping

Abin10-Oct-02 5:35

Abin

10-Oct-02 5:35

HANDLE CreateFileMapping(
  HANDLE hFile,                       // handle to file
  LPSECURITY_ATTRIBUTES lpAttributes, // security
  DWORD flProtect,                    // protection
  DWORD dwMaximumSizeHigh,            // high-order DWORD of size
  DWORD dwMaximumSizeLow,             // low-order DWORD of size
  LPCTSTR lpName                      // object name
);

That's the function prototype shown on MSDN, I have a question about the first parameter here: it can be a handle to a disk file if the handle value is not INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE, or else it will be using system page file. I wonder which should I choose, specify a disk file or just use the system page file, which one is better and why? Thanks.

Daniel Turini10-Oct-02 5:34

Daniel Turini

10-Oct-02 5:34

What are you trying to accomplish? IPC or only reading some pages of large file?

My latest articles:
XOR tricks for RAID data protection
Win32 process suspend/resume tool

Abin10-Oct-02 5:47

Abin

10-Oct-02 5:47

IPC. I'm trying to develop a project that requires a number of processes cooperate together, each of which needs to know exactly what other processes are doing in order to interact properly.

I'm thinking of using file mapping as my IPC approach, I'm not sure if this is a good way, though. Your help is very much appreciated.

Daniel Turini10-Oct-02 5:55

Daniel Turini

10-Oct-02 5:55

I would use the pagefile, because often users put it on a separate disk. I'm not a memory mapping guru, but I can see no other advantage/difference in your case.

My latest articles:
XOR tricks for RAID data protection
Win32 process suspend/resume tool

Paul M Watt10-Oct-02 6:21

Paul M Watt

10-Oct-02 6:21

File Mapping is a very good technique for IPC, in fact that is how COM implements its underlying IPC for local processes.

Using the system page sounds like a good way to go, then there is no file clean up afterwards. Other than that I do not think that it matters which way you do that.

Build a man a fire, and he will be warm for a day
Light a man on fire, and he will be warm for the rest of his life!

Abin10-Oct-02 7:29

Abin

10-Oct-02 7:29

Thanks for you and anyone who replied. OK I still have a question here, it may sound stupid but anyway:

Is there any possibility that the mapped file will be trespassed by other process? I mean, if I have process A and B are using the mapped file(I will generate a GUID as mapping file name), is it possible, even very very slightly possible, that any contents within the mapping can be modified by processes other than A and B?

Because I need the contents to be absolutely private and secure to process A and B, this is crucial for me, otherwise I might get fired Poke tongue | ;-P

. So before I begin it I'd like to make sure. Thanks again.