Trying to guess around ActiveX=COM Components

[asgarcymed]

Many available ActiveX=COM Components, which can be used to improve the functionalities from inside VBScripts, come with few or (almost) no help/tutorials/examples/samples how to use them... I found myself very frustated when I get an apparently good ActiveX=COM Component, but I cannot use it because I cannot guess the syntax and sequence of called functions/methods/proprieties...

My question is - Is there any "tip"/"trick" to "dissect" the ActiveX=COM files (DLL, OCX, TLB, EXE)?

By now, the best I could find is "DesertHill ObjectScope"...

What do you know and recommend to get around this situation?

Thanks.

Best regards.

 

[dilettante]

The normal way of exploring a type library (which is what you're really asking, and sometimes they exist outside of the DLL/OCX as either a TLB or OCA file) is to use some form of object browser.

These come in several forms, from the one built into VB5/6 to the OLE View tool that installs with Visual Studio 6.0, to whatever comes in a later VS version (perhaps including the free Express Edition products), ... to third party tools like ActiveX Documenter - which is not available in compiled form to my knowledge, but take a look.

I'm pretty sure OLE View comes with the Windows SDK too, though you may have to order the CD (basically shipping costs). Ahh, here's a link: Windows 2000 Resource Kit Tool : OLE/COM Object Viewer (oleview.exe).

OLE View is sort of a power tool though with a learning curve. You might want to start by looking at ActiveX Documenter.

 

[PHV]

Another way is to reference the component in any VBA project and then use the Object browser (F2).

Hope This Helps, PH.
FAQ219-2884
FAQ181-2886

 

[dilettante]

Good point. If you have a recent version of Office or one of the parts of the suite supporting VBA (Word, Excel) the Object Browser there is pretty much the VB6 one.

 

[asgarcymed]

Thank you very much to all of you!!!!
You helped me a lot!!!
Regards.