1. Chapter 6 Programming with Office 97
Exploring Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 6
Chapter 6 Programming with Office 97
The OLE Container Control and Automation
By Carlotta Eaton
Exploring Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 Copyright © 1999 Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Copyright 1999 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

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Objectives...
1. Explain Windows data sharing technologies such as clipboard, DDE, OLE and ActiveX.
2. Explain OLE; differentiate between an embedded object and a linked one.
3. Understand old and new terms for data-sharing technologies.
Exploring MS Visual Basic 6
Copyright 1999 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

3. Chapter 6 - Programming with Office 97
Exploring Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0
Objectives
4. Use the OLE container control to embed or link an object.
5. Explain and use automation to create an application with components and functions available in Office 97 applications.
Exploring MS Visual Basic 6
Copyright 1999 Prentice-Hall, Inc.
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4. Sharing Data between Applications
Clipboard
Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)
Object Linking and Embedding (OLE)
ActiveX
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Clipboard
First sharing method available with Windows
Holding area where information can be copies and transferred
Limited to a single object
No way to automatically update data placed on clipboard
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6. Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)
Introduced in later Windows versions
Applications can exchange data and commands while running
A connection is made between the two applications
Data can be automatically updated and transferred
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7. Object Linking and Embedding
Introduced with Windows 3.1
More sophisticated technique than DDE to achieve same results
Not limited to data and commands
Method of combining data created by different applications
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How OLE Works
Embedding
Linking
Server Application
Server Application
Object copied
Object linked
Container Application
Container Application
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How OLE Works
Embedding
Linking
If you modify the source object
Server Application
Server Application
Link updates and retrieves current source object
Embedded (copied) object does not change
Destination Application
Destination Application
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OLE Terminology
Compound document - document containing elements from multiple applications
Embedded object - original object is copied and stored in the compound document
Linked object - original object remains stored in original file and is linked to container document
Container document - the compound document that contains elements from multiple applications
Exploring MS Visual Basic 6
Copyright 1999 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

11. New and Old OLE Terminology
Container application
previously called client or destination
application that receives the object
OLE Container control
previously called OLE client control
permits an OLE object to be added to a form
Server application
previously called source
application that creates the object
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ActiveX Technology
ActiveX servers or ActiveX components
previously called OLE servers or OLE automation servers
originally ActiveX referred to software components that were created for the Web using OLE technology
ActiveX now refers to a wide range of communication techniques where applications make their capabilities available to other applications
Exploring MS Visual Basic 6
Copyright 1999 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

13. The OLE Container Control
Permits an OLE object to be added to a form
Insert an OLE Object at design time
Place an OLE container control on a form
The Insert Object dialog box displays (see next slide)
Insert an OLE Object at run time
Click the Cancel command button on the Insert Object dialog box, and add code to insert the object later
In-place activation
Allows direct editing of the OLE object placed in the OLE container control
Exploring MS Visual Basic 6
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14. OLE Container Control Insert Object dialog box
Create a new object
Insert an object at runtime
Create a object from an existing file
Display only an Icon
Link an existing object
Exploring MS Visual Basic 6
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15. OLE Container Demonstration
Hands-On Exercise 1
Open and save the OLE Starter project
Add the OLE Container control to the Embed form, Paste form, Link, and Icon forms
Modify the source worksheet
Test the embedded objects
Test the linked objects
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Automation
Visual Basic technology that allows us to use code and objects from other Windows applications in our applications
Previously called OLE Automation
Referenced application (such as Word or Excel) must be available on the end user’s computer
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17. Available References References dialog box
First, determine which automation objects are available using the References dialog box
Word 97 Object Library
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The Object Browser
Next, find the function or method to use for spell check capability
Check Spelling available here
Exploring MS Visual Basic 6
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19. Viewing Object Hierarchies
Use help to display all the available Microsoft Word objects
Spelling Suggestions available here
Exploring MS Visual Basic 6
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20. Declaring an Automation Object
First, declare the object
Late Binding
when the object is generically declared
the slowest form of binding
Early Binding
when the object is specifically declared such as Word, Excel, worksheet etc.
usually run fastest
Exploring MS Visual Basic 6
Copyright 1999 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

21. The CreateObject Function
Next, create a new automation object
Set objectname = CreateObject(Application.Object)
Where
Set is the required command
objectname is the name of the automation object
CreateObject is the required function
Application is the class name of the application
Object is the type of object
Examples:
Set xlsSheet = CreateObject(“Excel.Sheet”)
Set wdDoc = CreateObject(“Word.Document”)
Exploring MS Visual Basic 6
Copyright 1999 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

22. The GetObject Function
To create a new automation object from an existing file
Set objectname = GetObject(filename)
Where
Set is the required command
objectname is the name of the automation object
GetObject is the required function
filename is the location of the existing file
Examples:
Set xlsSheet = GetObject(“c:\data\finance.xls”)
Set wdDoc = GetObject(“c:\docs\letter.doc”)
Exploring MS Visual Basic 6
Copyright 1999 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

23. The App.Path Global Variable
To get a file from the current folder where your Visual Basic application is running, use the App.Path global variable
Examples:
Set xlsSheet = GetObject(App.Path & _ “finance.xls”)
Set wdDoc = GetObject(App.Path & _ “letter.doc”)
Exploring MS Visual Basic 6
Copyright 1999 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

24. Release an Automation Object
Remove the object from memory when we are finished with an object with the Set statement and Nothing keyword
Set objectname = Nothing
Where
Set is the required command
objectname is the name of the automation object
Nothing is the required keyword
Examples:
Set xlsSheet = Nothing
Set wdDoc = Nothing
Exploring MS Visual Basic 6
Copyright 1999 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

25. The Spell Pad Project using Automation
Hands-On Exercise 2
Create the Spell Pad form
Add menus and set the form properties
Add code to display the form
Test the form code
Add the Word Library reference
Add code and test spell check
Add code and test grammar check
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Saving OLE Object
Save changes to an OLE object using the SaveToFile method of the OLE container control
Objectname.SaveToFile filenumber
Where
objectname is the name of the automation object
SaveToFile is the required method
filenumber is the number of the file and must correspond to an open binary file
Examples:
NextFile = FreeFile
oleObject.SaveToFile NextFile
Exploring MS Visual Basic 6
Copyright 1999 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

27. The Mortgage Minder Project
Mortgage Minder Excel Workbook
Setup worksheet
contains setup values and assumptions
Term Option worksheet
calculates payments for several term options
Loan Comparisons worksheet
calculates loans with varying interest rates
Schedule worksheet
calculates amortization schedule for loan
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28. The Mortgage Minder Project
Mortgage Minder Forms
Splash form
Main form
More Info form
Comparisons form
Term Options form
Schedule form
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The Splash form
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The Main form
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The More Info form
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The Term Options form
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The Comparisons form
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The Schedule form
Exploring MS Visual Basic 6
Copyright 1999 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

35. The Mortgage Minder Project
Hands-On Exercise 3
Open and save the project, module and form files
Test the existing forms
Modify and test the Options form
Modify and test the Comparisons form
Modify and test the Schedule form
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Summary ...
Utilize code contained in other applications
All Office 97 applications are ActiveX servers
Clipboard, DDE, OLE, and ActiveX progression of data sharing technologies
Exploring MS Visual Basic 6
Copyright 1999 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

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Summary
Introduction to OLE (Object Linking and Embedding)
Automation is a powerful tool that allows us to work with programmable data objects
Created Spell Pad and Mortgage Minder applications
Exploring MS Visual Basic 6
Copyright 1999 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

38. Practice with Visual Basic
1. Using the OLE Container Control
2. In the Kitchen with Automation
3. Sample Word Automation
4. OLE Container Sample Application
5. More Spell Check
6. OLE and PowerPoint
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Case Studies
Programming with PowerPoint
Careers in Visual Basic
Programming a Handheld PC
Programming with Excel
Exploring MS Visual Basic 6
Copyright 1999 Prentice-Hall, Inc.