Win32OLE output parameter access?

I am trying to use Ruby's WIN32OLE support to drive Mindjet's
Mindmanager.

Their Object Model reference shows the following method:

   *** GetOffset Method ***

   Returns the topic's position-offset relative to its parent.

   expression.GetOffset(pxOffset, pyOffset)

   expression Required. An expression that returns a Topic object.
   pxOffset Required float *.
   pyOffset Required float *.

My problem is how to the two floating point output values. See sample
below... Any help would be certainly appreciated. Thanks

···

---
require 'win32ole'

MAX_DEPTH=5

MM=WIN32OLE.new("Mindmanager.Application")
MM.visible=true

def randomMap node,label='Main',depth=5
    node.text=label
    depth.times do |index|
        subnode=node.addSubtopic 'label'
        subnode.invoke('getOffset',0.0,0.0) # How to get this to work???
        p [:offset,WIN32OLE::ARGV] # Seems to echo parameters
        randomMap subnode,'%s %02d' % [label,index+1],rand(depth)
    end
end

node=MM.activeDocument.centralTopic
randomMap node

---

Generates the following error:

[:offset, [0.0, 0.0]] << mirrors the supplied inputs
G:/work/mindmanager/demo.rb:13:in `invoke': getOffset
(WIN32OLERuntimeError)
    OLE error code:80040200 in MindManager.Application.6
      Error: 'this topic is not able to execute the call'
    HRESULT error code:0x80020009
      Exception occurred.from C:demo.rb:13:in `randomMap'
        from G:/work/mindmanager/demo.rb:11:in `times'
        from G:/work/mindmanager/demo.rb:11:in `randomMap'
        from G:/work/mindmanager/demo.rb:15:in `randomMap'
        from G:/work/mindmanager/demo.rb:11:in `times'
        from G:/work/mindmanager/demo.rb:11:in `randomMap'
        from G:/work/mindmanager/demo.rb:20

Dennis Misener asked:

  expression.GetOffset(pxOffset, pyOffset)
...
My problem is how to the two floating point output values. See sample
below... Any help would be certainly appreciated. Thanks
...
       subnode=node.addSubtopic 'label'
       subnode.invoke('getOffset',0.0,0.0) # How to get this to work???
       p [:offset,WIN32OLE::ARGV] # Seems to echo parameters
...
[:offset, [0.0, 0.0]] << mirrors the supplied inputs
G:/work/mindmanager/demo.rb:13:in `invoke': getOffset
(WIN32OLERuntimeError)
   OLE error code:80040200 in MindManager.Application.6
     Error: 'this topic is not able to execute the call'
   HRESULT error code:0x80020009
     Exception occurred.from C:demo.rb:13:in `randomMap'
       from G:/work/mindmanager/demo.rb:11:in `times'
       from G:/work/mindmanager/demo.rb:11:in `randomMap'
       from G:/work/mindmanager/demo.rb:15:in `randomMap'
       from G:/work/mindmanager/demo.rb:11:in `times'
       from G:/work/mindmanager/demo.rb:11:in `randomMap'
       from G:/work/mindmanager/demo.rb:20

This shouldn't matter, but I usually write a method invocation like
  subnode.invoke('getOffset',0.0,0.0)
as
  subnode.GetOffset(0.0, 0.0)

You're right that WIN32OLE::ARGV is the way to get output parameters. The
problem seems to be with the method invocation itself failing with an error.

And it does looks from the stack trace as if the method has actually been
successfully executed at least once. Have you tried without the loop, from
IRB, for example?

Cheers,
Dave

Hello,

        subnode.invoke('getOffset',0.0,0.0) # How to get this to work???

Try
  include WIN32OLE::VARIANT
  ...
  dispid = subnode.ole_method('getOffset').dispid
  subnode._invoke(dispid, [0.0, 0.0], [VT_R4|VT_BYREF, VT_R4|VT_BYREF])
or
  dispid = subnode.ole_method('getOffset').dispid
  subnode._invoke(dispid, [0.0, 0.0], [VT_R8|VT_BYREF, VT_R8|VT_BYREF])

  Regards,
  Masaki Suketa

···

In message "Win32OLE output parameter access??" on 06/03/29, Dennis Misener <dm@accesscable.net> writes:

In article <VcqWf.19175$dy4.3184@news-server.bigpond.net.au>,
dave@burt.id.au says...

Dennis Misener asked:
> expression.GetOffset(pxOffset, pyOffset)
> ...
> My problem is how to access the two floating point output values. See sample
> below... Any help would be certainly appreciated. Thanks
> ...
> subnode=node.addSubtopic 'label'
> subnode.invoke('getOffset',0.0,0.0) # How to get this to work???
> p [:offset,WIN32OLE::ARGV] # Seems to echo parameters
> ...
> [:offset, [0.0, 0.0]] << mirrors the supplied inputs
> G:/work/mindmanager/demo.rb:13:in `invoke': getOffset
> (WIN32OLERuntimeError)
> OLE error code:80040200 in MindManager.Application.6
> Error: 'this topic is not able to execute the call'
> HRESULT error code:0x80020009
> Exception occurred.from C:demo.rb:13:in `randomMap'
> from G:/work/mindmanager/demo.rb:11:in `times'
> from G:/work/mindmanager/demo.rb:11:in `randomMap'
> from G:/work/mindmanager/demo.rb:15:in `randomMap'
> from G:/work/mindmanager/demo.rb:11:in `times'
> from G:/work/mindmanager/demo.rb:11:in `randomMap'
> from G:/work/mindmanager/demo.rb:20

This shouldn't matter, but I usually write a method invocation like
  subnode.invoke('getOffset',0.0,0.0)
as
  subnode.GetOffset(0.0, 0.0)

Yes... tried it both ways... same result :frowning:

You're right that WIN32OLE::ARGV is the way to get output parameters. The
problem seems to be with the method invocation itself failing with an error.

And it does looks from the stack trace as if the method has actually been
successfully executed at least once. Have you tried without the loop, from
IRB, for example?
I found that odd too! Running inside IRB give the same results. Since

the real parameters should be RETURNED... I'm not sure passing IN real
constants as inputs is the answer... but unless I supply two REAL
argments it reports missing required parameters etc.

···

Cheers,
Dave

In article <200603291215.k2TCFRiK012334@userg501.nifty.com>,
masaki.suketa@nifty.ne.jp says...

Progress!!

Good news: It returns correct output parameters :slight_smile:
Bad news: It only works once!! :frowning: But that could my logic error or
            Mindjets API problem.

Thanks for speedy+helpful response (from the Win32OLE father himself!!!)

···

---

require 'win32ole'

include WIN32OLE::VARIANT

MAX_DEPTH=5

MM=WIN32OLE.new("Mindmanager.Application")
MM.visible=true

def debug node
    p [:node,node]
    dispid=node.ole_method('getOffset').dispid
    node._invoke(dispid, [0.0, 0.0], [VT_R4|VT_BYREF, VT_R4|VT_BYREF])
    p [:offset,WIN32OLE::ARGV]
end

def randomMap node,label='Main',depth=5
    node.text=label
    depth.times do |index|
        subnode=node.addSubtopic 'label'
        debug subnode
        randomMap subnode,'%s %02d' % [label,index+1],rand(depth)
    end
end

node=MM.activeDocument.centralTopic
randomMap node

Produces:

c:\work>demo
[:node, #<WIN32OLE:0x2845008>]
[:offset, [30.0, -20.0]]
[:node, #<WIN32OLE:0x2844318>]
C:/Work/demo.rb:14:in `_invoke': _invoke (WIN32OLERuntimeError)
    OLE error code:80040200 in MindManager.Application.6
      Error: 'this topic is not able to execute the call'
    HRESULT error code:0x80020009
      Exception occurred from C:/Work/demo.rb:14:in `debug'
        from C:/Work/demo.rb:22:in `randomMap'
        from C:/Work/demo.rb:20:in `times'
        from C:/Work/demo.rb:20:in `randomMap'
        from C:/Work/demo.rb:23:in `randomMap'
        from C:/Work/demo.rb:20:in `times'
        from C:/Work/demo.rb:20:in `randomMap'
        from C:/Work/demo.rb:28

Hello,

In message "Win32OLE output parameter access??" > on 06/03/29, Dennis Misener <dm@accesscable.net> writes:

> subnode.invoke('getOffset',0.0,0.0) # How to get this to work???

Try
  include WIN32OLE::VARIANT
  ...
  dispid = subnode.ole_method('getOffset').dispid
  subnode._invoke(dispid, [0.0, 0.0], [VT_R4|VT_BYREF, VT_R4|VT_BYREF])
or
  dispid = subnode.ole_method('getOffset').dispid
  subnode._invoke(dispid, [0.0, 0.0], [VT_R8|VT_BYREF, VT_R8|VT_BYREF])

  Regards,
  Masaki Suketa

Dennis Misener wrote:

> expression.GetOffset(pxOffset, pyOffset)
> subnode=node.addSubtopic 'label'
> subnode.invoke('getOffset',0.0,0.0)
> p [:offset,WIN32OLE::ARGV]

>I found that odd too! Running inside IRB give the same results. Since
the real parameters should be RETURNED... I'm not sure passing IN real
constants as inputs is the answer... but unless I supply two REAL
argments it reports missing required parameters etc.

Where and how does IRB die on this?

require 'win32ole'
MM=WIN32OLE.new("Mindmanager.Application")
MM.visible=true
node = MM.activeDocument.centralTopic
node.text='Main'
subnode=node.addSubtopic 'label'
subnode.getOffset(0.0, 0.0)
p [:offset,WIN32OLE::ARGV]

Cheers,
Dave