# Help with require in win32ole **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [November 18, 2006, 4:00pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/help-with-require-in-win32ole/76408 "2006-11-18T16:00:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![alex-osu3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/13edae/32.png) [@alex-osu3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/alex-osu3)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2006, 4:00pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/help-with-require-in-win32ole/76408/1 "2006-11-18T16:00:09Z")
Hi all, I recently play with win32ole library. In order to use it I put a line at the top of the script require ‘win32ole’ so that Ruby knows where to find the library. It is my understanding I should be able to access all the classes/modules within the file. But this is not the case. In order to get access to ExcelConst I need to add two more lines module ExcelConst end near the top of the script. I am a little bit confused. Why is that? Is this only special to win32ole library or common to many Ruby libraries? Any comments will be appriciated. Li And the follows are the fragment of the script: ### require ‘win32ole’ module ExcelConst end excel = WIN32OLE.new(“Excel.Application”) workbook = excel.Workbooks.Add excelchart = workbook.Charts.Add … WIN32OLE.const\_load(excel, ExcelConst) excelchart.ChartType = ExcelConst::XlConeCol ###screen output C:\>irb irb(main):001:0\> require ‘win32ole’ =\> true irb(main):002:0\> irb(main):003:0\* module ExcelConst irb(main):004:1\> end =\> nil irb(main):005:0\> irb(main):006:0\* excel = WIN32OLE.new(“Excel.Application”) =\> #WIN32OLE:0x2c268f0 irb(main):007:0\> workbook = excel.Workbooks.Add =\> #WIN32OLE:0x2c24154 irb(main):008:0\> excelchart = workbook.Charts.Add =\> #WIN32OLE:0x2c21954 irb(main):009:0\> irb(main):010:0\* WIN32OLE.const\_load(excel, ExcelConst) =\> nil irb(main):011:0\> puts excelchart.ChartType = ExcelConst::XlConeCol 105 =\> nil ---
**Author:** ![alex-osu3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/13edae/32.png) [@alex-osu3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/alex-osu3)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2006, 11:42am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/help-with-require-in-win32ole/76408/2 "2006-11-19T11:42:27Z")
On 11/18/06, Li Chen [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > two more lines > > excel = WIN32OLE.new(“Excel.Application”) > workbook = excel.Workbooks.Add > excelchart = workbook.Charts.Add > … > WIN32OLE.const\_load(excel, ExcelConst) > excelchart.ChartType = ExcelConst::XlConeCol You have to define the moduke ExcelConst, because it is not a part of the library, it is _your_ module that the library will fill with constants (see the line with WIN32OLE.const\_load). You can use any name for it (i.e. MySuperExcelModuleForConstants). You can even reuse any existing module for that (including any class). If you read the documentation you can omit the module name (the second parameter to WIN32OLE) and the constants will be added to WIN32OLE itself. You can add the constants to Kernel module, or Object class so that you can use them without prefix (and thus polluting the global namespace, although sometimes it might be handy). ---
**Author:** ![alex-osu3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/13edae/32.png) [@alex-osu3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/alex-osu3)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2006, 4:40pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/help-with-require-in-win32ole/76408/3 "2006-11-19T16:40:55Z")
Jan S. wrote: > You have to define the moduke ExcelConst, because it is not a part of > the library, it is _your_ module that the library will fill with > constants (see the line with WIN32OLE.const\_load). If it isn’t part of the library of WIN32OLE, then where does it come from, from the Excel library? Thanks, Li ---
**Author:** ![alex-osu3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/13edae/32.png) [@alex-osu3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/alex-osu3)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2006, 5:28pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/help-with-require-in-win32ole/76408/4 "2006-11-19T17:28:54Z")
On 11/19/06, Li Chen [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Jan S. wrote: > > > You have to define the moduke ExcelConst, because it is not a part of > > the library, it is _your_ module that the library will fill with > > constants (see the line with WIN32OLE.const\_load). > > If it isn’t part of the library of WIN32OLE, then where does it come > from, from the Excel library? Sorry I wasn’t clear enough. It’s a design decision of WIN32OLE that it doesn’t create the constants by default. However, it provides the possiblity to create them on demand. So in the case you need the constants, you say where you want them, and the library creates them for you. The place where you want them is the part you have to provide (any module/class). Obviously the constants come from the OLE object (in this case from Excel). WIN32OLE reads them and after a bit of translation creates them in the place you’ve told it. In conclusion what I wanted to say by that line is that: - The library will work without the ExcelConst module as happily - It’s you who has to create the module if you want the constants - However you can name it anyway you want - e.g. XlConst is as good as any other name - It’s possible to do without even creating the module by using WIN32OLE or Kernel ---
**Author:** ![alex-osu3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/13edae/32.png) [@alex-osu3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/alex-osu3)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2006, 7:07pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/help-with-require-in-win32ole/76408/5 "2006-11-19T19:07:18Z")
> In conclusion what I wanted to say by that line is that: > > - The library will work without the ExcelConst module as happily > - It’s you who has to create the module if you want the constants > - However you can name it anyway you want - e.g. XlConst is as good as > any other name > - It’s possible to do without even creating the module by using > WIN32OLE or Kernel Hi Jan, Thank you very much for the explanations. Could you please give me a small example of “doing it without even creating the module by using WIN32OLE or Kernel”? Li ---
**Author:** ![alex-osu3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/13edae/32.png) [@alex-osu3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/alex-osu3)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2006, 2:47pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/help-with-require-in-win32ole/76408/6 "2006-11-20T14:47:06Z")
On 11/19/06, Li Chen [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Thank you very much for the explanations. > > Could you please give me a small example of “doing it without even > creating the module by using WIN32OLE or Kernel”? (not tested: I’ve made up this from documentation, the change is in the last two lines) require ‘win32ole’ excel = WIN32OLE.new(“Excel.Application”) workbook = excel.Workbooks.Add excelchart = workbook.Charts.Add … WIN32OLE.const\_load(excel) # missing …, ExcelConst) excelchart.ChartType = WIN32OLE::XlConeCol # ExcelConst → WIN32OLE ---
**Author:** ![alex-osu3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/13edae/32.png) [@alex-osu3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/alex-osu3)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 10:19am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/help-with-require-in-win32ole/76408/7 "2006-11-30T10:19:13Z")
Hey I just tried requiring ‘win32ole’ in my Linux console but it doesn’t seem to find it. I’m running MS Office under Linux with Crossover Office, and was hoping I’d be able to do my MS Office development under Linux from now on. Would getting the win32ole libraries help at all? Is there something small I’m missing or is this simply too ambitious? Thanks in advance Gustav P. removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid ---
**Author:** ![alex-osu3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/13edae/32.png) [@alex-osu3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/alex-osu3)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 10:51am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/help-with-require-in-win32ole/76408/8 "2006-11-30T10:51:32Z")
Gustav P. wrote: > Hey > > I just tried requiring ‘win32ole’ in my Linux console but it doesn’t > seem to find it. I’m running MS Office under Linux with Crossover > Office, and was hoping I’d be able to do my MS Office development under > Linux from now on. > > Would getting the win32ole libraries help at all? > > Is there something small I’m missing or is this simply too ambitious? > > Thanks in advance > Gustav P. > removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid As far as I know WIN32OLE is a built-in library in the Ruby. In order to use it you need to put this line require ‘wine32ole’ near the top of your script. Li ---
**Author:** ![alex-osu3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/13edae/32.png) [@alex-osu3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/alex-osu3)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 11:21am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/help-with-require-in-win32ole/76408/9 "2006-11-30T11:21:25Z")
On 11/30/06, Gustav P. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > > Would getting the win32ole libraries help at all? > > > use it you need to put this line > > > Thanks for the reply. I tried it in irb, but I get > > Directories, which I can’t find under > /usr/lib/ruby/1.8 > > Might it be necessary to download the win32ole library? > Is there one for Linux? > > Thanks, I’d really love to be able to develop from Linux, but if all > else fails, I suppose I’ll make do with Windows :] The problem is, that win32ole is a windows extension, you have linux ruby and office running under wine. So you have to make them talk to each other. You need to somehow compile the win32ole extension under linux to use wine to talk to msoffice. I would say that: 1. it should be possible 2. many people will thank you for that 😉 3. certainly it is not easy - you’d need to know a bit of ruby internals, a bit of wine, a bit of OLE and you’d need to write C code during the process. ---
**Author:** ![alex-osu3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/13edae/32.png) [@alex-osu3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/alex-osu3)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 11:35am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/help-with-require-in-win32ole/76408/10 "2006-11-30T11:35:26Z")
Hi > Thanks, I can see why people would be thankful! I’ll give it a shot, can’t be that difficult ;] I had a vague inkling that it wouldn’t be simple, Thanks for the reply! Gustav ---
**Author:** ![alex-osu3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/13edae/32.png) [@alex-osu3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/alex-osu3)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 11:07am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/help-with-require-in-win32ole/76408/11 "2006-11-30T11:07:19Z")
Li Chen wrote: > > > > require ‘wine32ole’ > > near the top of your script. > > Li Hi Thanks for the reply. I tried it in irb, but I get irb(main):001:0\> require ‘win32ole’ LoadError: no such file to load – win32ole from (irb):1:in `require’ from (irb):1 I tried ‘wine32ole’ as well, same problem. I noticed that on my Windows machine I’ve got c:\ruby\lib\ruby\1.8\win32 c:\ruby\lib\ruby\1.8\win32ole Directories, which I can’t find under /usr/lib/ruby/1.8 Might it be necessary to download the win32ole library? Is there one for Linux? Thanks, I’d really love to be able to develop from Linux, but if all else fails, I suppose I’ll make do with Windows :] Gustav ---
**Author:** ![alex-osu3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/13edae/32.png) [@alex-osu3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/alex-osu3)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 3:58pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/help-with-require-in-win32ole/76408/12 "2006-11-30T15:58:05Z")
On Thu, 30 Nov 2006, Li Chen wrote: > > Is there something small I’m missing or is this simply too ambitious? > > near the top of your script. i’ve managed this before. i installed the one-click installer under crossover office and the used that. another option is installing msys, compiling ruby under that, and then using that ruby. in any case you need to install/build **another** ruby under the crossover environment. regards. -a ---
**Author:** ![alex-osu3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/13edae/32.png) [@alex-osu3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/alex-osu3)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2006, 12:55pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/help-with-require-in-win32ole/76408/13 "2006-12-06T12:55:18Z")
Gustav P. wrote: > > internals, a bit of wine, a bit of OLE and you’d need to write C code I bailed on the 1-2-3, as I decided to try some easier sounding ways first, one of which turned out to work! 🙂 In the end I installed office 2000 with Crossover, then I used the windows installer to install windows ruby into the same bottle as office. Finally I put the following bash script in my /usr/bin directory so I can run my ruby files with ‘#\> wruby some\_script.rb’ The script is as follows, I’ve never done bash scripting before, so I think I cheated by using the ‘env ruby’ part, but hey, why code bash when you can code ruby? 😉 ==/usr/bin/wruby #!/usr/bin/env ruby `/opt/cxofficebeta/bin/wine --bottle myBottle --cx-app ruby.exe #{ARGV.join(" ")}` In one instance, I have a .rb file that opens a xls file, grabs some data from it, opens another file, puts the collected data in it, then finally shows the last file, post-modifications, to the user. Its working beautifully thus far. As crossover maps the linux root (’/’) to z:\ you can have your xls files anywhere on your disk and reference it accordingly. In the end, getting it working this way was quite easy, though my crossover didn’t like Excel 2003. Works perfectly with Excel 2000 though, macros record and run perfectly, I’ve got lots of VBA code in one of the xls files, and it works without flaw. When I tried installing Office 2000 premium with the crossover installer, it kept breaking, so I selected the ‘install unsupported software’ option and let it create a new bottle (win98) for office, this worked perfectly and I followed it with the windows ruby installer (which took ages but executed without error), which I installed into the same bottle as office. Anyway, just thought I’d share this in case someone else out there felt similarly irritated by having to boot in windows every now and then and wished there was an alternative. Cheery-o Gustav P.