Problem using display method with Outlook WIN32OLE

Ruby
1

Using VBA, the simplest way to get Outlook to add an email signature to
an email body is to use the mail “display” method.

However, because WIN32OLE uses method_missing to send commands, it seems
to be Object#display which is being triggered, simply displaying the
mail’s object ID in the console.

Is there a way for me to get around this behaviour and get the correct
WIN32OLE method called? I had considered undefining Object#display, but
that seems like a rather dangerous thing to do.

2

I remembered the word “singleton” and looked into it until I found a
workaround.
Here’s the solution (for posterity):

New mail

m = outlook.CreateItem(0)

Remove Object#display only for this instance

class << m
undef display
end

This now calls win32ole display correctly

m.display

Extract the signature

signature = m.htmlbody

Set the mail to use HTML

m.bodyformat = 2

Set a custom mail body with the default signature

m.htmlBody = body + signature

3

Hi,

2013/5/13 Joel P. [email protected]

that seems like a rather dangerous thing to do.

You can use WIN32OLE#invoke method like this:
excel = WIN32OLE.new(‘Excel.Application’)
excel.invoke(‘Quit’) # => same as excel.Quit

Regards,
Park H.

4

Thanks, that looks like a better option!