# Win32OLE output parameter access?

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/win32ole-output-parameter-access/89717>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [March 29, 2006, 3:24am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/win32ole-output-parameter-access/89717 "2006-03-29T03:24:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dennismajor1](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/43a26b/32.png) [@dennismajor1](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/dennismajor1)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 3:24am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/win32ole-output-parameter-access/89717/1 "2006-03-29T03:24:07Z")

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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

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dennismajor1](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/43a26b/32.png) [@dennismajor1](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/dennismajor1)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 8:59am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/win32ole-output-parameter-access/89717/2 "2006-03-29T08:59:04Z")

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Dennis M. asked:

> G:/work/mindmanager/demo.rb:13:in `invoke’: getOffset  
> 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

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dennismajor1](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/43a26b/32.png) [@dennismajor1](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/dennismajor1)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 12:59pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/win32ole-output-parameter-access/89717/3 "2006-03-29T12:59:06Z")

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In article [VcqWf.19175$removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:VcqWf.19175$removed_email_address@domain.invalid),  
removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid says…

> > [:offset, [0.0, 0.0]] \<\< mirrors the supplied inputs  
> > 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)

DM\>Yes… tried it both ways… same result ☹

> 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?  
> DM\>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.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dennismajor1](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/43a26b/32.png) [@dennismajor1](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/dennismajor1)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 2:18pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/win32ole-output-parameter-access/89717/4 "2006-03-29T14:18:05Z")

</div>

Dennis M. wrote:

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

> DM\>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

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dennismajor1](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/43a26b/32.png) [@dennismajor1](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/dennismajor1)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 4:51pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/win32ole-output-parameter-access/89717/5 "2006-03-29T16:51:23Z")

</div>

In article [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid),  
removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid says…

Progress!!

Good news: It returns correct output parameters 🙂  
Bad news: It only works once!! ☹ 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

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dennismajor1](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/43a26b/32.png) [@dennismajor1](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/dennismajor1)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 2:18pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/win32ole-output-parameter-access/89717/6 "2006-03-29T14:18:06Z")

</div>

Hello,

In message “Win32OLE output parameter access??”  
on 06/03/29, Dennis M. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) 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 S.