# Win32OLE trouble (custom ocx)

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/win32ole-trouble-custom-ocx/87237>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [March 1, 2007, 1:28am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/win32ole-trouble-custom-ocx/87237 "2007-03-01T01:28:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 11\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![bvwj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@bvwj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bvwj)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2007, 1:28am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/win32ole-trouble-custom-ocx/87237/1 "2007-03-01T01:28:28Z")

</div>

I’m trying to make calls to an OCX we developed in house. The OCX is an  
interface to a FireWire network. Currently we use this OCX mostly for  
C# programs. It’s several years old and fairly stable.

I have been able to access this OCX from VBScript, so I think the OCX is  
script ready.

I’ve tried the win32ole test scripts on Excel files and they work as  
described, so I’m confident Ruby and win32ole are operational.

I can see the class, the methods, and the arguments when I run soleb.rb.

I ran olegen and it created a proper looking class with all the methods.

It seems the object is created properly when I call it (at least no  
errors are reported).

When I call any of the methods using .invoke or .\_invoke I get the same  
error message. This error is also the same if the method requires  
arguments or not.

test.rb:6:in ‘invoke’:method\_name (or ‘\_invoke’:\_invoke)  
(WIN32OLERuntimeError)  
OLE error code:0 in   
  
HRESULT error code:0x8000ffff  
Catastrophic failure from test.rb:6

Can anyone point me toward the problem?

Thanks

---

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**Author:** ![bvwj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@bvwj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bvwj)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2007, 2:20am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/win32ole-trouble-custom-ocx/87237/2 "2007-03-01T02:20:54Z")

</div>

On Feb 28, 6:28 pm, Barry W. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> Can anyone point me toward the problem?

I’m pretty sure that HRESULT indicates a null pointer error. My guess  
is it’s expecting an argument that you’re not passing, or something  
like that. What is on line 6 of your script?

Jeff

> **[Hey Daddio!](http://forum.softiesonrails.com)**
>
> Home of Hey Daddio Software

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bvwj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@bvwj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bvwj)\
**Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 12:16pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/win32ole-trouble-custom-ocx/87237/3 "2007-03-02T12:16:10Z")

</div>

Hello, this may not be the answer your question…,

In message “Re: Win32OLE trouble (custom ocx)”  
on 07/03/02, Barry W. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) writes:

> > What is on line 6 of your script?
> 
> Line 6 is the method call on the object after the object is created.
> 
> I noticed one other thing when browsing the differences between the  
> class olegen created for my OCX and the class it created for excel.

Have you tried to access your OCX without using olegen?

If you have been able to access your OCX from VBScript,  
at first, try to access your OCX without using olegen  
and \_invoke.

For example, if you can access the OCX in VBScript:

Set obj = CreateObject(“Your.OCX”)  
obj.your\_method(10)

then, you could access the OCX in Win32OLE like as the following.

require ‘win32ole’  
obj = WIN32OLE.new(“Your.OCX”)  
obj.your\_method(10)

If this approach is fail, try to use olegen and \_invoke like  
as the following.

require ‘win32ole’  
include WIN32OLE::VARIANT  
obj = WIN32OLE.new(“Your.OCX”)

# The second parameter is optional.

obj.\_invoke(1, [10, nil], [VT\_I2, VT\_VARIANT])

And, I need more detail information to advise more effectively.  
Could you show me the test.rb and the result of the following script?  
(Before running script, please change “Your.OCX” and “your\_method”  
to fit your OCX.)

require ‘win32ole’  
obj = WIN32OLE.new(“Your.OCX”)  
m = obj.ole\_method\_help(“your\_method”)  
p m.dispid  
m.params.each do |param|  
puts “-----”  
p param.ole\_type  
p param.ole\_type\_detail  
p param.optional?  
end

Regards,  
Masaki S.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bvwj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@bvwj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bvwj)\
**Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 5:57pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/win32ole-trouble-custom-ocx/87237/4 "2007-03-02T17:57:16Z")

</div>

Masaki S. wrote:

> Hello, this may not be the answer your question…,

I’m just trying to make it work. Any method is fine.

require ‘win32ole’  
qp = WIN32OLE.new(“QPTnt.ocx”)

gives the error  
qptest.rb:2:in `initialize': unknown OLE server:`QPTnt.ocx’  
(WIN32OLERuntimeError)  
HRESULT error code:0x800401f3  
Invalid class string from qptest.rb:2:in `new’  
from qptest.rb:2

Soleb shows the PROGID of my QPTnt class is QPTNT.QPTntCtrl.1  
So I try:

require ‘win32ole’  
qp = WIN32OLE.new(“QPTNT.QPTntCtrl.1”)  
s= qp.Version

gives the error  
qptest.rb:3:in `method\_missing’: Version (WIN32OLERuntimeError)  
OLE error code:0 in   
  
HRESULT error code:0x8000ffff  
Catastrophic failure from qptest.rb:3

But Version is a method shown in soleb.

> If this approach is fail, try to use olegen and \_invoke like  
> as the following.
> 
> require ‘win32ole’  
> include WIN32OLE::VARIANT  
> obj = WIN32OLE.new(“Your.OCX”)

I tried,  
require ‘win32ole’  
include WIN32OLE::VARIANT  
qp = WIN32OLE.new(“QPTnt.OCX”)  
s= qp.Version

gives  
ptest.rb:3:in `initialize': unknown OLE server:`QPTnt.OCX’  
(WIN32OLERuntimeError)  
HRESULT error code:0x800401f3  
Invalid class string from qptest.rb:3:in `new’  
from qptest.rb:3

and  
require ‘win32ole’  
include WIN32OLE::VARIANT  
qp = WIN32OLE.new(“QPTNT.QPTntCtrl.1”)  
s= qp.Version

gives  
qptest.rb:4:in `method\_missing’: Version (WIN32OLERuntimeError)  
OLE error code:0 in   
  
HRESULT error code:0x8000ffff  
Catastrophic failure from qptest.rb:4

I tried another method, Activate2 with the same results.

When I run

require ‘win32ole’  
obj = WIN32OLE.new(“QPTNT.QPTntCtrl.1”)  
m = obj.ole\_method\_help(“Version”)  
p m.dispid  
m.params.each do |param|  
puts “-----”  
p param.ole\_type  
p param.ole\_type\_detail  
p param.optional?  
end

I only get one number on one line.

36

When I run it for the Activate2 (which requires one arguement) method I  
get:

## 55

“I4”  
[“I4”]  
false

It was a year ago I ran the OCX with VBSript and I can’t find the code.  
I just remember that it worked and that it was very cumbersome so I  
abandon it. As I recall I invoked QPTnt.ocx not QPTNT.QPTntCtrl.1.

Thank you so much for your help.

---

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**Author:** ![bvwj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@bvwj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bvwj)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2007, 7:28pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/win32ole-trouble-custom-ocx/87237/5 "2007-03-01T19:28:31Z")

</div>

Jeff C. wrote:

> What is on line 6 of your script?

Line 6 is the method call on the object after the object is created.

I noticed one other thing when browsing the differences between the  
class olegen created for my OCX and the class it created for excel.

There are no [IN,OUT,OPTION] tags in the comments of my class. Soleb  
doesn’t show [IN,OUT,OPTION] tags either when I browse my OLE object.  
Are these tags necessary for proper operation?

Any idea why my methods don’t show them?

---

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**Author:** ![bvwj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@bvwj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bvwj)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2007, 2:35am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/win32ole-trouble-custom-ocx/87237/6 "2007-03-03T02:35:00Z")

</div>

Hello,

In message “Re: Win32OLE trouble (custom ocx)”  
on 07/03/03, Barry W. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) writes:

> ```
> Catastrophic failure from qptest.rb:4
> 
> ```
> 
> I tried another method, Activate2 with the same results.

Sorry, I’m not sure, but this might be Win32OLE’s limit.

> I only get one number on one line.
> 
> 36

Thank you.  
I guess olegen worked fine, and created the expected script code.  
Perphaps the olegen created the script code like as the following.  
Is that right?

require ‘win32ole’  
obj = WIN32OLE.new(“QPTNT.QPTntCtrl.1”)  
include WIN32OLE::VARIANT  
obj.\_invoke(36, [], []) # this invokes Version.

But unfortunately, I think you would get the same result  
even if you try above script.

> When I run it for the Activate2 (which requires one arguement) method I  
> get:
> 
> ## 55
> 
> “I4”  
> [“I4”]  
> false

Perphaps, I guess olegen created as the following code.

obj.\_invoke(55, [arg], [VT\_I4])

And [IN, OUT, OPTION] tags are not needed in this case.

> It was a year ago I ran the OCX with VBSript and I can’t find the code.  
> I just remember that it worked and that it was very cumbersome so I  
> abandon it. As I recall I invoked QPTnt.ocx not QPTNT.QPTntCtrl.1.

BTW, Does the following VBScript work?  
Set obj = CreateObject(“QPTnt.ocx”)  
obj.Version  
or  
Set obj = CreateObject(“QPTNT.QPTntCtrl.1”)  
obj.Version

If it would not work, Win32OLE script does not work.

Regards,  
Masaki S.

---

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**Author:** ![bvwj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@bvwj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bvwj)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 8:39pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/win32ole-trouble-custom-ocx/87237/7 "2007-03-05T20:39:22Z")

</div>

Masaki S. wrote:

> BTW, Does the following VBScript work?  
> Set obj = CreateObject(“QPTnt.ocx”)  
> obj.Version  
> or  
> Set obj = CreateObject(“QPTNT.QPTntCtrl.1”)  
> obj.Version
> 
> If it would not work, Win32OLE script does not work.

You’re leading me toward the problem. That VBScript code does not work.  
It actually gives the same error statement that win32ole gives!

I went back and tried to re-create my VBScript code. I remembered I  
used “ActiveX Control Pad” to test the VBScript method last year.

This is code (embeded in and html doc and mostly generated by ActiveX  
control pad) that works with my ocx.

OCX test

It works and returns the version of the OCX as specified by the Version  
method.

Is there an equivalent Ruby syntax that might work?

Does this provide a clue why my ocx won’t work with the win32ole?

Thanks

---

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**Author:** ![bvwj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@bvwj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bvwj)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 11:11pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/win32ole-trouble-custom-ocx/87237/8 "2007-03-05T23:11:07Z")

</div>

> 

Any chance that the CLSID that works (884BD6BB-E4BA-4EEA-A632-  
D7A92541602F) is not registered correctly? Maybe QPTNT.QPTntCtrl.1 is  
not the right ProgID for that particular CLSID? I think you’ll have  
to check the registry to be sure.

Jeff

> **[Hey Daddio!](http://softiesonrails.com)**
>
> Home of Hey Daddio Software

---

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**Author:** ![bvwj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@bvwj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bvwj)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 11:51pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/win32ole-trouble-custom-ocx/87237/9 "2007-03-05T23:51:45Z")

</div>

Jeff C. wrote:  
I think you’ll have

> to check the registry to be sure.

I’m no registry expert, but I used RegEdit to search for QPTntCtrl

I found 6 entries.

HKEY\_CLASSES\_ROOT\CLSID{884BD6BB-E4BA-4EEA-A632-D7A92541602F}\ProgID  
QPTNT.QPTntCtrl.1

HKEY\_CLASSES\_ROOT\QPTNT.QPTntCtrl.1 QPTntControl  
HKEY\_CLASSES\_ROOT\QPTNT.QPTntCtrl.1\CLSID  
{884BD6BB-E4BA-4EEA-A632-D7A92541602F}

HKEY\_LOCAL\_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID{884BD6BB-E4BA-4EEA-A632-D7A92541602F}\ProgID  
QPTNT.QPTntCtrl.1

HKEY\_LOCAL\_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\QPTNT.QPTntCtrl.1 QPTntControl  
HKEY\_LOCAL\_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\QPTNT.QPTntCtrl.1\CLSID  
{884BD6BB-E4BA-4EEA-A632-D7A92541602F}

Looks to me like the CLSID is lined up with the ProgID.

Are there other things I should look for?

---

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**Author:** ![bvwj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@bvwj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bvwj)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 3:02pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/win32ole-trouble-custom-ocx/87237/10 "2007-03-16T15:02:28Z")

</div>

Hello, sorry for being too late to reply.

In message “Re: Win32OLE trouble (custom ocx)”  
on 07/03/08, Barry W. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) writes:

> [X.Y.Z: June 2005](http://seclib.blogspot.com/2005_06_01_archive.html)
> 
> > "First, a little background: ActiveX controls are normally persisted to/from  
> > some type of permanent storage, and they do this by implementing one or more  
> > IPersist\* interfaces. Containers are supposed to call one of the IPersist  
> > methods to initialize or load the control upon creation.
> 
> He was able to make a patch to our .ocx and it seems to work well now.
> 
> It also seems possible that this issue could be fixed inside Win32OLE.

Thank you for your information. I have  
addedWIN32OLE#ole\_activex\_initialize  
to ruby trunk. The method invokes InitNew method of IPersistMemory  
interface. I have checked that the method works fine  
with very small simple MFC ActiveX control which has  
only AboutBox method.

Regards  
Masaki S.

---

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**Author:** ![bvwj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@bvwj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bvwj)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2007, 4:51pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/win32ole-trouble-custom-ocx/87237/11 "2007-03-07T16:51:46Z")

</div>

I just wanted to close this thread with a happy ending!

My partner, the .ocx developer, found this posting from someone with  
similar trouble.

[http://seclib.blogspot.com/2005\_06\_01\_archive.html](http://seclib.blogspot.com/2005_06_01_archive.html)

> "First, a little background: ActiveX controls are normally persisted to/from  
> some type of permanent storage, and they do this by implementing one or more  
> IPersist\* interfaces. Containers are supposed to call one of the IPersist  
> methods to initialize or load the control upon creation.

He was able to make a patch to our .ocx and it seems to work well now.

It also seems possible that this issue could be fixed inside Win32OLE.

Thanks for the help