Strings in VBA in Lazarus Pascal?

[daveinhull]

Hello,

I'm having some problems with OLE and the use of strings in VBA.
I try to set a string parameter in an OLE connection using a String variable in Pascal, but it errors - there may well be other problems, but if I set the parameter hard it works, but not as a string variable so I'm just wanting to check what type I should beusing in Pascal for a VBA string variable.

So in the code below

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1.              NewFileName := PowerPointFilename + FilenamePart;
2.              Label11.caption := NewFileName;
3.              PPServer.ActivePresentation.Slides.Item(i).Shapes.Item(j).LinkFormat.SourceFullName := NewFileName;
4.  

if I break point after the first line the variable NewFileName contains a valid text string, 'D:\....etc'.
However going on to the third line it errors with 777E9ABA eb33 jmp 0x777e9aef <ntdll!RtlIsNonEmptyDirectoryReparsePointAllowed+223>

If I hardwire the value to a file string it works ok?

Any thoughts?

Many thanks
Dave

[Phil]

I'm having some problems with OLE and the use of strings in VBA.

You probably want to use WideString.

http://wiki.lazarus.freepascal.org/Office_Automation

[daveinhull]

Phil,

Many thanks, didn't even know WideString existed, but it did the trick.

I must say this is one of the best forums I've ever used.

Thanks
Dave

[Phil]

Many thanks, didn't even know WideString existed, but it did the trick.

Are you only working on Windows?

You can also script MS Office apps on Mac:

https://macpgmr.github.io/ObjP/MacAutomationWithPascal.html

[Mr.Madguy]

Unfortunately FPC/Lazarus has constant problems with wide strings. I have to use clunky constructions like this in order to solve this problem:

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. Document := WordObject.Documents.Open(WideString(UTF8Decode(GetCurrentDir + '\Data\Source.dat')));
2.  

[Thaddy]

Shouldn't that be

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. Document := WordObject.Documents.Open(PWideChar(ExludeTrailingPathDelimiter(GetCurrentDir) + '\Data\Source.dat'));

Not tested.