Release 10.1A: OpenEdge Development:
Progress 4GL Reference

CREATE automation object statement

(Windows only)

Creates (instantiates) an ActiveX Automation object based on a specified Automation Server connection.

Syntax

CREATE expression1 COM-hdl-var [ CONNECT [ TO expression2 ] ] [ NO-ERROR ]

expression1

A character-string expression that evaluates to 1) a unique name of a valid Automation object stored in the system registry or 2) the null string ("").

COM-hdl-var

A COM-HANDLE variable that receives the COM handle to the instantiated Automation object.

[CONNECT [ TO expression2 ] ]

Specifies the connection option, together with expression1. The behavior of each connection option depends on the execution status of the Automation Server.

Table 18 illustrates this behavior.

Table 18: Automation object connection options

Connection option	Server execution status	Connection behavior
1. Option omitted	Running	Creates a new instance of the Automation object identified by expression1. Launches a new instance of the Server for top-level Automation objects (like Excel.Application) start a new instance of the Server.
	Not running	Launches a new instance of the Server, then creates a new instance of the Automation object identified by expression1. Often, both the new Server and the new Automation object instance are invisibly created.
2. CONNECT	Running	Connects to an active (instantiated) Automation object identified by expression1. Works for top-level Automation objects only. For example, this works for Excel.Application but fails for Excel.Sheet and Excel.Chart, which are both lower-level Automation objects.
	Not running	Invalid. Always returns an error.
3. CONNECT TO expression2	Running	Creates or connects to an Automation object specified by expression1 that is associated with the file specified by the pathname in expression2. If more than one instance of the Server is running, this option randomly selects one (generally, the first one started). If the specified file is already open within the selected Server, this option connects to the Automation object that is instantiated for that file. If the file is not already open in the selected Server, this option opens the file and instantiates the specified Automation object for it. If the specified file is already open in a different instance of the Server, this option fails with a “File in Use” error. This option also fails if the expression2 does not specify a valid file.
	Not running	Creates a new instance of an Automation object specified by expression1 that is associated with the file specified by the pathname in expression2. This option starts a new instance of the Server and instantiates the Automation object for the class that is initialized from the contents of the file. Often, the new Server, as well as the new Automation object, are invisibly created. This option fails if expression2 does not specify a valid file.
4. CONNECT TO expression2 WHERE expression1 = ""	Running	Creates or connects to an Automation object that is associated with the file specified by the pathname in expression2. This option determines the identity of the Server (and hence the Automation object) from the file extension given in expression2. If more than one instance of the Server is running, this option randomly selects one (generally, the first one started). If the specified file is already open within the selected Server, this option connects to the Automation object that is instantiated for that file. If the file is not already open in the selected Server, this option opens the file and instantiates the specified Automation object for it. If the specified file is already open in a different instance of the Server, this option fails with a “File in Use” error. This option also fails if the expression2 does not specify a valid file.
	Not running	Creates a new instance of an Automation object that is associated with the file specified by the pathname in expression2. This option determines the identity of the Server (and hence the Automation object) from the file extension given in expression2. This option starts a new instance of the Server and instantiates the Automation object for the class that is initialized from the contents of the file. Often, the new Server, as well as the new Automation object, are invisibly created. This option fails if expression2 does not specify a valid file.

NO-ERROR

Suppresses error messages for the instantiation of an Automation object. You can then test for the ERROR condition to verify that the Automation object is instantiated.

Example

The following procedure demonstrates several Automation object instantiations using the four basic connection options. It tries all of the options with the Microsoft® Excel Automation Server. Note that not all Automation Servers support all options. For example in Office 95, there is no Automation object for PowerPoint presentations. Thus, the file connection option (Option 3 in Table 18) does not work.

r-crea.p

/* * Demonstration of connecting to an Automation Object in Excel * using the different connection options. */ DEF BUTTON bExit LABEL "Exit" SIZE 16 BY 1.25 AUTO-GO. DEF BUTTON bStart LABEL "Option 1 - Start Excel" SIZE 32 BY 1.25 . DEF BUTTON bConnect LABEL "Option 2 - Connect to Active" SIZE 32 BY 1.25. DEF BUTTON bConPerFile LABEL "Option 3 - Connect per File" SIZE 32 BY 1.25. DEF BUTTON bConnectMon LABEL "Option 4 - Connect by Extension" SIZE 32 BY 1.25. DEF VAR e AS CHAR VIEW-AS EDITOR SIZE 63 BY 1 LABEL "Result:" FONT 2. DEFINE VARIABLE curDir AS CHARACTER. FILE-INFO:FILE-NAME = ".". curDir = FILE-INFO:FULL-PATHNAME. DEFINE VAR wordAppl AS COM-HANDLE. FORM e SKIP(0.5) bStart SPACE bConnect SPACE bConPerFile SPACE bConnectMon SKIP(0.5) bExit WITH FRAME a VIEW-AS DIALOG-BOX THREE-D FONT 6. FRAME a:TITLE = "Testing CREATE Automation Object Statement". ENABLE ALL WITH FRAME a.ON CHOOSE OF bStart IN FRAME a

DO: /* * Option 1: * Connect using CREATE expression1 Com-Handle-Var. */ DEFINE VARIABLE excelAppl AS COM-HANDLE. CREATE "Excel.Application" excelAppl. excelAppl:Visible=true. excelAppl:Workbooks:Add. excelAppl:Range("A1"):Value = "testing CREATE". ASSIGN e:SCREEN-VALUE = String(excelAppl:Range("A1"):Value). release object excelAppl. END. ON CHOOSE OF bConnect IN FRAME a DO: /* * Option 2: * Connect using CREATE expression1 Com-Handle-Var CONNECT. */ DEFINE VARIABLE excelAppl AS COM-HANDLE. CREATE "Excel.Application" excelAppl connect. excelAppl:Range("A2"):Value = "testing CONNECT". MESSAGE "Click me to continue!" VIEW-AS ALERT-BOX. ASSIGN e:SCREEN-VALUE = String(excelAppl:Range("A2"):Value). excelAppl:Workbooks:Item(1):SaveAs(curDir + "\zzz.xls"). excelAppl:Quit(). release object excelAppl. END.

ON CHOOSE OF bStart IN FRAME a DO: /* * Option 1: * Connect using CREATE expression1 Com-Handle-Var. */ DEFINE VARIABLE excelAppl AS COM-HANDLE. CREATE "Excel.Application" excelAppl. excelAppl:Visible=true. excelAppl:Workbooks:Add. excelAppl:Range("A1"):Value = "testing CREATE". ASSIGN e:SCREEN-VALUE = String(excelAppl:Range("A1"):Value). release object excelAppl. END. ON CHOOSE OF bConnect IN FRAME a DO: /* * Option 2: * Connect using CREATE expression1 Com-Handle-Var CONNECT. */ DEFINE VARIABLE excelAppl AS COM-HANDLE. CREATE "Excel.Application" excelAppl connect. excelAppl:Range("A2"):Value = "testing CONNECT". MESSAGE "Click me to continue!" VIEW-AS ALERT-BOX. ASSIGN e:SCREEN-VALUE = String(excelAppl:Range("A2"):Value). excelAppl:Workbooks:Item(1):SaveAs(curDir + "\zzz.xls"). excelAppl:Quit(). release object excelAppl. END.

Notes

You must ensure that any third-party Automation objects you want to instantiate are installed and correctly listed in the registry. For information on what Automation objects you can instantiate, see the documentation for the third-party product. Generally, these are the same Automation objects instantiated by the Visual Basic CreateObject and GetObject functions. You might also be able to view these Automation objects using the OpenEdge COM Object Viewer tool. For more information, see OpenEdge Development: Programming Interfaces .
The instantiation of an Automation object depends on the implementation of the Automation Server itself. Any Server registered for multiple use (REGCLS_MULTIPLE_USE flag) launches a single instance of the Server that handles multiple Automation object instantiation requests. Any Server registered single use (REGCLS_SINGLE_USE flag) launches a new instance of the Server for each instantiated Automation object.
The four connection options in Table 18 compare to the following Visual Basic function calls:
Option 1 — CreateObject (class) or GetObject ("", class)
Option 2 — GetObject (, class)
Option 3 — GetObject (pathname, class)
Option 4 — GetObject (pathname)
Once you create or connect to an Automation object, you can reference its properties and methods.

See also

RELEASE OBJECT statement