BUG: The GETOBJECT() Function Fails When Calling a Visual FoxPro COM Server (255683)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows 6.0
This article was previously published under Q255683

SYMPTOMS

The GETOBJECT() function in Visual FoxPro activates an Automation object and creates a reference to the object. If the application is already running, you can prevent additional instances of the application from starting by omitting FileName and including ClassName, as in this example: 
oleApp = GETOBJECT(, "Excel.Application")
This type of approach is also useful when you want to share Component Object Model (COM) objects between applications, sharing the object's properties, events, or methods (PEMs). For instance, a Microsoft Visual Basic application and a Microsoft Visual C++ application could exchange and share data via separate connections to the same instance of Microsoft Excel.

While Visual FoxPro allows you to create a COM server, the GETOBJECT() function cannot be used to instantiate it. The command fails with the following error message when you try:
OLE error code 0x800401e3: Operation unavailable.
Trying to call a Visual FoxPro COM server from Visual Basic using the Visual Basic GETOBJECT() function also results in an error message.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

To demonstrate this problem, save the following code to a new program in Visual FoxPro 6.0 and run it. Please close any open projects, designers, and so forth, before doing so. The program programmatically creates and builds a Visual FoxPro COM .exe file. It then attempts to instantiate it using the GETOBJECT() function. 
**********
* Start sample code to reproduce GETOBJECT() problem calling VFP COM .exe
*
*
LOCAL lnFileHand, lnBuildSuccess, lcOldConsole, lcOldSafety
SET DEFAULT TO JUSTPATH(SYS(16))
*!* Clean up any project files/program files from any previous runs.
DELETE FILE GETFOXCOM.*
*!* Retain environmental settings for later restoration.
lcOldConsole = SET('CONSOLE')
SET CONSOLE OFF
lcOldSafety = SET('SAFETY')
SET SAFETY OFF

*!* Create the main program with the class definition of the COM server.
SET TEXTMERGE TO 'GETFOXCOM.PRG'
TEXT
	DEFINE CLASS myserver AS CUSTOM OLEPUBLIC
		HEIGHT = 69
		WIDTH = 172
		NAME = "myserver"
		NEWPROP = 1
	ENDDEFINE
ENDTEXT
SET TEXTMERGE TO

*!* Create a project for the server.
CREATE PROJECT GETFOXCOM NOWAIT
*!* Add the main program.
_VFP.ACTIVEPROJECT.FILES.ADD('GETFOXCOM.PRG')
*!* Clean up the project.
_VFP.ACTIVEPROJECT.CLEANUP()
*!* Build a multi-instantiating (default COM .exe), looking for build success.
lnBuildSuccess = _VFP.ACTIVEPROJECT.BUILD("GETFOXCOM",3,.T.,.T.)

IF ! lnBuildSuccess	&& Build failed
	WAIT WINDOW "Build Errors"
	RETURN .F.
ENDIF

*!* Build success. Test GETOBJECT() on the server.
WAIT WINDOW "COM server GETFOXCOM.MYSERVER built successfully" + CHR(13) + ;
	"Press Any key to attempt GETOBJECT(, 'GETFOXCOM.MYSERVER')" + CHR(13) + CHR(13) +;
	"Click 'IGNORE' on the error to finish the demo."

*!* The GETOBJECT() call here should produce error message:
*!* " OLE error code 0x800401e3: Operation unavailable"
oVFPServer1 = CREATEOBJECT("GETFOXCOM.MYSERVER")
oVFPServer2 = GETOBJECT(, "GETFOXCOM.MYSERVER")

*!* Restore environmental settings.
SET CONSOLE &lcOldConsole
SET SAFETY &lcOldSafety
*
*
******* END CODE ****************
(c) Microsoft Corporation 2000, All Rights Reserved. Contributions by Trevor Hancock, Microsoft Corporation.

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:8/27/2002
Keywords:kbbug kbCodeSnippet kbDSupport KB255683
©2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.