This document discusses working with COM (Component Object Model) components in BIS. It provides an overview of what COM is, BIS's COM client interface using commands like @CCC, @CCP, @CCG, and @CCI. It also covers writing your own COM components in VB or C++ and working with existing COM components like email using CDONTS.NewMail and Excel using Excel.Application.

1. AIP4089: BIS and COM In Action
Wed Nov 6, 1:30pm
COM

2. Discussion Outline
• Who is SCB?
• What Is COM?
• BIS’s COM Client Interface
• Writing your own COM component
• Working with other components
• Gotchas
• Questions and Answers

3. Software Services Business
1994 1999 2002

4. What do we do?
IT Consulting IT Outsourcing IT Professional Staffing
Project Management System development & Application Development
Integration
IT Wellness testing Database/IT project management
System Maintenance, support
Information strategy and reengineering Datacenter Operations
planning
Facilities Management Mainframe/Midrange Support
IT Cost Analysis and ROI
Legacy System Transformation Training (mentoring, classroom,
Internet & Legacy Systems or customized)
Integration Migration Service
Data Warehousing
Systems Design and Data Center Management
programming PC/LAN Help Desk Support
Remote Processing
Network design, administration,
and operations

5. Solution Services Group
Business Information Server Internet Commerce Enabler
(MAPPER) (Cool ICE)
Modernization Services

6. COM What is COM?

7. What is COM?
 COM (component object model)
 History
• DDE (dynamic data exchange)
• OLE 1.0 (object linking and embedding)
• VBX (VB controls, just for VB)
• OLE 2
• OCX (OLE Controls, VB, C, C++, Java)
• Renamed ActiveX

8. What is COM?
COM
 A COM component
• Has “public” interfaces (properties, methods,
and events)
• Has “private” variables, subroutines and
functions
• Reports “public” interfaces (properties,
methods, and events)
• Can include usage information with public
interfaces (properties, methods, and events)
 COM info stored in Windows Registry
 Startup and persistence managed by
Windows OS

9. What is COM?
 Library
• Package of class(es). In VB: the project.
 Class
• The COM component. Has code and data structure.
• In VB an executable can have zero or more forms,
zero or more classes, and zero or modules
 Instance
• One working copy of the class
 Collection
• Like an array but each entry can be different
 Executable
• .EXE -out-of-process server -separate memory
• .DLL -in-process server -shares memory

10. What is COM?
 Comparison with DDE
Category DDE COM
Age Old and orphaned Recent and evolving
Application complexity Moderate Very
Relative speed Fast Faster
BIS Availability W2K, UNIX, 2200 W2K only
BIS-W2K level 4.0 or above 8.1E1 or above (ICE 3.0 or above)
Execute location On workstation under MPC On server under MAPPER.exe
Foreground execution Yes Yes
Background execution No Yes
Scheduled execution No Yes
Data Types Text only Text, Integer, Boolean, Array, Rid

11. What is COM?
 BIS / COM interface best used with:
• Centralized e-mail server
• Centralized fax server
• Centralized message server:
•
LEMS (Law Enforcement Messaging Switch)
•
MQSeries (messaging middleware for
heterogeneous hosts by IBM)
• Centralized data transfer server

12. BIS’s COM Client Interface
COM

13. BIS’s COM Client Interface
 BIS-NT 8.1E1 and above
• Outbound only (@CCC)
 ICE 3.0 and above
• Outbound (@CCC)
• Inbound (ICE services)
 Not available on 2200 or UNIX

14. BIS’s COM Client Interface
 ICE 3.0 Inbound COM
 CoolSession object
 Methods
CoolSession.Open GatewayName, UserID, Dept, Pswd
CoolSession.Close
• CoolServer object
 Properties
string = CoolServer.MIMETYPE
variant = CoolServer.ServiceOutput
 Methods
Open CreateDataSet ExecuteDataService
Close ExecuteService RemoveDataSet
RetreiveDataSet ProcessXML

15. BIS’s COM Client Interface
• @CCC -create an instance
• @CCP -put a property value
• @CCG -get a property value
• @CCI -invoke a method
• @CCR -release the instance
• Missing is an “Advise”

16. BIS’s COM Client Interface
 @CCC -Create instance
 @CCC,label prog-id handle vmsg .
• prog-id -VB: project.class
-Excel: Excel.Application
-Word: Word.Application
-e-mail: CDONTS.NewMail, et. al.
-others: see OLE Viewer
• handle <handle>i2
• vmsg <errmsg>s
@cci,199 MAPZIP.ZipManager <mz>i2 <msg>s256
 Only five instance handles available

17. BIS’s COM Client Interface
 @CCP -Put property value
 @CCP[,label] hdl,property fmt value [vmsg] .
• hdl -instance handle from @CCC
• property -components property name
• fmt -BOOL <var>i1
-BSTR string
-I2 small integer
-I4 large integer
-R4 real (floating)
-VAR rid or result
• value -literal or variable or ([c,d,]-0,delim)
• vmsg <errmsg>s

18. BIS’s COM Client Interface
 @CCP -Put property value
@ccp,199 <mz>,Temp BSTR ‘c:pcme’ <msg>s256
@ldv <rep>i4=314 .
@ccp,199 <mz>,Repeat I2 <rep> <msg> .
@brk .
Salut mon vieux,
J’espere que tu va bien.
Ton amis toujours…
@brk ldv <lf>h1=chr$ 12 . line-feed delimiter
@ccp,199 <mz>,BodyText bstr (-0,<lf>) <msg>

19. BIS’s COM Client Interface
 @CCG -Get property value
 @CCG[,label] hdl,property return [vmsg] .
• hdl -instance handle from @CCC
• property -components property name
• return -variable of proper type and size
or array element or (c,d,r)
• vmsg <errmsg>s

20. BIS’s COM Client Interface
 @CCG -Get property value
@ccg,199 <mz>,Count <files>i3 <msg>s256 .
@ccg,199 <mz>,Comment <cmt>s80 <msg>s256 .
@ccg,199 <mz>,Item(2) <ele>h18 <msg>s256 .

21. BIS’s COM Client Interface
 @CCI -invoke method
 @CCI[,label] hdl,method fmts params return [vmsg] .
• hdl -instance handle from @CCC
• property -components method name
• fmts -comma separated list of formats or ‘’
• params -matching comma separated list of
parameters (literals or variables) or ‘’
• return -variable of proper type and size or ‘’
• vmsg <errmsg>s

22. BIS’s COM Client Interface
 @CCI -invoke method
@cci,199 <prj>,Close ‘’ ‘’ ‘’ <msg>s256 .
@cci,199 <mz>,AddToZip ‘’ ‘’ <ok>i1 <msg> .
@cci <lsp>,Describe bstr,bstr,bstr,i2 .
M,W,’6ft0’,220 ‘’ <msg> .

23. BIS’s COM Client Interface
 @CCR -release instance
 @CCR hdl1[,hdl2,hdl3,…] .
• hdlx -instance handle(s) from @CCC
@ccr <az>,<bz> .

24. Writing your own COM component
COM

25. Writing your own COM component

26. Writing your own COM component
http://www.microsoft.com/com/
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp

27. Writing your own COM component
 Choose language: VB, C++, Java
 Use Microsoft Visual Studio 6.0TM
 Plan your own properties and methods
• Keep it simple
 Use third party components
• Faxing: Faxman
• ZIPing: SaxZIP
• Messaging: MQSeries
• Others: www.componentsource.com
www.programmersparadise.com

28. Writing your own COM component
 A simple project: MapCalc
• add or multiply two numbers
 Name the class: AddMult
 Properties
• op1 -integer
• op2 -integer
 Methods
• Add -add op1 to op2 and return sum
• Mult -multiply op1 by op2 and return product

29. Writing your own COM component
 ActiveX.EXE -out-of-process server
 ActiveX.DLL -in-process server

30. Writing your own COM component
Option Explicit
Private mintOp1 As Integer
Private mintOp2 As Integer
-----------------------------------------------
Public Property Let Op1(ByVal vData As Integer)
mintOp1 = vData
End Property
-----------------------------------------------
Public Property Let Op2(ByVal vData As Integer)
mintOp2 = vData
End Property
-----------------------------------------------
Public Function Add() As Integer
Add = mintOp1 + mintOp2
End Function
---------------------------------
Public Function Mult() As Integer
Mult = mintOp1 * mintOp2
End Function

31. Writing your own COM component
 Adding a Method with parameters
 Adding a read only Property
Option Explicit
Private mintOp1 As Integer
Private mintOp2 As Integer
Private mintSum as Integer
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Public Sub AddOps (ByVal vData1 As Integer, ByVal vData2 As Integer)
mintSum = vData1 + vData2
End Sub
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Public Property Get Sum() As Integer
Sum = mintSum
End Property

32. Writing your component
 MapCalc.AddMult
DEMO

33. Writing your own COM component

34. Writing your own COM component
 New VB project, Standard EXE, Project / References
 View / Object Browser…
• Shows methods
• Shows properties
 How?
• Pulled from the Registry!

35. Writing your own COM component
 The BIS Code (15a0)
.DATE 01 AUG 02 15:25:25 RID 15A 01 AUG 02 JERR
.RUN: MapCalc (COM interface to MapCalc.AddMult)
*=======================================================
@ ccc,99 MapCalc.AddMult <mc>i2 <msg>s256 . create
@ ccp,98 <mc>,Op1 i2 96 <msg> . put
@ ccp,98 <mc>,Op2 i2 104 <msg> . put
@ cci,98 <mc>,Add '' '' <sum>i8 . invoke
@ cci,98 <mc>,Mult '' '' <prd>i8 . invoke
@ ccr <mc> . release
The sum is <sum>.
The product is <prd>.
@ gto end .
@98:ccr <mc> . error release
@99:brk,0,i .
<msg>
@ brk dsp,-0 . Display error

36. Writing your component
 MapCalc.AddMult
DEMO

37. Writing your own COM component
 Execute in RDB to see process in Task Manager
 Results
.DATE 01 AUG 02 15:26:02 REPORT GENERATION JERR
*=======================================================
The sum is 200.
The product is 9984.
..... END REPORT .....

38. Writing your own COM component
 Creating an install for your component
 The install files

39. Working with other components
COM

40. Working with other components
 Components
• E-mail
• Word
• Excel
 Finding Prog-Ids
 Finding Classes, Properties, Methods

41. Working with other components
 “How to” and
object models
• Outlook
• Excel
• Word
• FrontPage
• Project
• PowerPoint
• Access

42. Working with other components
 E-mail interface
• According to
msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp
• CDONTS
•
Collaborative Data Objects for NT Servers
•
Requires Microsoft IIS or Exchange Server
•
Simple Object Model
• CDO for Windows 2000
•
Included with the OS
•
More complex Object Model

43. Working with other components
 E-mail interface
• CDONTS supplied with IIS and/or Exchange

44. Working with other components
 CDONTS.NewMail
• Objects
• Collections
• Methods
• Properties

45. Working with other components
 CDONTS.NewMail example
.DATE 01 AUG 02 15:25:25 RID 20A 01 AUG 02 JERR
.RUN: EZmail (COM interface to CDONTS.NewMail)
*=======================================================
@ ccc,99 CDONTS.NewMail <eml>i2 <msg>s256 .
@ ccp,98 <eml>,From bstr ‘jmerrill2@home.com’ <msg> .
@ ccp,98 <eml>,To bstr ‘bispeople@unite.org’ <msg>
@ ccp,98 <eml>,Subject bstr ‘COM in Action’ <msg> .
@ brk .
Salut mon vieux,
J’espere que tu va bien.
Ton amis toujours…
@ brk ldv <lf>h1=chr$ 12 . line-feed delimiter
@ ccp,98 <eml>,BodyText bstr (-0,<lf>) <msg> .
@ cci,98 <eml>,Send ‘’ ‘’ ‘’ <msg> .
@ ccr <eml> .
..... END REPORT .....

46. Working with other components
 Microsoft Excel

47. Working with other components
Excel.Application.10
*Application has Workbooks
-add
-open
-close
*Workbook has Worksheets
-add
-delete
-calculate
*Worksheet has Range
-value (put)
-value (get)
*Each needs a handle
*Only five available

48. Working with other components
 Excel.Application example
.DATE 01 AUG 02 15:25:25 RID 25A 01 AUG 02 JERR
.RUN: MapExcel (COM interface to Excel.Application.10)
*===========================================================================
@ldv <xl>i2=0,<wbs>i2=0,<wb>i2=0,<wss>i2=0,<ws>i2=0,<rng>i2=0,<nms>i2=0 .
@rer 0199 .
@ccc,0199 'Excel.Application' <xl> <msg>s998 .
@.
@ccg,0199 <xl>,Workbooks <wbs> <msg>s998 . WorkBooks collection
@ccg,0199 <wbs>,Count <bookcnt>i2 <msg>s998 .
@cci,0199 <wbs>,Open BSTR 'c:com_adocomtest.xls' <wb> <msg>s998 . WorkBook
@ccg,0199 <wbs>,Count <bookcnt>i2 <msg>s998 .
@.
@ccg,0199 <wb>,Worksheets <wss> <msg>s998 . WorkSheets collection
@ccg,0199 <wss>,Count <sheetcnt>i2 <msg>s998 .
@ccg,0199 <wss>,Item(1) <ws> <msg>s998 . handle to 1st WorkSheet
@.
@ccr <wbs> ldv <wbs>=0 . release WorkBooks handle
@ccr <wss> ldv <wss>=0 . release WorkSheets handle
@.
@ccg <ws>,Range(A1,C3) <rng>i2 <msg>s998 . handle to Range

49. Working with other components
 Excel.Application example (continued)
@ccg,0199 <xl>,Names <nms>i2 <msg>s998 . Names collection
@cci,0199 <nms>,Add BSTR,BSTR First,'=Sheet1!$A$1:$A$1' <nam>i2 <msg>
@ccr <nms> ldv <nms>=0 . release Names handle
@.
@ccg,0199 <nam>,RefersToRange <rng>i2 <msg>s998 . get Range handle
@ccg,0199 <rng>,Value <cell>h18 <msg>s998 .
@ccp,0199 <rng>,Value BSTR 'Pierre' <msg>s998 .
@.
@ldv <msg>='*** OK ***' gto 0199 .
@. -------------------------------------------------------------------
@0199:if <rng> GT 0 ccr <rng> ; if <nam> GT 0 ccr <nam> ; .
@ if <nms> GT 0 ccr <nms> ; if <ws> GT 0 ccr <ws> ; .
@ if <wss> GT 0 ccr <wss> ; .
@ if <wb> GT 0 cci,lin1 <wb>,Close I2 1 '' <close>s998 ; .
@ if <wb> GT 0 ccr <wb> ; .
@ if <wbs> GT 0 ccr <wbs> ; if <xl> GT 0 ccr <xl> ; .
@ BRK,0,A LDV <COL>I3=1 .
<MSG>(<COL>-80)
@ INC,80 <COL> IF <MSG>(<COL>-80) NE '',(LIN-1) ; .
@ BRK DSP,-0 .

50. Working with other components
 Excel.Application
DEMO

51. Working with other components
 Microsoft Word

52. Working with other components
Word.Application
* Appl has Documents
-add
-open
-close
* Document has:
- sections, paragraphs
- sentences, words
* Appl has a Selection
* Selection has Find
* Find has:
- target, replace
- execute
* Each needs a handle
* Only five available

53. Working with other components
 Word.Application example
.DATE 01 AUG 02 15:25:25 RID 30A 01 AUG 02 JERR
.RUN: MapWord (COM interface to Word.Application)
*=====================================================================
@ldv <wrd>i2=0,<docs>i2=0,<doc>i2=0,<sel>i2=0,<fnd>i2=0,<tbl>i2=0 .
@rer 0199 .
@.
@ccc,199 Word.Application <wrd>i2 <msg>s256 .
@ccg,199 <wrd>,Documents <docs>i2 <msg> . Documents collection
@cci,199 <docs>,Open BSTR 'c:com_adocomtest.doc' <doc>i2 <msg>
@.
@ccg,199 <wrd>,Selection <sel>i2 <msg> . get Hdl to Selection obj
@ccg,199 <sel>,Find <fnd>i2 <msg> . get Hdl to Find obj
@.
@cci,199 <fnd>,Execute . (9)
BSTR,,,,,,,,,BSTR,I2 '!org!',,,,,,,,,'Unite',2 <found>i1 .
Function Find.Execute([FindText], [MatchCase], [MatchWholeWord], [MatchWildcards],
[MatchSoundsLike], [MatchAllWordForms], [Forward], [Wrap], [Format], [ReplaceWith], [Replace],
[MatchKashida], [MatchDiacritics], [MatchAlefHamza], [MatchControl]) As Boolean

54. Working with other components
 Word.Application example (continued)
@cci,0199 <fnd>,Execute BSTR 'review' <found>i2 .
@ccp,0199 <sel>,Text BSTR 'functional examination' <msg> .
@.
@ccr <docs> ldv <docs>=0 . release a handle
@.
@cci,199 <fnd>,Execute BSTR '!stcdtable!' <found>i1 .
@if <found> ne 0,(0070) ; ldv <lf>h1=chr$ 12 . line-feed
@cnt,0,b,2 p 'stcd' |,1 .
@ccp,199 <sel>,Text BSTR (-0,<lf>) <msg> .
@cci,199 <sel>,ConvertToTable BSTR,,,,,,,,,,,,,I2 .
‘|',,,,,,,,,,,,,1 <tbl>i2 <msg> .
(13)
Function Selection.ConvertToTable([Separator], [NumRows], [NumColumns], [InitialColumnWidth],
[Format], [ApplyBorders], [ApplyShading], [ApplyFont], [ApplyColor], [ApplyHeadingRows],
[ApplyLastRow], [ApplyFirstColumn], [ApplyLastColumn], [AutoFit], [AutoFitBehavior],
[DefaultTableBehavior]) As Table

55. Working with other components
 Word.Application
DEMO

56. Working with other components
 Use DDE not COM for Excel and Word
• Complex object models require more than
five handles
• Debugging difficult because you cannot
make visible during execution
• Prone to hanging the run and requiring reboot

57. COM Gotchas

58. Gotchas
 User-id’s and Permissions
• Foreground = MPC script’s user-id
• Background = MAPPERguest
• Execute permission for C:WINNTSYSTEM32
•
several OLE*.DLL
• Execute permission for the directory with
EXE’s and DLL’s
• Read, write, and modify permissions for
directories accessed by component program
• For Excel or Word: execute permissions for
C:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeOffice10

59. Gotchas
 Rudimentary Documentation
• @CCG and @CCP offer a wealth of options
and formats
• How to use these options and formats is not
explained
• Examples using these options and formats are
not presented

60. Gotchas
 Multiple Document Programs
• Like Excel and Word
• Not explained in BIS manuals
• No working samples from Unisys
• Instance handles
•
Need handles for many objects
•
Only five handles available
• Cannot make visible for debugging

61. Gotchas
 Orphaned Processes
• Monitor processes in Task Manager
• If the run errors off without releasing the instance,
the .EXE (or .DLL) may remain executing on the
Task list.
When this happens, you cannot modify the
program or document or recompile the program.
• Sometimes Task Manager can end the process
• Sometimes you can release the process by closing
the MPC session
• Sometimes you have to down and up BIS
• Most of the time you have to reboot the machine

62. Questions
 What is COM?
BIS
 BIS’s COM Client Interface
• CCC, CCP, CCG, CCI, CCR
COM  Writing your own COM class
• VB and ActiveX .EXE’s
 Working with other classes
YOU • E-mail, Excel, Word
 Gotchas

63. For More Information, Contact:
2012 W. Lone Cactus Drive
Phoenix, AZ 85027
Phone: (623) 879-7900
Fax: (623) 869-6984
Web site: http://www.scb-az.com
E-mail: info@scb.com