From: Alexander Schofield <pcs3@...>
Date: 2002-03-04T11:37:18+09:00
Subject: Re: Using Win32OLE with Excel leaves Excel process hanging

I understand what you mean now, but I'm afraid I can't help.  Mainly
because I can't seem to recreate the problem on my machine (with office
97).  Excel is left standing, and Ruby exits fine (when i use rubyw, irb
kills it).  At the risk of being pelted by stones may I suggest that you
prototype this in some M$ technology?  Vba or even WSH possibly.  It's
just a lot easier when you have an object/method browser to play with. 
Otherwise I found #ole_methods useful from irb in experimenting on the
fly.

"Robert C. Martin" wrote:
> 
> On Sat, 23 Feb 2002 09:39:25 -0500, Alexander Schofield
> <pcs3@mailhost.njit.edu> wrote:
> 
> Sorry, I should have been clearer.  The goal is for the Ruby program
> to quit, leaving the Excel window on the screen.  The user can then
> look at the Excel window for as long as they like and then close it.
> By then the Ruby program is long gone.
> 
> So what I need is a way for the Ruby program to detach from the excel.
> program, and leave it running.
> 
> >Also
> >excel.ActiveWorkbook.Close(0);
> >probably wouldn't be a bad idea.
> >
> >It seems like you were expecting a GC to clean up, in Ruby it can, but
> >there are problems interfacing with other progs.  Try
> >ObjectSpace#define_finalizer for a destructor.
> >
> >"Robert C. Martin" wrote:
> >>
> >> I have created a neat little ruby program that generates a useful
> >> graph in Excel.  I keep the program on my desktop and doubleclick it
> >> whenever I want to see the graph.  Unfortunately, once I invoke this
> >> program, it seems to leave a process running in the system.  After
> >> 20min or so, it will stop working.  What's more, it often prevents
> >> other OLE operations from working in other applications.  It can be
> >> fixed by a logout/logon.  I'm using windows 2000.
> >>
> >> Any ideas?
> >>
> >> Here is the code for AmazonAnalyzer.rb
> >>
> >> require 'AmazonAnalyzer'
> >> require 'win32ole'
> >>
> >> if __FILE__ == $0
> >>   periodLength = 7
> >>   if (ARGV[0] != nil) && (ARGV[0].to_i > 0)
> >>     periodLength = ARGV[0].to_i
> >>   end
> >>
> >>   puts "Running Amazon Analyzer with period length #{periodLength}"
> >>
> >>   analyzer = AmazonAnalyzer.new()
> >>   analyzer.analyzeFile("bookData", periodLength)
> >>
> >>   excel = WIN32OLE.new("excel.application")
> >>   workbook = excel.Workbooks.Add()
> >>
> >>   col = 'b'
> >>   row = "1"
> >>   analyzer.startDate.step(analyzer.endDate,periodLength) {|date|
> >>     excel.Range(col+row).value = date.to_s
> >>     col = col.succ
> >>   }
> >>
> >>   isbns = analyzer.isbns
> >>   isbns.each {|isbn|
> >>     col='a'
> >>     row = row.succ
> >>     title = analyzer.getTitleFor(isbn)
> >>     title = title.split(':')[0]
> >>     title = title.split('(')[0]
> >>     title = title[0,40]
> >>     excel.Range(col+row).value = title
> >>
> >>     periods = analyzer.getPeriodsForIsbn(isbn)
> >>     0.upto(periods.max) {|period|
> >>       col = col.succ
> >>       if periods.include?(period)
> >>         excel.Range(col+row).value =
> >>           analyzer.getRange(isbn,period).mean
> >>       end
> >>     }
> >>   }
> >>   xlLine=4
> >>   xlValue=2
> >>   xlRows=1
> >>   xlScaleLogarithmic = -4133
> >>   excel.Range("a1:"+col+row).Select()
> >>   excelChart = workbook.Charts.Add()
> >>   excelChart.type = xlLine
> >>   excelChart.plotBy=xlRows
> >>   excelChart.Legend.Font.Size=8
> >>   excelChart.Axes(xlValue).scaleType = xlScaleLogarithmic
> >>   excelChart.Axes(xlValue).minimumScale = 100
> >>
> >>   workbook.saved = true
> >>   excel.visible = true
> >> end
> >>
> >> Robert C. Martin  | "Uncle Bob"
> >> Object Mentor Inc.| unclebob @ objectmentor . com
> >> PO Box 5757       | Tel: (800) 338-6716
> >> 565 Lakeview Pkwy | Fax: (847) 573-1658           | www.objectmentor.com
> >> Suite 135         |                               | www.XProgramming.com
> >> Vernon Hills, IL, | Training and Mentoring        | www.junit.org
> >> 60061             | OO, XP, Java, C++, Python     |
> >>
> >> "One of the great commandments of science is:
> >>     'Mistrust arguments from authority.'" -- Carl Sagan
> 
> Robert C. Martin  | "Uncle Bob"
> Object Mentor Inc.| unclebob @ objectmentor . com
> PO Box 5757       | Tel: (800) 338-6716
> 565 Lakeview Pkwy | Fax: (847) 573-1658           | www.objectmentor.com
> Suite 135         |                               | www.XProgramming.com
> Vernon Hills, IL, | Training and Mentoring        | www.junit.org
> 60061             | OO, XP, Java, C++, Python     |
> 
> "One of the great commandments of science is:
>     'Mistrust arguments from authority.'" -- Carl Sagan

-- 
Alexander Schofield