Q270589: BUG: Run-Time ErrMsg When Passing Array of Dictionary Objects

Article: Q270589
Product(s): Microsoft Visual Basic for Windows
Version(s): 6.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbActiveX kbVBp600 kbGrpDSVB kbDSupport
Last Modified: 11-JAN-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition for Windows, version 6.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition for Windows, version 6.0 
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SYMPTOMS
========

You have a Visual Basic ActiveX DLL that has a method that takes an array of
Scripting Dictionary Objects as an argument. It may work fine when your Visual
Basic client is run in the Visual Basic integrated development environment (IDE)
by using this method, but when you run it as a compiled application, you get the
following run-time error message:

  Run-time error '-2147417848 (80010108)':
  Method '~' of object '~' failed

This only occurs when you use late binding to call the method.


RESOLUTION
==========

Use early binding to work around the problem.

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the Microsoft products listed at the
beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION
================

Steps to Reproduce Behavior
---------------------------

Steps to Create Server:

1. Create an ActiveX DLL project with Visual Basic. Class1 is created by
  default.

2. Change the project name to MyServer.

3. On the Project menu, select References, select Microsoft Scripting Runtime,
  and then click OK.

4. Copy the following code into Class1:

  Option Explicit

  Public Function Test(ByVal strName As String, objContentsDic() As Dictionary) As String
      Test = strName
  End Function

5. Save and compile the project. MyServer.dll is generated and automatically
  registered.

Steps to Create Visual Basic Client:

1. Create a Standard EXE project with Visual Basic. Form1 is created by default.

2. On the Project menu, select References, select Microsoft Scripting Runtime,
  and then click OK.

3. Add a Command Button to Form1.

4. Add the following code to Form1:

  Option Explicit

  Private Sub Command1_Click()
      Dim arrDict(1 To 3) As Dictionary
      Dim strReturn As String
      Dim obj As Object
      
      Dim x As Integer
      For x = 1 To 3
          Set arrDict(x) = New Dictionary
          arrDict(x).Add "DicElement" & x, x
      Next
      
      Set obj = CreateObject("MyServer.Class1")
      strReturn = obj.Test("test it", arrDict)
      MsgBox strReturn
  End Sub

5. Press the F5 key to run the project, and then click the Command Button. You
  may see a message box displaying the words:

  test it

  or else you see the following error message:

  Run-time error '-2147417848 (80010108)':
  Method 'Test' of object '_Class1' failed

6. Compile the project into project1.exe. Double-click project1.exe in the
  Windows explorer to run it. Click the Command Button and note the following
  error message:

  Run-time error '-2147417848 (80010108)':
  Method '~' of object '~' failed

7. Return to the Visual Basic IDE for the client application.

8. On the Project menu, select References, select MyServer.dll, and then click
  OK.

9. Change the following code line

      Dim obj As Object

  to be this code line:

      Dim obj As MyServer.Class1

  This change ensures that early binding is used.

10. Compile the project, run it again, and note that it works as expected.

Additional query words: -2147417848 80010108 project1 myserver

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Keywords          : kbActiveX kbVBp600 kbGrpDSVB kbDSupport 
Technology        : kbVBSearch kbAudDeveloper kbZNotKeyword6 kbZNotKeyword2 kbVB600Search kbVBA600 kbVB600
Version           : :6.0
Issue type        : kbbug
Solution Type     : kbpending

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