I've got some code to update custom properties - in essence

 $property = "FooBar";
 $doc->CustomDocumentProperties($property)->{Value} = $text_value;

[download]
However, this warns Can't use an undefined value as a HASH reference at C:\Public\Projects\gold\update_msword.pl if the custom property does not already exist. The appropriate VBA code is... 
'If customdocument property did not exist, create it
    If Err.Number <> 0 Then
        Set DocProps = ThisWorkbook.CustomDocumentProperties
        DocProps.Add Name:="FooBar", _
                LinkToContent:=False, _
                Type:=msoPropertyTypeString, _
                Value:=str_content
    End If

[download]

Which leads the following questions under Win32::OLE

  1. Where is Err.Number ? And I'd like to avoid the warn, so how can I see what custom properties exist.
  2. $doc->CustomDocumentProperties and $doc->{CustomDocumentProperties} both return undef, so how does one create $doc_props?
  3. is msoPropertyTypeString a constant constant or yet another $$wd{'msoPropertyTypeString'}, (where $wd=Win32::OLE::Const->Load($MSWord);)
I realise that my lack of understanding of VBA is not helping. If there's a book worth purchasing, suggestions would be welcomed!


Update 2006-09-06

  1. The error code is Win32::OLE::LastError(); - See perldoc Win32::OLE
  2. but you need to Win32::OLE->Option(Warn=>0); to avoid having errors stop the debugger.
  3. A better solution is to pre-test-for-existance, rather than post-test-for-error. See my followup post


Butlerian Jihad now!

In reply to Adding MSWord custom properties in Win32::OLE by thoglette

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