thoglette has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

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!

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: Adding MSWord custom properties in Win32::OLE
by jdtoronto (Prior) on Aug 30, 2006 at 08:28 UTC
    I can't give you much detail, but in our snippets collection from 5 or 6 years ago (Perl 5.6 days?) I found this: 
    use strict;
use Win32::OLE qw(in);
use Win32::OLE::Const 'Microsoft Office';

my $Doc = Win32::OLE->GetObject('g:\scratch\test.doc');

if ( ( 0 + Win32::OLE::LastError() ) != 0 ) {
  $Doc->CustomDocumentProperties->Add(
    {
      Name          => 'A custom property',
      LinkToContent => 0,
      Type          => msoPropertyTypeString,
      Value         => "Whatever"
    }
  );
}

    [download]
    At the time we were doing lots of MS stuff, fortunately those days are now long past, but maybe this will help.

    jdtoronto

[reply]
[d/l]
      Thanks. A little fettling gets the job done. Win32::OLE makes a whole lot of function calls look like empty hash references. But an empty hash ref is not undefined and can be tested for. 
      
 $docprops =  $doc->CustomDocumentProperties();
 unless (defined ($doc->CustomDocumentProperties($property)))
 {
    $docprops->Invoke('Add', {
                               Name => $property,
                               LinkToContent => 0,
                               Type => 4, #msoPropertyTypeString 
                               #strictures to work around still
                               Value  => $value,
                              });
  }
  $doc->CustomDocumentProperties($property)->{Value} = $value;

      [download]
      It looks a little weird in the debugger, as the fact that the value is set is hidden for a little while (value is ''). Suspect it's a debugger/tie/Windows interaction.

      Thoglette.

      --
      Butlerian Jihad now!
[reply]
[d/l]
Re: Adding MSWord custom properties in Win32::OLE
by teun-arno (Acolyte) on Mar 05, 2014 at 14:27 UTC

    When saving msword document after adjusting the custom properties you MUST set the Saved flag : see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/195425/en-us

    without it it won't be saved.......

    use strict;
use Win32::OLE qw(in);
use Win32::OLE::Const 'Microsoft Office';
#my ( $doc ) = Win32::OLE->GetObject('D:/4nt8/perl-msword_dap/excel_da
+p/Inrichting Arag-ftp.doc');
my ( $doc ) = Win32::OLE->GetObject('//vldfps1/algemeen/FM&O/Klanten/S
+-t/TESTING/Dap Dossier/01. Dap/FBL.OPR.UX.138 WI Inloggen, shutdown e
+n reboot van  LPAR AIX systemen m.b.v. de HMC en PTY.doc');

my $property = 'Arno';
my $value = 'KranenDONK';

my $docprops =  $doc->CustomDocumentProperties();
 unless (defined ($doc->CustomDocumentProperties($property)))
 {
    $docprops->Invoke('Add', {
                               Name => $property,
                               LinkToContent => 0,
                               Type => 4, #msoPropertyTypeString 
                               #strictures to work around still
                               Value  => $value,
                              });
  }
  $doc->CustomDocumentProperties($property)->{Value} = $value;
$doc->{Saved} = 0;   # SEE : http://support.microsoft.com/kb/195425 en
+ http://compgroups.net/comp.lang.perl.misc/how-read-ms-word-summary-p
+roperties/477092
$doc->Save;
$doc-> Close;

    [download]

    Hope somebody will find this quicker then I did....

[reply]
[d/l]

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