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

Okay, I've been doing work with ASPs in VBScript. I was asked to put together a Proof of Concept based on some other work. That's fine, but I am getting increasingly upset with VBScript, and I didn't feel like doing this quick and dirty PoC in multidimensional arrays that would need to be ReDim'ed every time I wanted to add an element.

I downloaded ActivePerl and have done this most recent ASP in PerlScript. But I need to add a chart to this page. The VBScript ASPs have been calling a server side ActiveX DLL that accepts an array (variant), builds a chart from the MSChart control and returns a filename. That filename is the JPeg image of the chart, you just include it in the img tag.

Well, I went in and doctored the ActiveX DLL so it is accepting a comma delimited string of values instead of an array. But I'm getting an unspecified syntax error when I call it.

Does anyone have any ideas, or have any ideas as to how I can find out more about why it is not working.

Here is the an example of the original VBScript 

<%@ Language='VBScript' %>
<%
  Dim PieChart, FileName
  Set PieChart = Server.CreateObject("WCP.WCPCharts")
  FileName = PieChart.CreatePieChart(arrChartData)
%>

[download]

This is my test ASP to see if I can make the call with PerlScript. 

<%@ Language='PerlScript' %>

<%
  my $return;
  my $labels = "first,second,third";
  my $averages = "3,4,5";
  my $maxes = "6,7,8";
  my $mins = "1,2,3";

  my $ChartObject = $Server->CreateObject("WCP.WCPCharts")
  $ChartObject->CreateBarChart($return, $labels, $averages);
%>

<%=$return%>

[download]

I'm getting a syntax error on line 11. $maxes and $mins are optional arguements to CreateBarChart. I get the same error if I include them.

-Travis

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: Calling Server Side ActiveX DLL
by THuG (Beadle) on Jul 18, 2001 at 21:35 UTC

    Just to make sure... I threw together this... 

    <%@ Language='VBScript' %>

<%
  Dim strReturn
  Dim strLabels
      strLabels = "first,second,third"
  Dim strAverages
      strAverages = "3,4,5"
  Dim strMaxes
      strMaxes = "6,7,8"
  Dim strMins
      strMins = "1,2,3"

  Dim objChart
  Set objChart = Server.CreateObject("WCP.WCPCharts")
  objChart.CreateBarChart strReturn, strLabels, strAverages
%>

<%=strReturn%>

    [download]

    It works. The DLL returns a subscript error, but that is okay, the ASP is getting that message in the strReturn and displaying it on the page like it is supposed to. I can fix the subscript problem.

    -Travis

[reply]
[d/l]
Re: Calling Server Side ActiveX DLL
by mikeB (Friar) on Jul 18, 2001 at 22:15 UTC
    Perl sometimes is confused about which line caused the error. Look closely at line 10.
[reply]

      Thanks. MDillon pointed that out, too. *grumblestupidtravisgrumble*

      Dillon also pointed out that $return should be a reference. A reference here how?

[reply]
Re: Calling Server Side ActiveX DLL
by THuG (Beadle) on Jul 18, 2001 at 22:47 UTC

    Okay, so I have fixed the missing ; from line 10. Here is the ASP 

    <%@ Language='PerlScript' %>

<%
  my $return;
  my $labels = "first,second,third";
  my $averages = "3,4,5";
  my $maxes = "6,7,8";
  my $mins = "1,2,3";

  my $ChartObject = $Server->CreateObject("WCP.WCPCharts");
  $ChartObject->CreateBarChart($return, $labels, $averages);
%>

<%=$return?"It is set":"It is not set"%><br>
<%=$return%>

    [download]

    It is printing "It is not set". I don't know why. The VBScript version is returning a message from the DLL like it should.

[reply]
[d/l]

Back to Seekers of Perl Wisdom