FIX: Type Mismatch Using OLE Automation to Word 97

ID: Q169565

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, versions 3.0, 3.0b, 5.0, 5.0a
    on the following platforms: NT, Win95
  • Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 97, 8.0

SYMPTOMS

When using OLE automation to interact with Microsoft Word 97 and the Visual Basic for Applications language, certain commands return the following error to Visual FoxPro:

OLE error code 0x80020005: Type Mismatch.


CAUSE

This problem is caused by a problem in the way Word 97 returns mismatched errors from the OLE DISPATCH methods.


RESOLUTION

There are two ways to solve the error:

  1. Use the equivalent Word.Basic methods with the WordBasic property within the Word.Application object. See the example below.


  2. Use only the Word.Basic object.



STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. This bug has been fixed in Visual Studio 97 Service Pack 2.

For more information on the Visual Studio 97 Service Pack 2, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q170365 INFO: Visual Studio 97 Service Packs - What, Where, and Why


MORE INFORMATION

Starting with Word 97, OLE automation from other applications, such as Visual FoxPro, can access the Word 97 Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) objects by issuing the CreateObject("Word.Application") command in Visual FoxPro. However, some of the methods used in Word 97 VBA return errors back to the client application. When an error is returned to the client application, like Visual FoxPro, it may be necessary to use older Word Basic statements and functions in conjunction with the newer Word.Application methods and properties. The purpose of the WordBasic property is to return an Automation object (Word.Basic) that includes methods for all the WordBasic statements and functions available in Word version 6.0 and Word for Windows 95.

To accomplish this while there is reference created to the Word.Application object, preface the Word.Basic statement or function with the WordBasic property, then follow with the desired Word.Basic statement or function. See the code example below.

The ActiveDocument.SaveAs method is not the only method that returns the above error, it is the only one covered in this article. Again if the error is returned, try using one of the covered workarounds.

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

The following code can be entered in the Command window, in a program, or in a method on a form: 

   oWord=CreateObject("Word.Application")
   oWord.Documents.Add
   oWord.Selection.InsertAfter("This is a test")
   oWord.Visible=.T.
   *The line below will error. But this is a valid Word VBA command
   oWord.ActiveDocument.SaveAs("Mydoc")
   oWord.Quit
To avoid the above error, revert back to the WordBasic equivalent command. Replace the ActiveDocument.SaveAs above with the following line: 

   oWord.WordBasic.FileSaveAs("Mydoc")    && Will save document
Another option is to use only the Word.Basic object model. Enter the following code in the Command window, in a program, or in a method on a form: 

   oWord=CreateObject("Word.Basic")
   oWord.FileNew
   oWord.Insert("This is a test")
   oWord.AppShow
   oWord.FileSaveAs("Mydoc")
   oWord.FileQuit


REFERENCES

Microsoft Word for Windows 97 on-line help. Visual Basic for Applications help that shipped with Word for Windows version 97.

For more information, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q169547 Some OLE Automation Commands Fail with Visual Fox Pro 5.x
(c) Microsoft Corporation 1997, All Rights Reserved. Contributions by Dean Christopher, Microsoft Corporation

Additional query words:

Keywords : kberrmsg kbVFp kbVS97sp1fix kbVS97sp2fix FxinteropOle FxinteropWinword
Version : 3.0 3.0b 5.00 5.0a 8.0 97
Platform : NT Win95 WINDOWS
Issue type : kbprb


Last Reviewed: August 2, 1999
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