Title: Activating an Object from a File
Question: Many OLE Automation applications allow the user to save objects in files. For example, a spreadsheet application that supports Worksheet objects allows the user to save the worksheet in a file. The same application may also support a chart object that the user can save in a file. To activate an object that has been saved in a file, you use the GetObject function.
Answer:
uses ComObj, ActiveX, UrlMon;
// GetObject function
function GetObject(UserName: string): IUnknown;
var
BindCtx: IBindCtx;
Mk: IMoniker;
chEaten: ULONG;
begin
OleCheck(CreateBindCtx(0, BindCtx));
OleCheck(MkParseDisplayNameEx(BindCtx, PWideChar(WideString(UserName)), chEaten, Mk));
OleCheck(Mk.BindToObject(BindCtx, nil, IUnknown, Result));
end;
// Sample Code
procedure TForm1.FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
var
Document: OleVariant;
Application: OleVariant;
begin
// create object and get dispatch interface
Document := GetObject('c:\My Documents\Demo.doc') as IDispatch;
// get application object
Application := Document.Application;
// show application window
Application.Visible := true;
end;