asked on

Release PowerPoint process after SaveAs

The code in the code snippet does not release PowerPoint process.
When I replace
objPres.SaveAs(saveFileName
, Microsoft.Office.Interop.PowerPoint.PpSaveAsFileType.ppSaveAsPresentation
, Microsoft.Office.Core.MsoTriState.msoFalse);
with:
objPres.SaveAs("D:\\Data\\Rad\\shared\\workspace\\Test\\data\\!!!!.ppt"
, Microsoft.Office.Interop.PowerPoint.PpSaveAsFileType.ppSaveAsPresentation
, Microsoft.Office.Core.MsoTriState.msoFalse);

then PowerPoint process released successfully.
Are there any way to release PowerPoint process without hard coding in SaveAs?

private void mtMultiGradiantButton3_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
//            string saveFileName = null;
            string saveFileName = "D:\\Data\\Rad\\shared\\workspace\\Test\\data\\!!!!.ppt";
            if (this.saveFileDialog1.ShowDialog() == DialogResult.OK)
            {
 
//                saveFileName = this.saveFileDialog1.FileName;
 
                CultureInfo oldCulture = null;
 
                PowerPoint.ApplicationClass oPPT = null;
                PowerPoint.Presentations objPresSet = null;
                PowerPoint.Presentation objPres = null;
                PowerPoint.Slides slides = null;
 
                try
                {
                    oldCulture = Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentCulture;
                    Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentCulture = new CultureInfo("en-us");
                    oPPT = new PowerPoint.ApplicationClass();
                    oPPT.Visible = Microsoft.Office.Core.MsoTriState.msoTrue;
                    objPresSet = oPPT.Presentations;
                    objPres = objPresSet.Open(GetTempDirectory() + lvFiles2.Items[0].Text, Microsoft.Office.Core.MsoTriState.msoFalse, Microsoft.Office.Core.MsoTriState.msoTrue, Microsoft.Office.Core.MsoTriState.msoTrue);
                    slides = objPres.Slides;
//   --------------------- some code here -----------------------
                    //objPres.SaveAs("D:\\Data\\Rad\\shared\\workspace\\Test\\data\\!!!!.ppt"
                    objPres.SaveAs(saveFileName
                        , Microsoft.Office.Interop.PowerPoint.PpSaveAsFileType.ppSaveAsPresentation
                        , Microsoft.Office.Core.MsoTriState.msoFalse);
                }
                catch (Exception ex)
                {
                    this.label2.Text = "ERROR 4: Exception: " + ex.Message + ". " + ex.StackTrace + ". " + ex.Source;
                }
                finally
                {
                    try
                    {
 
                        saveFileName = null;
 
                        Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentCulture = oldCulture;
 
                        oldCulture = null;
 
                        slides = null;
 
                        Cursor.Current = Cursors.Default;
 
                        objPres.Close();
                        while (System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.ReleaseComObject(objPres) > 0) { };
                        objPres = null;
 
                        while (System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.ReleaseComObject(objPresSet) > 0) { };
                        objPresSet = null;
 
                        oPPT.Quit();
                        while (System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.ReleaseComObject(oPPT) > 0) { };
                        oPPT = null;
 
                        GC.Collect();
                        GC.WaitForPendingFinalizers();
                    }
                    catch (Exception ex)
                    {
                        this.label2.Text = "ERROR 5: Exception: " + ex.Message + ". " + ex.StackTrace + ". " + ex.Source;
                    }
                }

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Bob Learned

Working with COM objects in .NET is tricky. COM uses reference counting, but .NET doesn't. The wrapper Interop classes handle that COM requirement, but not completely. The System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal class has the ReleaseComObject method that is used to clear the reference counting, so that the object can be released from memory.

Bob

earseev

ASKER

Thank you for the answer, Bob. In my code I am already using
while (System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.ReleaseComObject(objPresSet) > 0) { };
This did not help to release an object.

Bob Learned

Are you calling quit on oPPT?

Bob

earseev

ASKER

Yes, I am calling:
objPres.Close();
System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.FinalReleaseComObject(objPres);
objPres = null;

System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.FinalReleaseComObject(objPresSet);
objPresSet = null;

oPPT.Quit();
System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.FinalReleaseComObject(oPPT);
oPPT = null;*/

GC.Collect();
GC.WaitForPendingFinalizers();
GC.Collect();
GC.WaitForPendingFinalizers();

Bob Learned

Another possibility is that there is a dialog box that you can't see because the application is invisible. You might want to debug by setting the Application.Visible property.

Bob

earseev

ASKER

Just did the debugging with oPPT.Visible = MsoTriState.true.
No hidden dialog box found.

Bob Learned

And, it justs getting deeper and deeper (d'oh).

I am assuming that 'saveFileName' is a valid file name and you have the rights to save to that file. It is the same as the value that hard-coded, right?

Bob

earseev

ASKER

Yes, the value is the same as hard-coded.

Bob Learned

Some people laugh when I say that COM in .NET is tricky. Maybe I should show them this question as proof *BIG GRIN*.

What type of application are you working with? WinForms or web site?

Bob

earseev

ASKER

Yes, looks like that .net has problems with COM.
I am working with WinForms.

Bob Learned

Here is a different tack--what are you trying to do here?

Bob

earseev

ASKER

I have a directory with single PowerPoint slides.
After button click I am opening SaveFileDialog, type output file name, then add single PPT-slides into 1 big PPT-presentation.

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Bob Learned

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Bob Learned

Sample usage:

PresentationMerger merger = new PresentationMerger();
string myDocuments = Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.Personal);
merger.ImportSlides(myDocuments, @"C:\Temp\Presentation1.ppt");

Bob

earseev

ASKER

Thank you, Bob. Very good solution, as always.