CArchive::GetObjectSchema always returns -1

(begin quote)

Calling this function is only valid when the CArchive object is being loaded (CArchive::IsLoading returns nonzero). It should be the first call in the Serialize function and called only once. A return value of (UINT)–1 indicates that the version number is unknown

(end quote)

Presumably your code looks something like (it should) :-

void CMyObject::Serialize(CArchive& ar)
{    
  // <--- Point 2

  if (ar.IsLoading())    
  {
    // <--- Point 1

    int nVersion = ar.GetObjectSchema();
 
    // get all the data goes here
  } else
  {
    // save all the data goes here
  }
}

Do you have code at Point 1 or point 2 that touches the object or the archive, if yes, this is why.

My code does look like your sample, and I don't have any code at Point 1 or Point 2. I am, however, using MsDev 4.1 (required for this project) and am worried that there might be a bug -- er, I mean, "issue" with that version.

This is happening is a derived (leaf) class, and the GetObjectSchema() call is happening after two doc classes (base and derived) and a view class (base for my class) have already read some stuff from the archive. Could this be my problem? Do I need to call GetObjectSchema from the very first class to touch the archive?

I just tried putting the GetObjectSchema call in the first doc class that touches the archive, and I get the same results...

It shouldn't have to a be a base class (leaf's should be okay".  However I'm suspicious of "and a view class".  

I think you should only be reading from the Doc class tree and not from the view as well.  Who is calling the view class serialization function ?

Here's the call stack up to the class I'm trying to serialize:

OPView::Serialize(CArchive & {...}) line 1186
CChartView::Serialize(CArchive & {...}) line 665
OPOleServerDoc::Serialize(CArchive & {...}) line 208
CChartDoc::Serialize(CArchive & {...}) line 292
COleDocument::LoadFromStorage() line 751

CChartDoc derives from OPOleServerDoc, and OPView derives from CChartView (I didn't write this). None of the other three classes are defined IMPLEMENT_SERIAL with the VERSIONABLE_SCHEMA flag, so I'm wondering if maybe each class must be defined this way. Some of these aren't even defined with the IMPLEMENT_SERIAL macro.

Er, I meant to say that CChartView derives from OPView...

I recall reading somewhere many moons ago that the 'schema' thing was deprecated by Microsoft before anyone actually used it and is only there now for source compatability.  In my Serialize() members, I stick my own explicit version number in as the first item stored and ignore the Schema thing.

Where did you read that warmcat ?  My (Microsoft Press) book doesn't say that and infact devotes quite a lot of space to it.

BTW your workround should work if implemented properly, I don't know what happens to existing files that user schema's though

You rock, dmunoz -- this code works perfectly!

Thank you :-))  I'm glad to help.
Something that could help you if you go longer in Serialization.
Schema number should be a 16b short, not a 32b int like it's describe in runtime library! So, be carefull not to use the 16 upper bits of your schema... this one took me hours to find... You can see why in ARCCORE.CPP, line 309. WORD (short) is the MFC way...

Have a nice development day.