iUnknown COM QueryInterface AddRef Release

take a look at these typelibs:

http://www.domaindlx.com/e_morcillo/scripts/type/ole.asp

http://vbaccelerator.com/codelib/imalloc/objstore.htm
"toring Objects Against ItemData and Tag properties"

http://www.vb2themax.com/HtmlDoc.asp?Table=Books&ID=1500&Page=1

Learning. -e2

You'll need TlbInf32.dll documentation:
http://members.home.net/bruce2u2/hackhall.htm
TypeLib Information Library by Matt Curland. Actually TlbInf32.dll comes with Visual Basic, 5 or 6. This is just the long-awaited documentation file. Once you figure out how everything works, you'll be able to write your own object browser, create wizards to manipulate classes, and do lots of other cool stuff.

You might look into this file written by Matt Curland.  It explains how to use the Tlbinf32.dll, its what the VB object browser uses to enumerate VB objects.

The self-extracting zip contains a .chm file thats very extensive.

ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/softlib/mslfiles/tlbinf32.exe

Good Luck :)

Paul

Yep, that's the same 'documentation file' I mentioned.
ameba wrote:
>This is just the long-awaited documentation file.

wpsjr1, there is no need to lock the question.

Also, points should be reduced, I think.

:ping:

wpsjr1 ,

 https://www.experts-exchange.com/v3.0/statics/expertonly.html

 You will find that most experts here will generally post comments instead of answers
 in order to keep the question in the high traffic "questions awaiting answers" section.
 Locking a question is unfair to the person asking the question since it might not
 be seen by other experts who can add infornation to the question.
 There is no penalty to you, as the questioner can accept any comment as an answer.
 You don't see the accept comment as answer but the person posting the question can.
 Please use the options on the bottom of the page to withdraw your answer to a comment.
 Also, please note that an 'answer' is supposed to be 100% sure to fix the problem.  And is against to post as an answer  another expert's comments

Hey, volking.

You'll get more responses if you reject wpsjr1's supposed answer.

Bye. -e2

For 1000 points ... I expect more than a pointer to a document. If I wanted to spend several hours digging through documentation, I would have put the points at 200-300 which would have elicited the much the same responses as I've had to now.

For 1000 points ... I expected to connect with somone who had actually ACCOMPLISHED the task and could give me a code snippet or such.

Maybe you can start with this

' add reference to 'TypeLib Information'
' add component 'MS Common Dialog Control 6.0'
' Form1, add texbox (multiline=true), and commondialog
Option Explicit
Dim tla As New TLIApplication
Dim tlin As TLI.TypeLibInfo

Private Sub Form_Click()
    On Error Resume Next
    CommonDialog1.Filter = "Object Libraries (*.ocx, *.dll, *.tlb)|*.ocx;*.dll;*.tlb|Svi zapisi (*.*)|*.*"
    CommonDialog1.DialogTitle = "Select"
    CommonDialog1.CancelError = True
    CommonDialog1.ShowOpen
    If Err <> 32755 Then 'user pressed cancel
        Caption = CommonDialog1.filename
        Text1.Text = ShowInfo(CommonDialog1.filename)
    End If
End Sub

Private Sub Form_Load()
    'CommonDialog1.filename = "C:\windows\system\richtx32.ocx"
    Show
    Print "Click me to select file"
End Sub

Private Sub Form_Resize()
    On Error Resume Next
    If WindowState <> vbMinimized Then
        Text1.Move 60, 240, ScaleWidth - 120, ScaleHeight - 300
    End If
End Sub

Public Function ShowInfo(filename As String) As String
    On Error GoTo EH
    Set tlin = tla.TypeLibInfoFromFile(filename)
    ShowInfo = tlin.Name
    ShowInfo = ShowInfo & vbCrLf & "Version: " & tlin.MajorVersion & "." & tlin.MinorVersion
    ShowInfo = ShowInfo & vbCrLf & "coclasses " & tlin.CoClasses.Count
    ShowInfo = ShowInfo & vbCrLf & "constants " & tlin.Constants.Count
    ShowInfo = ShowInfo & vbCrLf & "    typeinfos " & tlin.TypeInfoCount
   
    Dim i As Integer
    Dim ti As TLI.TypeInfo
    For Each ti In tlin.TypeInfos
        ShowInfo = ShowInfo & vbCrLf & ti.TypeKind & " " & ti.Name
        ShowInfo = ShowInfo & vbCrLf & " has " & ti.Members.Count & " members,"
        ShowInfo = ShowInfo & vbTab & " typekind " & ti.TypeKind
    Next
    For Each ti In tlin.TypeInfos
        Select Case ti.TypeKind
        Case 0
            ShowInfo = ShowInfo & vbCrLf & ti.TypeKindString & " " & ti.Name
            ShowInfo = ShowInfo & vbTab & " has " & ti.Members.Count & " members:"
            Dim tm As MemberInfo
            For Each tm In ti.Members
                ShowInfo = ShowInfo & vbCrLf & "    " & tm.Name & " = " & CStr(tm.Value)
            Next
        Case 4
            ShowInfo = ShowInfo & vbCrLf & ti.TypeKindString & " " & ti.Name
            ShowInfo = ShowInfo & vbTab & " has guid " & ti.Guid
            Dim tc As TLI.MemberInfo
            For Each tc In ti.Members
                ShowInfo = ShowInfo & vbCrLf & "    " & tc.Name & " par " & CStr(tc.ReturnType)
            Next
        End Select
    Next
    ShowInfo = ShowInfo & vbCrLf & "Unions:"
    Dim tu As TLI.UnionInfo
    For Each tu In tlin.Unions
        ShowInfo = ShowInfo & vbCrLf & tu.Name & "  " & tu.TypeKindString
    Next
    ShowInfo = ShowInfo & vbCrLf & "Records:"
    Dim tr As TLI.RecordInfo
    For Each tr In tlin.Records
        ShowInfo = ShowInfo & vbCrLf & tr.Name & "  " & tr.TypeKindString
    Next
    Exit Function
   
EH:
    If Err <> -2147220984 Then
        ShowInfo = ShowInfo & vbCrLf & " >>>>>> Error: " & Err.Description
    End If
    Resume Next
End Function

no way. not enough RTTI from IUnknown. you could query for a more usefull interface tough

</wqw>

p.s. sort of <ping> :-))

Ameba - I've actually already figured out how to do what your code demonstrates. My problem is how to do it INSIDE a running application, where the ONLY information to act upon is the instance of the object instantiation itself.

Reading a type library is one thing. BUT, having a routine which will accept an object as a parameter and then act on that object ... is what I'm after.

So Imagine a VB routine like this:
-----------------------

Public Function GetPropsAndValues(obj as Object) as String

Dim Ret as string

For Each Property in obj

select case obj.DataType

case String
Ret = Ret & obj.Property.Name & vbTab & obj.Property.Value & vbCrLb

case integer
Ret = Ret & obj.Property.Name & vbTab & cstr(obj.Property.Value) & vbCrLb

case boolean
Ret = Ret & obj.Property.Name & vbTab & iif(obj.Property.Value, "True","False")

End Select

Next

GetPropsAndValues = Ret

End Function

-----------------------
Obviously this is a very simplistic example, because there are many complex data types which could theoretically be returned including other objects, data connections, recordsets, images, etc. But hopefully, the example shows what I'm looking for.

And may shed some light on why I'm now offering 1500 points.

Ameba - Looks like we were both typing at the same time. You second answer may hold the key I'm looking for. Let me try a few things and I'll let you know!

Thanks for pursuing a solution!

Ameba - Looks like we were both typing at the same time. You second answer may hold the key I'm looking for. Let me try a few things and I'll let you know!

Thanks for pursuing a solution!

Ameba - The mcrider solution works great! Thanks for the help! Here's the points.
 

Check methods (F2) of TLI.TLIApplication

I used:
Function TypeLibInfoFromFile(FileName As String) As TypeLibInfo
    Member of TLI.TLIApplication
    Create a TypeLibInfo object from a file


but there are more methods:

Function TypeInfoFromRecordVariant(RecordVariant) As TypeInfo
Function TypeLibInfoFromRegistry(TypeLibGuid As String, MajorVersion As Integer, MinorVersion As Integer, LCID As Long) As TypeLibInfo
Function InterfaceInfoFromObject(Object As Object) As InterfaceInfo
    Member of TLI.TLIApplication
    Create an InterfaceInfo object from a running IDispatch object
Function ClassInfoFromObject(Object As Unknown) As TypeInfo
    Member of TLI.TLIApplication
    Create a TypeInfo object from any running COM object

-------
Uh, thanks, but this is too much points.
And at least 50% belongs to mcrider.
I'll ask CS to split points:
400 mcrider
400 ameba
700 back to you

Hi
You need tlbinf.dll for this. Take a look at
at TIBrowse sample by Serge Baranovsky:
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Hills/9086/TIBrowse.zip
Unfortunatelly, this link (where I got this sample) seems broken now. I can send code on e-mail or place at any free server.
If you have any question on this code, let me know.

ark@fesma.ru

Cheers

Hi
here is working link:
http://www.vbcity.com/download/TIBrowse.zip

Cheers

I asked CS to split/reduce points, but ... this is pretty complicated. :-(

I decided to give credits to Ark for his good link,
Ark, please see:
https://www.experts-exchange.com/jsp/qShow.jsp?ta=visualbasic&qid=11501678 

and to mcrider
https://www.experts-exchange.com/jsp/qShow.jsp?ta=visualbasic&qid=11501698 

Thanks