To use an automation object from within JADE, you simply create an instance of the JADE class (that is, a subclass of the ActiveXAutomation class) that corresponds to the automation object. The
A reference is established between the automation class and its default interface. You can then call JADE automation class methods as you can for any other JADE class. These method calls are passed by the default interface to the actual automation object.
If the automation object returns a reference to another interface in response to a method call or the getting of a property, JADE creates an instance of the corresponding JADE interface class and returns a reference to that instance instead. (A mapping is maintained between JADE interface instances and automation server interface instances.)
You can create only transient instances of ActiveXAutomation subclasses.
The following example is a Workspace or JadeScript method that loads three Excel cells with data, draws a chart, and prints the result.
chartExample();
vars
xl : ExcelApp; // ActiveX automation subclass
wrkSht : Worksheet; // interface subclass of the IDispatch class
sht : I_Worksheet; // interface subclass of the IDispatch class
rng : Range; // interface subclass of the IDispatch class
chrts : Sheets; // interface subclass of the IDispatch class
chrt : I_Chart; // interface subclass of the IDispatch class
begin
// Start Excel
create xl;
xl.createAutomationObject;
xl.visible := true; // See what’s going on
xl.workbooks.add(xl.XlWorksheet); // Add Workbook (with one sheet)
sht := xl.activeSheet.I_Worksheet; // Get top sheet and fill cells
sht.range("A1", null).putValue("One");
sht.range("B1", null).putValue("Two");
sht.range("C1", null).putValue("Three");
sht.range("A2", null).putValue(10);
sht.range("B2", null).putValue(5);
sht.range("C2", null).putValue(3);
rng := sht.range("A1", "C2"); // Select cells
chrts := xl.charts; // Add a chart
chrts.add(null, null, null, null);
chrt := xl.activeChart;
// Start chart wizard
chrt.chartWizard(rng, // source
xl.Xl3DPie, // gallery
7, // format
xl.XlRows, // plotBy
1, // categoryLabels
0, // seriesLabels
2, // hasLegend
"Jade Example", // title
null, // categoryTitle
null, // valueTitle
null); // xtraTitle
// Output chart
chrt.printOut(null, // first page
null, // last page
null, // copies
null, // preview
null, // printer
null, // print to file
null); // collate
epilog
if xl <> null then
xl.activeWorkbook.saved := true; // Don't ask to save!
xl.quit; // Close down Excel
delete xl;
endif;
end;