[Solved]How can I add a string to Variant type?
lazarus / 34-Windows

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drschwarcz · 2014-09-20 09:37

Hello!

Op.system: Windows 8.1
and the newest Lazarus.

I want to create a new contact to Outlook. The code is working when I
type the strint to the code.

Like that:

myContact.FullName := 'Full name';

But is not worknig when I want give from a String type (TStringList).

myContact.FullName := ContactsFullName.Strings[1];

My code:

procedure AddAddressInDistributionList;
const
olFolderContacts = $0000000A;
var
myOlApp, myNameSpace, myContact : OleVariant;
begin
//Connect to outlook
myOlApp := CreateOleObject('Outlook.Application');
myNameSpace:=myOlApp.GetNameSpace('MAPI');
//Get root contacts folder
ContactsFolder := myNameSpace.GetDefaultFolder(olFolderContacts);
//Create the new Contact
myContact:=myOlApp.CreateItem(ContactsFolder.Folders.Count);
myContact.FullName := ContactsFullName.Strings[1];     
.
.
.   
end;

I have never coded COMOBJ before that, so I would really appreciate
any assistance.

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taazz · 2014-09-20 10:04

try typecasting the sting to widestring and see where that gets you.
Please explain when you say "it does not work" what exactly do you
mean? As far as I can see you must have at least an empty contact in
outlook.

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Mike.Cornflake · 2014-09-20 10:32

Quote from: drschwarcz on September 20, 2014, 11:37:51 amI want to
create a new contact to Outlook. The code is working when I type the
strint to the code.

Like that:

myContact.FullName := 'Full name';

But is not worknig when I want give from a String type (TStringList).

myContact.FullName := ContactsFullName.Strings[1];
@Taazz is correct, you simply haven't given us enough information. 
What is the error you're getting?   And is it at compile time, or run
time?

However, looking at the code above, the most likely error you're
getting is Index out of bounds.  This has nothing to do with COM
programming at all.   TStringLists start their index at 0, not 1.  I'm
guessing you simply need to change your code to
Code: [Select]myContact.FullName := ContactsFullName.Strings[0];
Another possibility is you're getting is an AV of sorts.  There is
always the chance you haven't created ContactsFullName yet, and are
calling .Strings[1] on a nil object.  

If the above doesn't help, please let us know your exact error.

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drschwarcz · 2014-09-20 18:27

THX, guys. You are right, I have not given enough info.

The code is running "correctly" (I do not get any error message), just
the contact is not created.

Related to TStringList, I do not have issue with it. I created and
filled it in another part of program (It has 11 item currently).

As Taazz wrote, the variant (myContact.FullName) is needed WideString,
but TStringList contains simply (ansi)String. Unfortunately, I could
not find any "usable" solution for conversion.

ps: I'm a quite amateur for programming. I learnt Turbo Pascal for
many years ago and self-taught a bit Delphi. Thus,  I'm very grateful
for all the help and patience.

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taazz · 2014-09-20 18:39

a simple solution would be to do something like this.
Code: [Select]procedure AddAddressInDistributionList;
const
  olFolderContacts = $0000000A;
var
  myOlApp, myNameSpace, myContact : OleVariant;
  vStr : widestring;
begin
  //Connect to outlook
  myOlApp := CreateOleObject('Outlook.Application');

  vStr := 'MAPI';
  myNameSpace:=myOlApp.GetNameSpace(vStr);
  //Get root contacts folder
  ContactsFolder := myNameSpace.GetDefaultFolder(olFolderContacts);
  //Create the new Contact
  myContact:=myOlApp.CreateItem(ContactsFolder.Folders.Count);

  vStr := ContactsFullName.Strings[1];
  myContact.FullName := vStr;
  .
  .
  .
end;

This will instruct the compiler to add code to convert the ansistring
to a widestring automagicaly and leave at that for now, also make sure
that the name space is correct that in that name space you the
permisions required to create a contact if there is such thing as
permitions on the mapi space I'm out of depth from here on out I never
really done any office interoperability so I can test and see what
might be wrong in the delphi side of things but that is all for now.

One last thing there is a beautiful library in sourceforge called
TOfficePartner or something along those  lines by turbo power a
company that got out of the delphi component business a while back
since it is a library about  managing office applications is not
mentioned a lot in this forums which are multi platform focused but
since you are trying to work with office I guess you will not mind a
windows only library.

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Mike.Cornflake · 2014-09-20 19:22

If after @Taazz's suggestion, your outlook contact still isn't
created, can you please post the entire procedure
AddAddressInDistributionList?

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drschwarcz · 2014-09-21 08:04

THX Taazz. It was too easy to me.   I wanted to convert in any case! 
I feel myself getting stupider.

Thank you very much Guys.