how to convert SafeArray to array ?

[thinktwice]

in my script file , i need call a method of a atl com
module(implemented in vc++), which returan an safearray. i don't know
how to convert it into array in jscript. i have tried serveral ways to
get each item but failed at last. could anyone help me?

[VK]

thinktwice wrote:

in my script file , i need call a method of a atl com
module(implemented in vc++), which returan an safearray. i don't know
how to convert it into array in jscript. i have tried serveral ways to
get each item but failed at last. could anyone help me?

SafeArray is Microsoft specific, so you cannot handle it by JavaScript,
only by JScript (IE).

JScript has VBArray object wrapper for safe arrays.

var arr = (new VBArray(mySafeArray)).toArray();

arr now contains mySefeArray converted into standard JavaScript jagged
sparse array.

[thinktwice]

this is definition of the method
[ propget...]
get_mySafeArray(VARIANT *pval);

i tried
new VBArray(mySafeArray()) but failed

[VK]

thinktwice wrote:

this is definition of the method
[ propget...]
get_mySafeArray(VARIANT *pval);

i tried
new VBArray(mySafeArray()) but failed

On what side (client or server) did you try? VBArray has sense only on
client side and only in the context of JScript.

Also it is IE-exclusive. Your server side should return instead
standard JavaScript array or JSON object (if AJAX) to easy handle it on
client side.

[thinktwice]

hi, VK. thanks for your reply.
i do use Jscript now.

try{
var arr = (new VBArray(myobj.mySafeArray)).toArray();
}
catch(e)
{
e.errorno;//0x800A1395
}

[thinktwice]

here is the code in server side
STDMETHOD(mySafeArray)(VARIANT *pVal)
{
CComSafeArray<long> arr;
i = 5;
while(i-- > 0)
{
hr = arr.Add(i);
}
CComVariant vtRet;
LPSAFEARRAY pCopy;
if (arr.m_psa != NULL)
{
HRESULT hRes = ::SafeArrayCopy(arr.m_psa, &pCopy);
if (SUCCEEDED(hRes) && pCopy != NULL)
{
::SafeArrayGetVartype(arr.m_psa, &(vtRet.vt));
vtRet.vt |= VT_ARRAY;
vtRet.parray = pCopy;
}
else
{
vtRet.vt = VT_ERROR;
vtRet.scode = hRes;
}
}
return vtRet.Detach(pVal);
}

[VK]

thinktwice wrote:

here is the code in server side
STDMETHOD(mySafeArray)(VARIANT *pVal)
{
CComSafeArray<long> arr;
i = 5;
while(i-- > 0)
{
hr = arr.Add(i);
}
CComVariant vtRet;
LPSAFEARRAY pCopy;
if (arr.m_psa != NULL)
{
HRESULT hRes = ::SafeArrayCopy(arr.m_psa, &pCopy);
if (SUCCEEDED(hRes) && pCopy != NULL)
{
::SafeArrayGetVartype(arr.m_psa, &(vtRet.vt));
vtRet.vt |= VT_ARRAY;
vtRet.parray = pCopy;
}
else
{
vtRet.vt = VT_ERROR;
vtRet.scode = hRes;
}
}
return vtRet.Detach(pVal);
}

Truthfully I am not a VBArray expert as I almost never had to use it.
But in any case it's *VB*Array (Visual Basic Array)

Therefore your only options are:
1) Use VBScript on client side instead of JScript (this naturally
exclude all browsers by IE)
2) Use VBScript helper together with JScript - so safe array would come
first to VBScript which understand safe array format - and convert it
later to JavaScript array (this naturally exclude all browsers but IE)
3) Change your server-side procedure so it would return JavaScript
array. I don't see really any problems with the latter (?)

[thinktwice]

thanks VK. i just wonder why the debug window could show the array
content correctly. if it could achieve this, i guess i would get the
content out of the safearray too.
again thank you for taking time to answer my question .:)

[VK]

thinktwice wrote:

i just wonder why the debug window could show the array
content correctly.

I guess because any data type (known or unknown) is still internally a
sequence of characters / bytes. System may do not know how to handle
it, but still can display it as some text. (?)

[Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn]

thinktwice wrote:

i do use Jscript now.

try{
var arr = (new VBArray(myobj.mySafeArray)).toArray();
}
catch(e)
{
e.errorno;//0x800A1395
}

There is no `errorno' property, the Error object property indicating the
numeric value associated with an error in JScript is `number'.[1] And
using it in this way does exactly nothing but evaluating the value of the
property. Furthermore, this will break in JScript/IE before version 5.

Think twice.
PointedEars
___________
[1]
<URL:http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/jscript7/html/jspronumber.asp>

[Randy Webb]

Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn said the following on 1/24/2006 6:49 AM:

Furthermore, this will break in JScript/IE before version 5.
IE4, IE5.0 and IE5.5 (to me) have fallen into the same category as NN4.
They are old enough that its time to move on and forget them.

Think twice.

Three times :)

--
Randy
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