VB6 - Error 91 Object or Block Variable Not Set

[GlenGage]

My application creates Word documents. The routine below takes an existing, open document (vobjSourceDocument) and makes a new document (robjNewDocument) similar to it. The routine works 999+ times out of 1000. I cannot find any pattern regarding document type (template) or qualities of the source document, but once I have a source document that fails it will fail consistenly on any workstation.

In the code sample below it is trying to write to the new document, but it will fail on any object method I use. When the routine works, the VarType = 8 (string) but when it fails the VarType = 9 (automation object). In either case, IsObject always = True.

Thank you in advance,

Glen

 
' Make an exact duplicate of the currently open document, optionally to a different
' template and return reference to the new.
 
Public Function DuplicateDocument(ByVal vobjSourceDocument As Word.Document, _
                                   ByRef robjNewDocument As Word.Document, _
                                   Optional strNewTemplate As String = "") As Boolean
 
Dim I As Long
Dim strBookmarkName As String
Dim strTemplateName As String
Dim strTemplateLanguage As String
Dim strArrayBookmarkNames() As String
Dim strArrayBookmarkValues() As String
Dim objWordApplication As Word.Application
Dim GGADebug As String
 
On Error GoTo Error
    DuplicateDocument = False
    Set objWordApplication = vobjSourceDocument.Application
 
    ' Store all the bookmark values in temp array
    ReDim strArrayBookmarkNames(vobjSourceDocument.Bookmarks.COUNT + 1)
    ReDim strArrayBookmarkValues(vobjSourceDocument.Bookmarks.COUNT + 1)
    For I = 1 To vobjSourceDocument.Bookmarks.COUNT
        strBookmarkName = vobjSourceDocument.Bookmarks.Item(I)
        strArrayBookmarkNames(I) = strBookmarkName
        vobjSourceDocument.Bookmarks(I).Select
          strArrayBookmarkValues(I) = Selection.Text
        End If
    Next I
 
    ' copy body text inc. Annexes
    If strNewTemplate = "" Then
        ' Get the current document's template name
        strTemplateName = vobjSourceDocument.AttachedTemplate.FullName
    Else
        strTemplateName = strNewTemplate
    End If
 
    ' create a new document based on the template name
    blnWordFileDuplicate = True
    'Set robjNewDocument = New Word.Document
    Set robjNewDocument = objWordApplication.Documents.add(strTemplateName)
    GGADebug = VarType(robjNewDocument)   'When this = 8 (string) it works, fails on 9 (Automation Object)
                                            'How this can sometimes be 8 and sometimes 9 is a mystery
                                            'Why it works when it is a string and not an object I don't know
 
    GGADebug = GGADebug & " " & IsObject(robjNewDocument) ‘IsObject is always true, even when VarType is String
    blnWordFileDuplicate = False
 
    ' paste existing content into new document - do not copy styles \rt !!!
    For I = 1 To UBound(strArrayBookmarkNames()) - 1
        If strArrayBookmarkNames(I) <> cstrWordBookmarkBody Then
‘Fails on the next line
            writeToDocument robjNewDocument, strArrayBookmarkNames(I), _
                                    strArrayBookmarkValues(I), ""
            'With robjNewDocument
             '   .EditGoto strArrayBookmarkNames(I)
              '  .Insert strArrayBookmarkValues(I)
            'End With
        End If
    Next I
 
    DuplicateDocument = True
    Exit Function
 
Error:
 
    objWordApplication.ScreenUpdating = True
 
    MsgBox LoadDBString(myLanguageOffset + 250) & " !" & vbNewLine & vbNewLine & _
           "Source = " & Err.Source & vbNewLine & vbNewLine & GGADebug & vbNewLine & vbNewLine & _
           " Description = " & Err.Description & " " & Err.Number, vbOKOnly, "Duplicate Document"
 
End Function

[VBWheaties]

It looks like you are passing in (byVal) a Word.Document, then you are using that to obtain an instance of its Word.Application.
This will work as long as you have at least one instance of Word running in memory. If you dont, you'll get your error and that explains why it errors sometimes.
Solution may be to make sure your Word.Application is running before using it.

if that doesnt do it, let us know what line the code errors on. Set your Debug to Break On All Errors.

[GlenGage]

Thanks for a quick response!

The routine is actually called from the open document. The application is a dll that gets attached to the documents via the templates. The line of code that fails is:

‘Fails on the next line

writeToDocument robjNewDocument, strArrayBookmarkNames(I), _

However, even asking VB to return the documents name causes the error. I don't know how to set the debug but will ask/look around to see how to do this. I haven't programmed in decades.

It looks like you are passing in (byVal) a Word.Document, then you are using that to obtain an instance of its Word.Application.
This will work as long as you have at least one instance of Word running in memory. If you dont, you'll get your error and that explains why it errors sometimes.
Solution may be to make sure your Word.Application is running before using it.

if that doesnt do it, let us know what line the code errors on. Set your Debug to Break On All Errors.

[kadghar]

Thanks for a quick response!
...
‘Fails on the next line

writeToDocument robjNewDocument, strArrayBookmarkNames(I), _

Im not familiarized with the WriteToDocument Sub, so i Googled it and found something quite similar to the one you have. Why dont you use this one, with another name, so you can debug it and see where the error ocurs:
(change its name to MyWriteToDocument, copy-paste it anywhere, and use that one on your code, so when the error is shown, it'll be in the Sub's line, and you can have a better idea of what's wrong).

HTH

[Killer42]

Subscribing .

[GlenGage]

I know where it fails. It fails as soon as I try to use the new document after the SET line:

[color=#b1b100]

[color=#b1b100]Set[/color] robjNewDocument = objWordApplication.[color=#66cc66]Documents[/color].[color=#66cc66]add[/color][color=#66cc66]([/color]strTemplateName[color=#66cc66])[/color]

[/color]
[color=#b1b100][/color]
[color=#b1b100]

[color=#b1b100]For example, if I place the statement...[/color]

[/color]
[color=#b1b100][/color]
[color=#b1b100]

[color=#b1b100]GGADebug = robjNewDocument.FullName[/color]

[/color]
[color=#b1b100][/color]
[color=#b1b100]

[color=#b1b100]...after the SET statement it will fail with the same error (91).[/color]

[/color]

Im not familiarized with the WriteToDocument Sub, so i Googled it and found something quite similar to the one you have. Why dont you use this one, with another name, so you can debug it and see where the error ocurs:
(change its name to MyWriteToDocument, copy-paste it anywhere, and use that one on your code, so when the error is shown, it'll be in the Sub's line, and you can have a better idea of what's wrong).

HTH

[GlenGage]

QUOTE]
Thank you all for you help. Debugging is a humbling experience.

The cause of the error is an incorrect path to the template I was opening the new document with. When I split the creation of the document into 2 steps -- creating it and then associating it with the template VB was quick to point out that it could not attach the template because it couldn't find it.

If the original SET command had failed for this reason then it would have been obvious. Instead the SET command worked but returned a VARType of 9 instead of 8.

If you are curious about how the program came up with an incorrect path name then read on, else thanks again for your time and interest.

We keep the template presented to the users in subfolders of the workgroup location. The subfolders correspond to templates in different languages--a letter is a letter, but it may be in English, Russian, etc. Because we share documents across networks the attached template paths have different physical names from one network to another. We "work around" this potential problem (word not being able to find a documents attached template) by keeping hidden copies of all templates in the root of the workgroup locations folder. These 1 out of a thousand documents have this hidden template as their attached template rather than the same template in the subfolder. The routine that builds the string to use for the new document's template didn't work properly when the target template was in a different language subfolder and the attached template was in the root. This is now fixed.

Cheers,

Glen
[/quote]