IOleObject interface

The main interface of an embedded OLE object: connects the object to its container’s site, and asks the object to perform a verb such as showing or opening itself.

IOleObject has the interface identifier 00000112-0000-0000-C000-000000000046 and extends stdole.IUnknown. It is declared [OleAutomation(False)]. Microsoft Learn describes the Windows interface: IOleObject.

The declaration is partial. The Windows interface has 21 methods, and this one declares the first nine, up to and including DoVerb. The methods that follow — EnumVerbs, Update, IsUpToDate, GetUserClassID, GetUserType, SetExtent, GetExtent, Advise, Unadvise, EnumAdvise, GetMiscStatus and SetColorScheme — are not declared. DoVerb is marked [PreserveSig], so a class cannot implement this interface; it is for calling. Every method except DoVerb hides the HRESULT: a failure code raises a run-time error.

A parameter that is a pointer to an interface or structure that the package does not declare (an IMoniker*, an IDataObject*, a RECT*, a MSG*) is a LongPtr.

Methods

SetClientSite

Sub SetClientSite(ByVal pClientSite As OLEGuids.IOleClientSite)

Tells the object which IOleClientSite represents its place in the container. A container calls it once, when the object is created or loaded.

GetClientSite

Function GetClientSite() As OLEGuids.IOleClientSite

Returns the client site that SetClientSite last gave the object.

SetHostNames

Sub SetHostNames(ByVal lpszContainerApp As LongPtr, ByVal lpszContainerObj As LongPtr)

Gives the object the names of the container application and of the container’s document or object, which the object can show in its window caption. Both parameters are pointers to Unicode strings, so a caller passes StrPtr(name).

Close

Sub Close(ByVal dwSaveOption As Long)

Moves the object from the running state to the loaded state. dwSaveOption says whether the object saves first: 0 saves it if it has changed (OLECLOSE_SAVEIFDIRTY), 1 does not save (OLECLOSE_NOSAVE), and 2 prompts the user (OLECLOSE_PROMPTSAVE).

SetMoniker

Sub SetMoniker(ByVal dwWhichMoniker As Long, ByVal lpmk As LongPtr)

Tells the object the moniker of its container, or of the object itself. lpmk is an IMoniker*. dwWhichMoniker says which moniker it is: 1 for the container’s, 2 for the object’s name relative to the container, and 3 for the object’s full name (OLEWHICHMK_CONTAINER, OLEWHICHMK_OBJREL, OLEWHICHMK_OBJFULL).

GetMoniker

Function GetMoniker(ByVal dwAssign As Long, ByVal dwWhichMoniker As Long) As LongPtr

Returns an IMoniker* that names the object, as a LongPtr. dwAssign says whether the object assigns itself a moniker if it has none: 1 returns one only if it exists, 2 forces an assignment, 3 removes the assignment and 4 assigns a temporary one (OLEGETMONIKER_ONLYIFTHERE, OLEGETMONIKER_FORCEASSIGN, OLEGETMONIKER_UNASSIGN, OLEGETMONIKER_TEMPFORUSER). dwWhichMoniker is the same value as for SetMoniker.

InitFromData

Sub InitFromData(ByVal lpDataObject As LongPtr, ByVal fCreation As Long, ByVal dwReserved As Long)

Initializes the object from the data in an IDataObject*, lpDataObject. fCreation is not 0 when the object is being created from the data, and 0 when the data replaces the contents of an existing object. dwReserved is reserved.

GetClipboardData

Function GetClipboardData(ByVal dwReserved As Long) As LongPtr

Returns an IDataObject* holding the data the object would put on the clipboard if it were copied, as a LongPtr. dwReserved is reserved and is passed as 0.

DoVerb

[PreserveSig]
Function DoVerb(ByVal iVerb As Long, ByVal lpMsg As LongPtr, ByVal pActiveSite As OLEGuids.IOleClientSite, ByVal Index As Long, ByVal hWndParent As LongPtr, ByVal lprcPosRect As LongPtr) As Long

Asks the object to perform one of its verbs. The result is the raw HRESULT.

iVerb: A verb number. The standard verbs are negative or zero: 0 is the primary verb (OLEIVERB_PRIMARY), -1 shows the object (OLEIVERB_SHOW), -2 opens it in a separate window (OLEIVERB_OPEN), -3 hides it (OLEIVERB_HIDE), -4 activates it in place with its user interface (OLEIVERB_UIACTIVATE) and -5 activates it in place without it (OLEIVERB_INPLACEACTIVATE).
lpMsg: A pointer to the MSG that caused the activation, such as the double-click, or 0.
pActiveSite: The IOleClientSite of the site that activates the object.
Index: Reserved; the Windows parameter is named lindex. Pass 0.
hWndParent: The handle of the container window that holds the object.
lprcPosRect: A pointer to a RECT holding the object’s position in hWndParent, such as the address of an OLERECT.