Late Binding of ActiveX controls

[holmmd]

I'm writing an application that may require browsing capabilities. This functionality will only be available on machines with that support the browser control. I know how to add controls at runtime, but can't figure out how to add a WebBrowser control.
Any useful advice?

Use the CreateObject function, which will instanitate an objectbased on that objects ProgID

- gaffa

[holmmd]

This is what doesn't work.
I'm sure I'm missing something obvious!

Option Explicit

    ' Sample_1
    Dim WithEvents WebBrowser1 As SHDocVw.WebBrowser_V1
    ' From the object browser SHDocVw.WebBrowser_V1 after loading
    ' SHDOCVW.DLL into the project references
    '
    ' I don't want to include the DLL and only want to make this
    ' available on machines that support it, so this method is not
    ' really an option

    Dim WithEvents WebBrowser1a As SHDocVw.WebBrowser_V1
    Dim WithEvents WebBrowser1b As VBControlExtender

    ' Sample_2
    Dim WithEvents WebBrowser2 As VBControlExtender
    ' From HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\

Private Sub Sample_1()

    Set WebBrowser1 = Me.Controls.Add("SHDocVw.WebBrowser_V1", "WebBrowser1", Me)
    ' Produces error
    '
    ' |-----------------------------------------------------|
    ' |Run-time error '711':                                |
    ' |                                                     |
    ' |Invalid class string.                                |
    ' |Looking for object with ProgID: SHDocVw.WebBrowser_V1|
    ' |-----------------------------------------------------|
    '
    ' This is because SHDocVw doesn't appear in the registry
    ' under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\

    Set WebBrowser1a = CreateObject("SHDocVw.WebBrowser_V1")
    ' Produces error
    '
    ' |-----------------------------------------------------|
    ' |Run-time error '429':                                |
    ' |                                                     |
    ' |ActiveX component can't create object.               |
    ' |-----------------------------------------------------|

    Set WebBrowser1b = CreateObject("WebBrowserWrapper.WebBrowserWrapper.1")
    ' Produces error
    '
    ' |-----------------------------------------------------|
    ' |Run-time error '13':                                 |
    ' |                                                     |
    ' |Type mismatch.                                       |
    ' |-----------------------------------------------------|

    With WebBrowser1
        .Left = 0
        ' Produces error
        '
        ' |-----------------------------------------------------|
        ' |Runtim error '91':                                   |
        ' |                                                     |
        ' |Object variable with block variable not set.         |
        ' |-----------------------------------------------------|
        '
        .Top = 0
        .Width = Me.ScaleWidth
        .Height = Me.ScaleHeight
        .Navigate "http://www.vbworld.net"
    End With
    ' All of these properties are available through autocomplete

End Sub

Private Sub Sample_2()

    ' The control does not have licensing information in the registry

    Set WebBrowser2 = Controls.Add("WebBrowserWrapper.WebBrowserWrapper.1", "WebBrowser2", Me)

    With WebBrowser2
        .Move 0, 0, Me.ScaleWidth, Me.ScaleHeight
        .Visible = True
        .LocationURL = "http://www.vb-world.net"
        ' Produces error
        '
        ' |-----------------------------------------------------|
        ' |Runtime error '438':                                 |
        ' |                                                     |
        ' |Object doesn't support this property or method.      |
        ' |-----------------------------------------------------|
        '
        ' The property IS NOT available via autocomplete and neither
        ' is '.object.LocationURL'. Since the control is created and
        ' visible, what I was really asking I suppose is how to get at
        ' the properties/methods/events

    End With

End Sub

Private Sub Form_Load()

    Sample_1
    Sample_2

End Sub

Private Sub Form_Terminate()

    Set WebBrowser1 = Nothing

End Sub

[Edited by holmmd on 12-05-2000 at 03:45 AM]