ActiveX Exe is running In-Process

Hi All,

I work on an ActiveX Exe component. So I wish it to run in "out-of-space" (in a seperate memory space), but there is a huge problem. Look at this

Private Sub Command1_Click()
Set objSomeThing = New SomeClass
objSomeThing.SomeMethod
Set objSomeThing = Nothing
End Sub

Private Sub objSomeThing_Finished()
MsgBox "Finished"
End Sub

First Problem:
So I expect my program will continue non-stop after the line

'objSomeThing.SomeMethod'

But it waits the component to finish its work. This behaviour is exactly same as ActiveX Dll.

Second Problem:
It is very strange that sometimes my method runs when I just set the object. I mean after the line

'Set objSomeThing = New SomeClass'

It finishes all the stuff that it must do later.


Please help. I am very surprised due to this behaviour.

Thanks

First problem:

This is what is supposed to happen.

It does not do asynchronous processing.

To get an idea about asynchronous processing, look at the Inet ActiveX control. You set properties (not methods) then it raises events when it is done. This means your client code will have to change dramtically.

If the wait is long because you are hitting a database, you may want to display some kind of little user screen toy (whirling object, flying paper) while your code does it's thing.

Second problem

If you come back into that code block, the SCM is smart enough to have already cached the code, so it goes 'ahead' and does the whole routine, but your code (if you are in the debugger)
may be one or two lines behind.

Hi Jim,

As you may not guess I know what an asynchronous process is. And I don't remember that I set a method!. All my events are ready and the code above is just a summary of my whole project. The ActiveX component is called to do some work (it is method). I wish my main program continue its work without waiting the method to be completed and it must be informed by the component that the work is finished. So I think we understood each other, didn't we?

Thanks anyway

Any other help please!!!

By default, if you call a method of an object, it is processed synchronously, no matter it is in process or out of process. This means if the method performs a lengthy task, it won't return untill it finishes. To make an ActiveX method act asynchronously, you have to take another step. Don't do anything in the method, but rather launch a timer with a very short interval, in the timer event, put the code that will perform the job, raise the event, and disable the timer.

This is the standard(!) procudure to make an Activex Thread work asynchronously, in VB6.

If this looks stupid, it really is, but thats the only way. You might consider using message que server if the situation allows.

Hope it helps.