Assign() with COM properties

[Lazycat]

Not had many experience with COM, so maybe I just miss something. Instead it looks like a bug.

I'm tried to assign value to object property with the Assign function, but seems this work not as I expect. Before assigning Eval get right property value. But after assigning I see that actual object property value not changed, but if I try get it by name via Eval, it show value that I assign! So this looks like Assign create some new variable instead assign value to existing property.

Here is simple example for this (based on the standard example):

#include <GUIConstants.au3>

$oForm = ObjCreate("Forms.Form.1")
$oForm.caption = "Forms Frame Test"; OK!

$oButton=$oForm.Add("Forms.CommandButton.1","TestButton",1)
With $oButton
    .caption="Test Button"
    .Left=10
    .Top=8
    .Height=20
    .Visible=1
EndWith

$oForm.repaint

MsgBox (0, "Width returned by Eval", Eval("$oButton.Width"))

Assign("$oButton.Width", 200)

MsgBox (0, "Width after Assign", $oButton.Width)

MsgBox (0, "Width after Assign via Eval", Eval("$oButton.Width"))

GUICreate ("Embedded ActiveX Test", 640, 480)
$GUI_ActiveX=GUICtrlCreateObj ( $oForm, 10, 10 , 400 , 400 )
$GUI_Label=GUICtrlCreateLabel ( "", 10, 420 , 300 , 20 )

GUISetState ()

While 1
    $msg = GUIGetMsg()
    If $msg = $GUI_EVENT_CLOSE Then ExitLoop
Wend

[Lazycat]

No thoughts?

I would post this in the bug report section, but I not sure if this bug or feature...

[Valik]

Assign() doesn't even work with built-in AutoIt arrays, what do you think the odds are of it being able to assign to properties on COM objects?

[SvenP]

Not had many experience with COM, so maybe I just miss something. Instead it looks like a bug.

I'm tried to assign value to object property with the Assign function, but seems this work not as I expect. Before assigning Eval get right property value. But after assigning I see that actual object property value not changed, but if I try get it by name via Eval, it show value that I assign! So this looks like Assign create some new variable instead assign value to existing property.

Here is simple example for this (based on the standard example):

... $GUI_EVENT_CLOSE Then ExitLoop
Wend

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Lazycat,

Assign and Eval only work with Variables. $oButton.Width is NOT a variable, but a COM property.

However: Assign() does NOT check in any way if the "variable name" contains valid characters. You could say that this is a bug, because you could create @variables this way using: Assign("@error",200).

Or even nastier: Assign("@oButton[Width].blah()", 200) is also being accepted.

It's a nice way to 'hide' your variables: Set them using Assign, read them using Eval.

But I guess we (the developers) will soon make an end to this kind of abuse ! :-)

We will add a line to the AutoIt3 license: "Thy shall not abuse variable names"

Regards,

-Sven

[Lazycat]

Ok, understand. I was messed, because Eval() can get object properties and I presume that Assign also should work. Though for Eval you should include $ sign in string, so this looks suspicious...

So for now I describe this as side effect. Handle with care

Thanks all for explanation.