Defect or by design dictionary object assignment in AutoIT

[junkew]

Hi,

 

Any suggestions/directions on thoughts on below. Defect or by design?

 

I am working on my UIAWrappers as is in example section but ran into this issue

 

$obj2 is just another object

expandcollapse popup

#include "UIAWrappers.au3"
 
;~ Reproducer script, not for functional purposes just to reproduce issue
$dic=ObjCreate("Scripting.Dictionary")
;~ $obj2=ObjCreate("Scripting.Dictionary")
$obj2=ObjCreate("word.application")
$obj2.visible=true
 
$dic.add("o1",$obj2)
$retrievedObj=$dic("o1")
if isobj($retrievedObj) Then
consolewrite("Yes, first time its an object" & @CRLF)
Else
consolewrite("No, first time its NOT an object" & @CRLF)
EndIf
 
$dic("o1")=$obj2
$retrievedObj=$dic("o1")
if isobj($retrievedObj) Then
consolewrite("Yes, 2nd time its an object" & @CRLF)
Else
consolewrite("No, 2nd time its NOT an object" & @CRLF)
EndIf
 
$dic.add("o2",$UIA_oDesktop)
$retrievedObj=$dic("o2")
if isobj($retrievedObj) Then
consolewrite("Yes, 3rd time its an object" & @CRLF)
Else
consolewrite("No, 3rd time its NOT an object" & @CRLF)
EndIf
 
$dic("o2")=$UIA_oDesktop
$retrievedObj=$dic("o2")
if isobj($retrievedObj) Then
consolewrite("Yes, 4th time its an object" & @CRLF)
Else
consolewrite("No, 4th time its NOT an object" & @CRLF)
EndIf
Exit

When I run above I get this as output where I do not understand when using = as assignment suddenly its not an object anymore

>"C:\Program Files (x86)\AutoIt3\SciTE\AutoIt3Wrapper\AutoIt3Wrapper.exe" /run /prod /ErrorStdOut /in "C:\Users\Elwin\Documents\UIA\testme.au3" /UserParams    
+>23:24:00 Starting AutoIt3Wrapper v.2.1.0.33    Environment(Language:0413  Keyboard:00020409  OS:WIN_7/Service Pack 1  CPU:X64 OS:X64)
>Running AU3Check (3.3.12.0)  from:C:\Program Files (x86)\AutoIt3
+>23:24:00 AU3Check ended.rc:0
>Running:(3.3.12.0):C:\Program Files (x86)\AutoIt3\autoit3.exe "C:\Users\Elwin\Documents\UIA\testme.au3"    
--> Press Ctrl+Alt+F5 to Restart or Ctrl+Break to Stop
Yes, first time its an object
No, 2nd time its NOT an object
Yes, 3rd time its an object
No, 4th time its NOT an object
+>23:24:01 AutoIT3.exe ended.rc:0
>Exit code: 0    Time: 2.018

• Only difference is that $UIA_Desktop is created with function ObjCreateInterface
• I have now worked around this in _UIA_setVar by removing first from dictionary and then re adding
• I think in the past in AutoIT (I think in version before december 2013) all 4 above would give Yes. 
• Below is to reproduce only with Word.Application (weird thing when I use scripting.dictionary as obj2 it works correctly)

;~ Reproducer script, not for functional purposes just to reproduce issue
$dic=ObjCreate("Scripting.Dictionary")
;~ $obj2=ObjCreate("Scripting.Dictionary")
$obj2=ObjCreate("word.application")
$obj2.visible=true

$dic.add("o1",$obj2)
$retrievedObj=$dic("o1")
if isobj($retrievedObj) Then
    consolewrite("Yes, first time its an object" & @CRLF)
Else
    consolewrite("No, first time its NOT an object" & @CRLF)
EndIf

$dic("o1")=$obj2
$retrievedObj=$dic("o1")
if isobj($retrievedObj) Then
    consolewrite("Yes, 2nd time its an object" & @CRLF)
Else
    consolewrite("No, 2nd time its NOT an object" & @CRLF)
EndIf

Edited August 4, 2014 by junkew

[Jon]

With the 2nd script on 3.3.8.1 I get a Yes and then a No.  So, are you sure this has changed? That version is from Dec 2011.

[junkew]

No unfortunately I am not sure.

Do you agree that it should logically be a 4 times yes?

I am working on the UIAWrapper stuff and somewhere in december/january my logic was broken but all the time I thought I was making a logic error myself and just last week I investigated further and was able to reproduce with a sample script making life easier that its not in my UIAWrapper logic.

At least my functional expectation is that I should get back 4 times yes (for 2nd script 2 times yes)

the silly thing is that when i set $obj2 to this object I do get 4 times yes which is similar to word.application object that gives a one time no.

$obj2=ObjCreate("Scripting.Dictionary")

Edited August 5, 2014 by junkew

[Jon]

I don't know if the property assignment is supposed to work that way or not.  I'm only concerned at the moment if something that was working is no longer working.

[junkew]

in VBA it works that way (so 2 times yes)

• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/x4k5wbx4(v=vs.84).aspx
  states
  A Dictionary object is the equivalent of a PERL associative array. Items can be any form of data, and are stored in the array. Each item is associated with a unique key. The key is used to retrieve an individual item and is usually an integer or a string, but can be anything except an array.
• and a page with many examples of assignments in VBA
  http://www.snb-vba.eu/VBA_Dictionary_en.html

reproducer in VBA

Sub reproduce()

Set dic = CreateObject("Scripting.Dictionary")
' obj2=createobject("Scripting.Dictionary")
Set obj2 = CreateObject("word.application")
obj2.Visible = True

dic.Add "o1", obj2
Set retrievedObj = dic("o1")
If IsObject(retrievedObj) Then
    Debug.Print "Yes, first time its an object" & vbCrLf
Else
    Debug.Print "No, first time its NOT an object" & vbCrLf
End If

Set dic("o1") = obj2
Set retrievedObj = dic("o1")
If IsObject(retrievedObj) Then
     Debug.Print "Yes, 2nd time its an object" & vbCrLf
Else
    Debug.Print "No, 2nd time its NOT an object" & vbCrLf
End If

End Sub

 
output in VBA Excel 2010
 
Yes, first time its an object
Yes, 2nd time its an object

 

[Jon]

I found a piece in the code that makes this work. I'll try it in the next beta, to see if it has unintended consequences.

[junkew]

ok. thx