XPost: alt.windows7.general, comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.win32   
   From: address@is.invalid   
      
   Newyana2,   
      
   >   Variants have subtypes. But VBS only handles. An array is just a   
   > collection of data packets in a row with an array descriptor prepended.   
   > Once you access a(x) you're accessing a data type. If that type is not a   
   > variant then VBS can't use it.   
      
   I beg to differ again (exemptions-to-the-rule are the bane of most people   
   :-) ).   
      
   My previously mentioned "method #1" returns a SafeArray of type VT_UI1,   
   which in VBScript gets stored into a variant (which than shows its "vartype"   
   as 0x2011 and its "typename" as "Byte()"(!) ).   
      
   I can "wscript.echo" and use use "len()" and "mid()" on it - though it does   
   all of that badly, treating the VT_UI1 SafeArray as a BSTR. :-(   
      
   But yes, if I return a SafeArray of, for example, type VT_UI2 I cannot do   
   anything with it - other than provide it to another OCX-based method.   
      
   ... which was/is exactly what I was trying to do :-)   
      
   > The variant is a 16-byte package   
      
   :-) you're preaching to the choir.   I've been working with the internal   
   makeup of Variants and looking into SafeArrays for quite a while now.   
      
   > If you declare Dim A2()   
      
   Which I have not done and, in the current case, have no intention to.  Any   
   explanation in that direction is wasted energy.  Sorry.   
      
   > I assumed you were working in VB6, using VB6 strings.   
      
   Whut ?  I specifically mentioned VBScript in the subjectline and the first   
   post, as well as thruout my replies ...   
      
   > A safearray is a variant. The data may be other datatypes.   
      
   No, it isn't.  What you are referring to is a Variant which contains (a   
   pointer to) a SafeArray.   
      
   > I can then reference each character as an integer in the array, without   
   > any string handling. It's just memory addresses, after all.   
   >   
   >  For i = 0 to UBound(ArrayThatsAString)   
   >   Select Case i   
      
   Are you trying to pull my leg ?   The only thing there you are using   
   "ArrayThatsAString" for is to get its length.   
      
   Also, in VBScript that "ubound()" on a string doesn't work.  It *does* work   
   on my VT_UI1 SafeArray-in-a-variant though.  :-)   
      
   > You can't do anything like that in VBS because each array member is always   
   > a variant and there's no direct access to memory addresses,   
      
   In VBS you cannot access memory directly, ever.   
      
      
      
   But to return to my question:   
      
   it turns out that having the OCX-based method #1 return a SafeArray (as   
   shown by the IDL in my first post) works without a problem.  The actual   
   problem is that VBScript doesn't seem to understand how to do it the other   
   way around.   
      
   Even though the IDL definition describes an SAFEARRAY(unsigned char) input   
   to the OCX-based method #2 and VBSCript has a Variant of type "VT_ARRAY or   
   VT_UI1" it can't seem to connect those dots.   
      
   This morning I've been trying several IDL definitions.  By value, by ref, as   
   [in] and as [in,out], but none wanted to work. :-(   
      
   ... and you know what the *real* weird thing is ?   
      
   That   
      
   Object.Method2( Object.Method1() )   
      
   (not using an intermediate variable I mean) *does* work.  How ?  Why ? No   
   idea.   
      
   But ... I have a solution : Method #1 can keep returning a SafeArray, but I   
   have to tell Method #2 to expect a Variant, and than just grab the pointer   
   to the SafeArray from it.   Yes, an ugly work-around.  But for the moment it   
   has to do.   
      
   Regards,   
   Rudy Wieser   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)