Ole 800A03EC error when using TExcelWorkBook SaveAs method in Delphi 7

Question

I am trying to open excel 2003 workbook and save it as something else, for example excel 95. I use the following code:

XLSApp:=TExcelApplication.Create(Self);
XLSApp.Workbooks.Open(SomeFileName,NULL,false,NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,defaultlcid);
XLSWB:=TExcelWorkbook.Create(XLSApp);
XLSWB.ConnectTo(XLSApp.Workbooks.Item[1]);
XLSWB.SaveCopyAs(ExtractFilePath(edTable.Text)+'temp.xls');
XLSWB.SaveAs(SomeOtherFileName,xlExcel7,EmptyParam,EmptyParam,False,False,xlNoChange,xlUserResolution,False,EmptyParam,EmptyParam,EmptyParam,DefaultLCID);

Unfortunately this code gives "Ole 800A03EC" on clients computer, while it works on mine. Note that I have Office 2007 installed, and he has Office 2003 SP3.

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Answer 1

I have seen this error once when automating Excel. It happened when the user had a cell in editmode and you tried to automate that instance. Excel doesn't like it when you are editing a cell and some program is fiddling around in the background.

So this is what's happening at your client (I think):

• Your client has Excel open and is editing a cell (select a cell and press F2)
• Your code starts:
  • You create a TExcelApplication and accesses the Workbooks property. Since your Excel application is not yet connected it calls TOleServer.Connect (look at the implementation of GetDefaultInterface)
  • Since the default connectkind is ckRunningOrNew, TExcelApplication connects to the running instance.
  • Because the client is editing a cell you get an error on the Open method.

How you can prevent this: Set ConnectKind of your TExcelApplication to ckNewInstance so you'll always work in a separate Excel instance.

Answer 2

800A03EC also occurs when one (like, me) does a dumb thing like trying to load into an Excel cell that doesn't exist, like:

excel.Cells[rowIndex, ri] = x;
where ri is 0.

NOTE BENE: The col index starts at 1, not 0.

Answer 3

In my case ( xlExcel8 format ):

Instead of:

theWorkbookWyjscie.SaveAs(saveFileDialog1.FileName, myExcel.XlFileFormat.xlExcel8);

I used:

theWorkbookWyjscie.SaveAs(saveFileDialog1.FileName);

or

theWorkbookWyjscie.SaveAs(saveFileDialog1.FileName, myExcel.XlFileFormat.xlExcel7);

Both work well... And yes, I know this is a stupid solution, but it's working!