Question

System setup:

3-Tier environment
Client Machine - doesn't matter
Web-Tier - Not sure.  Probably Windows Server 2008 64 bit
       -Jdk 7u3
App Server - Windows Server 2008 64 bit
       -Weblogic Server 10.3.6
       -Excel 2010
       -Jdk 7u3
Database Server - Not sure. Probably Windows Server 2008 64 bit.
       -Oracle Database 11g

Programming using Oracle Forms 11.1.1.6

Now, my problem is that when we had designed they system, everything but the database was on one PC. I was able to read and write Excel documents no problem at all. Then we moved everything to a tiered setup where we had the client, app server and database server. Everything still worked great. Finally they set up the 3-tiered system and that’s where I ran into my problems.

When I have Oracle Forms write to the Excel document the code appears to execute without any errors until I try to copy the file from the App Server using Webutil.

PROCEDURE Export_to_Excel IS
 -- Declare the OLE objects
 application OLE2.OBJ_TYPE;
 workbooks OLE2.OBJ_TYPE;
 workbook OLE2.OBJ_TYPE;
 worksheets OLE2.OBJ_TYPE;
 worksheet OLE2.OBJ_TYPE;
 --cell OLE2.OBJ_TYPE;
 range OLE2.OBJ_TYPE;
 range_col OLE2.OBJ_TYPE;

 -- Declare handles to OLE argument lists
 args OLE2.LIST_TYPE;
 p_filename VARCHAR(255);

 --p_file TOOL_RES.RFHANDLE;
 p_file Text_IO.File_Type;
 p_filename_client      VARCHAR2(500);
 v_filename                     VARCHAR2(500);
 v_error                            VARCHAR2(500);
 passed_filename            VARCHAR2(500);
BEGIN

 -- Retrieve user specific directory to create new file in
 p_filename := Webutil_file_transfer.get_work_area;

 -- Start Excel 
 application:=OLE2.CREATE_OBJ('Excel.Application');

 -- Return object handle to the Workbooks collection 
 workbooks:=OLE2.GET_OBJ_PROPERTY(application, 'Workbooks');

 -- Add a new Workbook object to the Workbooks collection
 workbook:=OLE2.GET_OBJ_PROPERTY(workbooks,'Add');

 -- Return object handle to the Worksheets collection for the Workbook
 worksheets:=OLE2.GET_OBJ_PROPERTY(workbook, 'Worksheets');

 -- Set up the Header worksheet
 args:=OLE2.CREATE_ARGLIST; 
 OLE2.ADD_ARG(args, 1);
 worksheet:=OLE2.GET_OBJ_PROPERTY(worksheets,'Item',args);
 OLE2.DESTROY_ARGLIST(args);
 OLE2.set_property(worksheet,'Name','Header');

 -- Build header form
 populate_header(worksheet);

 -- Autofit columns
 range := OLE2.GET_OBJ_PROPERTY( worksheet,'UsedRange');
 range_col := OLE2.GET_OBJ_PROPERTY( range,'Columns');
 OLE2.INVOKE( range_col,'AutoFit' );
 OLE2.RELEASE_OBJ( range );
 OLE2.RELEASE_OBJ( range_col );


 -- Set up the Item worksheet
 args:=OLE2.CREATE_ARGLIST; 
 OLE2.ADD_ARG(args, 2);
 worksheet:=OLE2.GET_OBJ_PROPERTY(worksheets,'Item',args);
 OLE2.DESTROY_ARGLIST(args);
 OLE2.set_property(worksheet,'Name','Item List');

 -- Build Item sheet
 populate_item_sheet(worksheet);

 -- Delete the last worksheet that excel automatically creates
 args:=OLE2.CREATE_ARGLIST; 
 OLE2.ADD_ARG(args, 3);
 worksheet:=OLE2.GET_OBJ_PROPERTY(worksheets,'Item',args);
 OLE2.DESTROY_ARGLIST(args);
 OLE2.invoke(worksheet, 'Delete');

 -- Save as worksheet
 OLE2.SET_PROPERTY(application,'DisplayAlerts',FALSE);
 IF p_filename is not null THEN
        args := OLE2.CREATE_ARGLIST;
        OLE2.ADD_ARG( args, p_filename || :PARAMETER_B1.FILENAME || '.xlsx');
        OLE2.ADD_ARG( args, 56 );
        OLE2.INVOKE( workbook,'SaveAs',args );
        OLE2.DESTROY_ARGLIST( args );
 END IF;

 -- Close workbook
 OLE2.INVOKE( workbook ,'Close');

 -- Release the OLE objects
 OLE2.RELEASE_OBJ(worksheet);
 OLE2.RELEASE_OBJ(worksheets);
 OLE2.RELEASE_OBJ(workbook);
 OLE2.RELEASE_OBJ(workbooks);
 OLE2.INVOKE(application, 'Quit');
 OLE2.RELEASE_OBJ(application); 

 --Check if file was writen correctly
 p_file := text_io.fopen(p_filename || :PARAMETER_B1.FILENAME || '.xlsx','r');
 Text_IO.Fclose(p_file);

 --Added the following code
 passed_filename := :PARAMETER_B1.FILENAME || '.xlsx';
 v_filename := p_filename || passed_filename;

 -- Popup a dialog box to allow user to select the location to save the file
 p_filename_client := CLIENT_GET_FILE_NAME ( 'C:\', passed_filename, NULL, 'Select A Directory', SAVE_FILE, FALSE );

 if p_filename_client is null then
      message ('Creation of the spreadsheet has been canceled.');
        raise form_trigger_failure;
 end if;

 -- File Transfer to Client
 PROCESS_COMM_FILE_CLIENT.FILE_TRANSFER('O', p_filename_client, v_filename, null, v_error);

 EXCEPTION
      WHEN others THEN
        Text_IO.Fclose(p_file);
                message( SQLERRM( SQLCODE ) ) ;
        if p_filename_client is not null then
          MESSAGE('An error occurred while creating file.');
      end if;
END; 

The code fails at the FILE_TRANSFER because the form does not get created on the App Server like it is supposed to.

A related problem that is occuring is that when I try to upload the excel document and read it in to oracle I get a ORA-305500 error. I have tried to have the DBA uninstall and reinstall Excel and made sure all of the features/add-ons were included during the installation but the problem still hasn’t been fixed.

Could someone please give me some suggestions on what to do to fix this problem or continue to problem shoot this?

Thanks,

Bill

Answer 1

If the problem relates to the actual generation of the file using OLE, then I would sugest that you create the directory:

C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile

The OLE code in Oracle Forms checks in this directory for OLE configuration settings. It doesn’t matter if the directory is empty, only that it exists!