Generate MS Word .doc file?

[shaiphp]

I have the following script to generate a Microsoft Word file (actually it just fills in the bookmarks in template.doc):

<?

//1. Instanciate Word
$word = new COM("word.application") or die("Unable to instantiate Word");
//2. specify the MS Word template document
$template_file = "c:/avishai/php/manager/invoice/template.doc";
//3. open the template document
$word->Documents->Open($template_file);
//4. put '734' in the 'id' bookmark
$id = 734;
//5. get the bookmark and create a new MS Word Range (to enable text substitution)
$bookmarkname = "id";
$objBookmark = $word->ActiveDocument->Bookmarks($bookmarkname);
$range = $objBookmark->Range;
//6. now substitute the bookmark with actual value
$range->Text = $id;
//7. save the template as a new document (c:/reminder_new.doc)
$new_file = "c:/avishai/php/manager/invoice/test.doc";
$word->Documents[1]->SaveAs($new_file);
//8. free the object
$word->Quit();
$word->Release();
$word = null;

?>

However, it produces the following error message:

Warning: (null)(): Invoke() failed: Type mismatch. Argument: 2 in c:\avishai\php\manager\invoice\process.invoice.php on line 19

And the file does not get produced.

Any ideas???? Thanks in advance,

Shai

[Dean C]

Well you're obviously using a third-party class, there is so many things that could be wrong here. You are best asking for support by the class author

[shaiphp]

I don't think I am using a third party class...I definitely haven't downloaded one so it must be built in to PHP.

[Dylan B]

Well you're obviously using a third-party class, there is so many things that could be wrong here. You are best asking for support by the class author

He isn't using a third party class, Dean, he is using COM.

[shaiphp]

Thanks for confirming, Dylan. I don't actually know how exactly my script communicates with MS Word, but it does!! I will look into how COM works at some point!

The thing I forgot to mention was that when the script runs, I get a dialog box from Word asking if I want to save the current document before exiting. This would imply that the file IS changed, but it is then exited without doing the Save As. If I say 'Yes' on the dialog box, the file saves with the new content. However, I need it to Save As!

In fact, I don't know if this makes it easier, but after the Word file is created I just need it to be attached to an email using mail() and then the file will be deleted! So it may be easier to just save the file somewhere temporary? I don't mind either way.

Also, if you know of a tutorial that will tell me how to create and save Word documents then I will try that. RTF will do as well.

Thanks so much and I hope you can help,

Shai

[shaiphp]

By the way, I am using PHP 4(.3.4). I have heard that PHP 5 uses slightly different OOP - could this be the problem? If so, how do I fix it? I do not want to upgrade to PHP 5 at this time.

[shaiphp]

Still not fixed - any more suggestions??

Thanks

[Dylan B]

What happens if you get rid of the

$word = null; 

?

[shaiphp]

Nope - doing that makes no difference!

I really appreciate your help and I hope we will be able to solve this problem,

Shai

[Dylan B]

Line 19 is

$word->Documents[1]->SaveAs($new_file); 

Yes?

[shaiphp]

Yes

[Dylan B]

Where did you get this script from?

[shaiphp]

http://phpbuilder.com/columns/yunus20031124.php3?page=2

[someonewhois]

What happens if you get rid of the bookmark part? As in, just open, save, cleanup.

[shaiphp]

Same problem

[shaiphp]

except that because you are not making any changes, the dialog box asking if you want to save changes doesn't pop up

[someonewhois]

What OS are you running? What version of PHP? What version of Apache (or is it IIS)?

[shaiphp]

Windows, PHP 4.3.4, Apache 1.3.29

[someonewhois]

Which version of Windows? Which version of Office?

[shaiphp]

Windows 98SE, Office 97

[someonewhois]

I don't think Windows 98 supports COM. Actually, I don't think Office 97 does either. I'll see if I can confirm that, though.

[dalechristian]

Very outdated software, I'm not suprised it isnt working!

[shaiphp]

I am pretty sure they do. Apart from anything else, when I click 'Yes' on the dialog box (to overwrite the template.doc file with the new content), it DOES work. The problem is that I can't save AS. So surely that means that COM is working?

[shaiphp]

Dale, do you have any contributions to make or just useless comments about my software??

[someonewhois]

Give SaveAs a second parameter of 0, see if that works. I haven't see anyone use saveas without the second parameter.