Excel and Outlook

Posted by Meave on 27-May-2015 05:32

I am working with a company that is still on Windows based Version 9.1e. On a specific server (Windows 2003) they have 70+ windows scheduled procedures that run at various times and frequencies. In the last few weeks we have had the situation where two reports running together and writing to Excel and sending emails through Outlook are 'bleeding' over each other, i.e. The email subject and bodytext are correct but the excel spreadsheet in the attachment is the name  for a different report and usually corrupted.

All Replies

Posted by Garry Hall on 28-May-2015 11:01

Without more information on how the emails are constructed, it would be difficult to identify a particular problem. I would guess you are using COM for building the Excel spreadsheet and sending the email through Outlook. If you are using different filenames for each Excel file, and they end up attached to the wrong emails, this might suggest a problem with COM. You could log a call with TS if you believe you identify such a situation. However, 9.1E is very old, so if there is a bug, and it still exists in OpenEdge, you would have to upgrade to a newer version to get a fix.

Posted by TheMadDBA on 28-May-2015 11:13

Unless something has changed in your Progress code recently I highly doubt this is a Progress issue. I would check to make sure the file names are unique.

Also look at this Microsoft KB where they explain the pitfalls of background automation and why it isn't supported.

support.microsoft.com/.../257757

Posted by Meave on 29-May-2015 10:26

Thank you for your responses. The file names are unique but I have discovered today that if a job which runs using excel and fails then it leaves an instance of EXCEL.EXE open on the server and the 'bleed' over is more likely to happen so I guess making sure programs all run cleanly has to be a good plan - not that I set out to do otherwise!

Posted by James Palmer on 29-May-2015 10:29

You can put a FINALLY block into your code to make sure all the com handles and so on are cleaned (in most cases at least).

Make sure you also turn off the visibility and screen updating properties etc as these can create bleed too.

Posted by Meave on 29-May-2015 12:50

Thanks for that. I will introduce the FINALLY into some of the more popular report.

Hopefully I have covered the second point but I inherited some fairly rubbish Progress code.

You say in your profile you are getting into DBA - the UK Progress User group will be running a webinar on this topic and there is usually workshops and breakout sessions on the subject at the EMEA PUG Challenge in November - this year in Copenhagen....sorry I am secretary of the Progress User Group UK and run the Sponsorship team for the EMEA - can't resist a bit of marketing!

Posted by James Palmer on 29-May-2015 16:51

Thanks for the tip. The webinar would be definitely of interest. Have you got details please?
As for the pug challenge I hope to be able to go but not holding my breath.

James Palmer | Application Developer
Tel: 01253 785103

[collapse] From: Meave
Sent: ‎29/‎05/‎2015 18:51
To: TU.OE.Development@community.progress.com
Subject: RE: [Technical Users - OE Development] Excel and Outlook

Reply by Meave

Thanks for that. I will introduce the FINALLY into some of the more popular report.

Hopefully I have covered the second point but I inherited some fairly rubbish Progress code.

You say in your profile you are getting into DBA - the UK Progress User group will be running a webinar on this topic and there is usually workshops and breakout sessions on the subject at the EMEA PUG Challenge in November - this year in Copenhagen....sorry I am secretary of the Progress User Group UK and run the Sponsorship team for the EMEA - can't resist a bit of marketing!

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