>Is there way to get a list of the applications that can be controlled via OLE automation on my computer? I also need to know what they need to be called in the CREATEOBJECT command. -TIA

Hi Paul

All your COM servers (OLE automation ) are in the registry in

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID

and each is stored with a unique GUID. So you will need to read the registry and extract those that have a key
Prodid . The item will be the Progid value. If it does not have a Progid, it will most probably be a plugin/Driver.


Here is the item for Excel on my computer: Look at Progid towards the end. That is how you would communicate with Excel using OLE: oExcel = CREATEOBJECT("Excel.Application.10")

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{00024500-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]
@="Microsoft Excel Application"
"AppID"="{00020812-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{00024500-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\Implemented Categories]
@=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{00024500-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\Implemented Categories\{000C0118-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]
@=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{00024500-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\InprocHandler32]
@="ole32.dll"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{00024500-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\LocalServer]
@="C:\\PROGRA~1\\MICROS~4\\Office10\\EXCEL.EXE /automation"
"LocalServer"=hex(7):28,00,66,00,27,00,5e,00,56,00,6e,00,2d,00,7d,00,66,00,28,\
  00,59,00,52,00,5d,00,65,00,41,00,52,00,36,00,2e,00,6a,00,69,00,45,00,58,00,\
  43,00,45,00,4c,00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,73,00,3e,00,45,00,55,00,46,00,4f,\
  00,43,00,3d,00,4d,00,26,00,67,00,28,00,70,00,4b,00,65,00,71,00,46,00,72,00,\
  73,00,46,00,2a,00,6d,00,20,00,2f,00,61,00,75,00,74,00,6f,00,6d,00,61,00,74,\
  00,69,00,6f,00,6e,00,00,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{00024500-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\LocalServer32]
@="C:\\PROGRA~1\\MICROS~4\\Office10\\EXCEL.EXE /automation"
"LocalServer32"=hex(7):28,00,66,00,27,00,5e,00,56,00,6e,00,2d,00,7d,00,66,00,\
  28,00,59,00,52,00,5d,00,65,00,41,00,52,00,36,00,2e,00,6a,00,69,00,45,00,58,\
  00,43,00,45,00,4c,00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,73,00,3e,00,45,00,55,00,46,00,\
  4f,00,43,00,3d,00,4d,00,26,00,67,00,28,00,70,00,4b,00,65,00,71,00,46,00,72,\
  00,73,00,46,00,2a,00,6d,00,20,00,2f,00,61,00,75,00,74,00,6f,00,6d,00,61,00,\
  74,00,69,00,6f,00,6e,00,00,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{00024500-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\ProgID]
@="Excel.Application.10"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{00024500-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\VersionIndependentProgID]
@="Excel.Application"