FIX: OLE Client: Copying Linked Object Gives Err: Can't Paste

The information in this article applies to:

- Standard and Professional Editions of Microsoft Visual Basic for

  Windows, version 2.0

  system for Windows, version 1.0

SYMPTOMS

If you use the OLE client control to paste a linked OLE object onto the clipboard and then later copy the same OLE object from the clipboard back to the OLE client control, you may see this error message:

   Can't Paste

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in both the Standard and Professional Editions of Microsoft Visual Basic version 2.0 for Windows and in the Microsoft Professional Toolkit for Visual Basic programming system version 1.0 for Windows. This bug was corrected in Visual Basic version 3.0 for Windows.

MORE INFORMATION

The following example uses Microsoft Excel version 4.0 as the application associated with the OLE object, however the bug does not depend on Excel; it occurs no matter which application is associated with the OLE object.

Steps to Reproduce Problem

1. Start Microsoft Excel. The Sheet1 worksheet is created by default.

2. In the R1C1 cell, enter Fixed Assets.

3. From the Edit menu, choose Copy (ALT+E+C).

4. Start Visual Basic or from the File menu, choose New Project (ALT+F+N) if Visual Basic is already running. Form1 is created by default.

5. From the File menu, choose Add File. In the Files box, select the OLECLIEN.VBX custom control file. The OLE client tool appears in the Toolbox.

6. Add an OLE client control (OleClient1) to Form1.

7. Add a command button (Command1) to Form1.

8. Add the following code to the Command1_Click event:

      Sub Command1_Click ()
         Const OLE_LINKED = 0
         Const OLE_COPY = 4
         Const OLE_PASTE = 5
         Const OLE_UPDATE = 6
         Const OLE_DELETE = 10
   
         If OleClient1.PasteOK Then
            OleClient1.Protocol = "StdFileEditing"
            OleClient1.ServerType = OLE_LINKED
            OleClient1.Action = OLE_PASTE  ' Get object from clipboard
            OleClient1.Action = OLE_COPY   ' Copy the object back onto the
                                           ' clipboard
            OleClient1.Action = OLE_UPDATE ' Display object
            OleClient1.Action = OLE_PASTE  ' Attempt to paste the
                                           ' object onto the clipboard
            OleClient1.Action = OLE_DELETE
         Else
            MsgBox "Contents of the Clipboard in unacceptable format"
         End If
      End Sub
   
   

9. From the Run menu, choose Start (ALT+R+S) to run the program.

10. Click the Command1 button. It should work, but instead the program

        stops and gives the "Can't paste" error message. The Excel object is
        successfully linked to OleClient1 and displayed, and the linked object
        is also copied successfully onto the clipboard.