PPT97: Graph8 Process Remains in Memory After Macro Ends

• Microsoft PowerPoint 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

When you run a Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications macro or procedure that loops through one or more Microsoft Graph 97 objects in Microsoft PowerPoint, the Windows 95 Close Program dialog box (or the Windows NT Task Manager) shows that a separate process for each graph remains after the procedure ends. For example, if you have a procedure that loops through all three graphs in a presentation, three copies of Graph8.exe remain running after the procedure ends.

CAUSE

When you activate a Graph 8 object, PowerPoint creates a persistent data pointer (IDispatch interface pointer) to the Graph 97 object. The persistent data pointer allows quick access to the Graph object in case it is needed again. PowerPoint releases the pointer when the presentation is closed, and Graph 8 unloads itself from memory.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, close and then reopen the presentation that contains the Graph objects that were edited.

Method 1: Manually Close the Presentation

1. On the File menu, click Close.

   This process removes any Graph objects from memory that are associated with the presentation.

2. On the File menu, click Open.

   Open the presentation you just closed; no Graph objects are activated yet.

Method 2: Use a Visual Basic Macro to Close the Presentation

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language being demonstrated and the tools used to create and debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific needs. If you have limited programming experience, you may want to contact the Microsoft fee-based consulting line at (800) 936-5200. For more information about the support options available from Microsoft, please see the following page on the World Wide Web:

   http://www.microsoft.com/support/supportnet/refguide/default.asp

• The presentation that contains the Graph objects is the active presentation.

  -and-

• You are running this procedure from a presentation that is not the active presentation. For example, if you run this code from the presentation you are trying to close, the procedure ends after the ActivePresentation.Close statement, because you just closed the presentation that contains the code.

Sample Visual Basic Procedure

   Sub ReloadPresentation()

      Dim strPresPathName As String
      Dim lCurrentView As Long
      Dim lSlideNumber As Long

      ' Determine what view the presentation is in.
      lCurrentView = ActiveWindow.ViewType

      ' If the active view is slide view, get
      ' the slide number.
      If ActiveWindow.ViewType = ppViewSlide Then
         lSlideNumber = ActiveWindow.View.Slide.SlideNumber
      End If

      ' Save the presentation, if needed.
      If ActivePresentation.Saved = msoFalse Then
         ActivePresentation.Save
      End If

      ' Get the name and path to the active presentation.
      strPresPathName = ActivePresentation.FullName

      ' Close the presentation.
      ActivePresentation.Close

      ' Reopen the presentation.
      Presentations.Open strPresPathName

      ' Restore the view.
      ActiveWindow.ViewType = lCurrentView

      ' If in slide view, restore the slide number.
      If ActiveWindow.ViewType = ppViewSlide Then
         ActiveWindow.View.GotoSlide lSlideNumber
      End If

   End Sub

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.

REFERENCES

For additional information about getting help with Visual Basic for Applications, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q163435
   TITLE     : VBA: Programming Resources for Visual Basic for
               Applications