How do I set up a COM Server interface with Excel?

Question

Versions
Excel 2003
Windows XP
SimaPro 7.3.0 Developer Version
Using a Work computer but was made administrator on this machine
Libraries referenced in Excel/VBA: Visual Basic for Applications; Microsoft Excel 11.0 Object Library; OLE Automation; Microsoft Office 11.0 Object Library; Microsoft Forms 2.0 Object Library; COM+ 1.0 Admin Type Library; COM MakeCab 1.0 Type Library; COM+ Services Type Library; SimaPro Library
Me: Beginner

What I'm trying to do I am using a program called SimaPro that stores databases of "Life Cycle Analysis" information. The program has built in COM interface functionality. The program states that it does, indeed support Excel/VBA (but it doesn't specify versions).

I am trying to connect this program and/or COM server to excel so that I can interact with the information through excel.

What I've done
I've done the procedure they list:
-Open SimaPro
-Register COM Server
-Then I pasted the below code into VBA and tried to run it. This code is the sample code provided by the software company, I edited only the SP.Server, SP.Alias, SP.Login, and SP.OpenProject fields (below is as edited).

What Happened
Run-time Error: '-2147418113 (8000ffff)':
Automation Error
Catastrophic Failure

Question(s)
-Is the server name right? I've been reading a little on COM servers and I don't know if the way I put it in is in the right "form"
-Could it have something to do with certain registered/unregistered DLLs? I've worked with the company's IT people, and software programmers. None of them were very familiar with COM but one person suggested the DLLs might be the issue.

Thanks for your help!!

Here is the code that I'm inputting:

Sub CreateProcess()
Dim SP As SimaProServer
Dim PC As Process
Dim PC2 As Process
Dim PL As ProcessLine
Dim Param As ParamLine
Dim Subs As Substance
Set SP = New SimaProServer
SP.Server = "Local Server"
SP.Alias = "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\SimaPro\Database\"
SP.Database = "Professional"
SP.OpenDatabase
SP.Login "", ""
SP.OpenProject "PROJECT", ""
' Not project's actual name, not allowed to state name of project
SP.CreateSubstance "Air", Subs
Subs.CASNumber = "4-5-13"
Subs.Name = "Some substance"
Subs.DefaultUnit = "kg"
Subs.Update
SP.CreateProcess ptMaterial, PC
Set PL = PC.AddLine(ppProduct, -1)
PL.ObjectName = "Steel 2"
PL.UnitName = "kg"
PL.Amount = "2"
PL.Comment.Add ("My new created process")
PL.CategoryPath = "Chemicals\inorganic"
PC.Update
' create second material process Case
SP.CreateProcess ptMaterial, PC2
Set PL = PC2.AddLine(ppProducts, 0)
PL.ObjectName = "Case 2"
PL.UnitName = "kg"
PL.Amount = "10"
Set Param = PC2.AddParamLine(ptInputParameter, -1)
Param.Name = "A"
Param.Value = "2,3"
' add input from Steel
Set PL = PC2.AddLine(ppMaterialsFuels, -1)
' input from steel
PL.SetProduct "Introduction to SimaPro 7", ptMaterial, "Steel 2"
PL.Amount = "8"
PL.UnitName = "kg"
Set PL = PC2.AddLine(ppAirborneEmissions, -1)
' input from steel
PL.SetSubstance "Some substance", ""
PL.Amount = "A+1"
PL.UnitName = "kg"
PC2.Update
SP.Logout
SP.CloseDatabase
Set SP = Nothing
End Sub

Answer 1

Given that this was more than one year ago. I'm assuming you got this working. If you haven't yet, I might know what the root cause might be.

I used to get the same error and from your changes for server, alias and login, I was able to make it run. One thing that is different is that you have changed the name of the project to "Project" from "Introduction to SimaPro 7". I honestly have zero (not being humble here) VBA knowledge. So, I'm speculating that there is no project names "Project" to open. I'm not sure if VBA would create a project automatically, if it can't find it. You can either try creating a project named "Project" or just rename it back. I am interested to see if that worked.

Answer 2

Automation Error usually means that there was a problem within the COM library you try to use. As it is a run-time error, it could be something very stupid, as missing parameter or wrong path or access rights. In my opinion, it also means that the library is not very well designed.

As you are not the author of the library you do not have many options. You can try to contact the vendor to get more documentation. You can also pray that the designer thought about logging - check the event log; if you are lucky you may find something interesting there.

Answering your first question, if you referenced the library and the code compiles - that means that you did everything right there.