How is CreateObject different from GetObject?

One of my junior colleague had asked the question "What is the difference between CreateObject and GetObject and in what situation GetObject is to be used?". This post is the answer that I have given him.

1. CreateObject creates an instance of a class
2. GetObject gets the reference of an running object to another object
3. Always use CreateObject except for Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) and Active Directory Service Interfaces (ADSI)

The below script demonstrates the use of these two VBScript functions.

Set objExcel = CreateObject("Excel.Application") 
objExcel.Visible = True 
Set objWorkbook = objExcel.Workbooks.Add 

Set objExcel2 = GetObject(, "Excel.Application") 
Set objWorkbook = objExcel2.Workbooks(1) 
Set objWorksheet = objWorkbook.Worksheets(1) 
objExcel2.Cells(1, 1).Value = "In god I TRUST everything else I TEST."

 

-- Lakshminarasimha Manjunatha Mohan

In God I TRUST everything else I TEST.

Windows Hotfixes and Patches Enumerator

Below is a simple VBScript developed using Windows WMI that can be executed from Windows Script Host to enumerate the installed hotfixes, patches and security updates on any given machine.

You might be wondering what for this script is useful. While product testing that supports different environments it happens so that suddenly one fine day you might notice some mis-behavior or unusual defects in the application. Actually these mis-behaviors or defects are not always related to the application. However, it may be a compatibility issue with one of the patches or security updates made by the windows automatic updates.

As a solution to this problem I am this script to find out all the patches, hot fixes and security updates on a server where the product is working fine and compare the that with another server where the mis-behavior or defects are seen and thus classify a defect from compatibility issue. This is really a very handy script for compatibility testing. Let me know your comments on this. I intend to extend this script for comparing two different lists of hotfixes and patches so as to make it easier to find the differences.

For executing this script it is necessary have an EXCEL file named test.xls at C:\

'========================================================
'Description: This script enumerates the Windows hotfixes 
' and other security updates
'Author: Lakshminarasimha M.
'=========================================================
strComputer = "."

Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & strComputer & "\root\cimv2")
Set colQuickFixes = objWMIService.ExecQuery ("Select * from Win32_QuickFixEngineering")

sDataTable = "C:\test.xls"
sDataSheet = "Sheet1"

iReqRow = 2
Dim oXLApp 'As Excel.Application
Dim oWorkBook 'As Excel.Workbook
Dim oWorkSheet 'As Excel.Worksheet
Dim iRowsCount 'As Integer
Dim iColsCount 'As Integer
Dim sColHeader 'As String
Dim sReqColumn 'As String

Set oXLApp = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
'oXLApp.Visible = True
Set oWorkBook = oXLApp.Workbooks.Open(sDataTable)
Set oWorkSheet = oWorkBook.Sheets(sDataSheet)
oWorkSheet.Activate
iRowsCount = oWorkSheet.UsedRange.Rows.Count
iColsCount = oWorkSheet.UsedRange.Columns.Count
iReqRow=2
' Set Column Headers
     oWorkSheet.Range("A1").Value = "Caption"
     oWorkSheet.Range("B1").Value = "CSName"
     oWorkSheet.Range("C1").Value = "Description"
     oWorkSheet.Range("D1").Value = "FixComments"
     oWorkSheet.Range("E1").Value = "HotFixID"
     oWorkSheet.Range("F1").Value = "InstallDate"
     oWorkSheet.Range("G1").Value = "InstalledBy"
     oWorkSheet.Range("H1").Value = "InstalledOn"
     oWorkSheet.Range("I1").Value = "Name"
     oWorkSheet.Range("J1").Value = "ServicePackInEffect"
     oWorkSheet.Range("K1").Value = "Status"

For Each objQuickFix in colQuickFixes
     oWorkSheet.Range("A" & iReqRow).Value = objQuickFix.Caption
     oWorkSheet.Range("B" & iReqRow).Value = objQuickFix.CSName
     oWorkSheet.Range("C" & iReqRow).Value = objQuickFix.Description
     oWorkSheet.Range("D" & iReqRow).Value = objQuickFix.FixComments
     oWorkSheet.Range("E" & iReqRow).Value = objQuickFix.HotFixID
     oWorkSheet.Range("F" & iReqRow).Value = objQuickFix.InstallDate
     oWorkSheet.Range("G" & iReqRow).Value = objQuickFix.InstalledBy
     oWorkSheet.Range("H" & iReqRow).Value = objQuickFix.InstalledOn
     oWorkSheet.Range("I" & iReqRow).Value = objQuickFix.Name
     oWorkSheet.Range("J" & iReqRow).Value = objQuickFix.ServicePackInEffect     
     oWorkSheet.Range("K" & iReqRow).Value = objQuickFix.Status
    iReqRow = iReqRow + 1    
Next
    oWorkBook.Save    
    oWorkBook.Close
    oXLApp.Quit
    Set oWorkSheet = Nothing
    Set oWorkBook = Nothing
    Set oXLApp = Nothing
    MsgBox("---Hotfixes Enumerated Sucessfully.---")

-- Lakshminarasimha Manjunatha Mohan

In God I TRUST everything else I TEST.

How to automatically delete unused folders?

Below is a Visual Basic Script that can delete all the sub folders older than 30days from the current date. The folder from which the sub folders need to be deleted can set by  changing the value for strMainFolder variable. This script can also be used to manage files and folder in remote computers just by setting the required computer name/IP to strComputer variable.

The script can be used very effectively by scheduling a job from Windows Task Scheduler.

strComputer = "."
strMainFolder = "C:\"
Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:" _
& "{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & strComputer & "\root\cimv2")

Set colSubfolders = objWMIService.ExecQuery("Associators of" _
& {Win32_Directory.Name='" & strMainFolder _
& "'} Where AssocClass = Win32_Subdirectory ResultRole = PartComponent")

For Each objFolder in colSubfolders
   dtmFolderCreationDate= CDate(Mid(objFolder.CreationDate,5,2) _
    & "/" & Mid(objFolder.CreationDate, 7, 2) & "/" _
    & Left(objFolder.CreationDate, 4) & " " _
    & Mid (objFolder.CreationDate, 9, 2) & ":" _
    & Mid(objFolder.CreationDate, 11, 2) & ":" _
    & Mid(objFolder.CreationDate,13, 2))
    If (DateDiff("d",dtmFolderCreationDate,Now)>30) Then
    'Wscript.Echo objFolder.Name
    'Wscript.Echo objFolder.CreationDate 
    errResults = objFolder.Delete
    End If
Next

-- Lakshminarasimha Mohan

In God I TRUST everything else I TEST.

IE popup window disappears while QTP Script Execution!!

A strange problem of Mercury QuickTest Pro 9.2 with Internet Explorer 7.0 is discussed with solution.

Problem: While executing scripts in IE 7.0 if another browser is opened by the script as a result of an operation or test step, the pop up window automatically disappears. The issues looks strange but the window disappears without any clue.  

Due to this issue there are many other problems including problem in executing Navigate method of IE object etc., I have not tested it on IE6. However, the problem might also exist in IE6 as well.

Example scenario: A QTP 9.2 automation script for the following scenario in the admin mode of EPiServerCMS web site fails to execute on IE 7.0.

Steps for Simulation:

1. Login to EPiServerCMS Admin Mode (Ensure that the Role and membership providers are set to Multiplexing providers with SQL Server providers as default provider)
2. Click on Administer Groups
3. Create a new Group
4. Click on the Delete button corresponding to the newly created Group the pop up window disappears only when a QTP script for this scenario is executed. However, the scenario works perfectly fine on manual execution of the same steps.

 

Solution: The solution for this problem is just enable the "BHOManager Class" Add-on in the IE. (This can be done by going to IE-> Tools -> Manage Add-ons -> Enable/Disable Add-ons...)

What is "BHOManager Class" add-on or BHOManager.DLL?

A Browser Helper Object, or BHO, is just a small program that runs automatically every time the Internet explorer browser is started.

BHOManager.DLL is installed on the system when QTP is installed. This is a helper class that assists QTP for execution of QTP scripts on the browser. BHOManager.DLL is located in the folder C:\Windows\System32. The unique ID or CLSID of this BHO is {474264BC-9571-47C1-85B9-780F756DC9CE}.

Additional Information about BHOs:

BHOs are not stopped by personal firewalls, because they are identified by the firewall as browser itself. They are also known to conflict with other running programs, causing a variety of page faults, run time errors, and the like, and generally impede browsing performance.

BHODemon is small tool that can be used to view, enable or disable all the BHO's on a computer. It is a free tool that can be downloaded from BHODemon.

Other known BHOs:

The other known BHOs include the following:

1. Microsoft.VisualStudio.QualityTools.RecorderBarBHO.dll - This BHO is used by Visual Studio Team Suite for web tests

For more information BHOManager.dll and other BHOs refer to

http://www.file.net/process/bhomanager.dll.html

http://www.sysinfo.org/bhoinfo.html