PHP and COM

[dsloan]

This is my first attempt to create a COM object on my Windows XP environment, and I am having problems at the first step. Not having much sucess searching Google or forums as "com" is apparently a common word on the net. 🙂

I am using the most basic line of code in a file called test.php.

$excel = new COM("Excel.Application") or die("Unable to instantiate Excel");

When I attempt to run this from the browser I get an Apache error.

WHen I attempt to run it from the command line I get a PHP Script Interpreter error.

I have Excel installed on the machine. I have also tried to create Word.Application and InternetExplorer.Application, but with the same result.

From all tutorials and related material online, it appears that this should work easily, i.e. no additional installation or configuration.

Are there steps need to be taken on Windows XP in terms of PHP or Apache configuration, or with the approach to executing the script, that I am missing?

Please help...

Diarmid Sloan

[MarkR]

Please check the following:

1. That PHP scripts not using COM function as expected
2. That phpinfo() shows the COM extension as being present
3. That error logging of PHP errors and/or Apache errors is correctly configured and that you know where to find them (By default they typically both go into a file called error_log in the Apache logs directory).

If you're running Apache as an NT service as a user different from the one you're using to log on, please try logging on as that user and verifying that you can run MSExcel or MSWord etc correctly as that user.

Bear in mind that using OLE automation with MSWord, MSExcel etc, is not a robust technology and is unsuitable for use in production server environments. It's indended for desktop use by a user-attended application. Do not use it on a server you share with anything mission-critical, as it's extremely likely to cause all memory to be consumed.

If you have some burning need to create Word or Excel documents, please consider using a commercial alternative.

Mark

[dsloan]

Mark,

In answer to your comments below.

1. The error occurs during the "new com()" call. It doesn't die as I would expect if it was throwing a proper error.

2. The com extension is present, though all the associated parameters are set to Off.

3. All the activity on the machine is as the same, single user- the only user account on the machine. All applications work fine under this user account.

Yep, I have seen comments about the unsuitability of this technology for a production environment before. I am using it locally for testing using PHPUnit.

The error.log file is present and has errors of different natures in there, but nothing relating to this problem.

Are there particular DLLs need to be present on in specific places in my PHP installation? Has it anything to do with the differences between the php.exe in the cli directory, and the other PHP executable?

Thanks,
Diarmid

[dsloan]

Eventually solved the problem by upgrading PHP from 4.3.10 to 4.4.2.

Thanks,
Diarmid