LibreOffice Writer API - Cursors and text selection / replacement from VB6 - api

Question

I have been attempting to replace Office OLE in a vb6 application with LibreOffice.
I have had some success, however, I am falling short trying to search for text, then create a cursor based on the text that was found, then insert an image at that cursors point in the document.
I have been able to piece together working code that will allow me to search for text, replace text and insert an image, however, I cannot seem to figure out how to create a cursor that will allow me to insert an image at the pace where the text is that I have found . In the provided example, the [PICTUREPLACEHOLDER] text in the document.
Has anyone ever done this before and do they have any suggestions how I can create a cursor that will allow me to specify where the image will be inserted.
I have included the code for the VB6 test app so you can see the source code to see how its currently working.
Any suggestions would be very much appreciated.
Please Note - this is experimental code - very rough and ready - not final code by a long shot - just trying to figure out how this works with LibreOffice Writer.
To run this, you will need to create an empty vb6 app with a button.
You also need LibreOffice installed.
Many thanks
Rod.
Sub firstOOoProc()
Dim oSM 'Root object for accessing OpenOffice from VB
Dim oDesk, oDoc As Object 'First objects from the API
Dim arg() 'Ignore it for the moment !
'Instanciate OOo : this line is mandatory with VB for OOo API
Set oSM = CreateObject("com.sun.star.ServiceManager")
'Create the first and most important service
Set oDesk = oSM.createInstance("com.sun.star.frame.Desktop")
Dim oProvider As Object
Set oProvider = oSM.createInstance("com.sun.star.graphic.GraphicProvider")
'Open an existing doc (pay attention to the syntax for first argument)
Set oDoc = oDesk.loadComponentFromURL("file:///c:/dev/ooo/testfile.doc", "_blank", 0, arg())
' now - replace some text in the document
Dim Txt
Txt = oDoc.GetText
Dim TextCursor
TextCursor = Txt.CreateTextCursor
' attempt to replace some text
Dim SearchDescriptor
Dim Replace
Replace = oDoc.createReplaceDescriptor
Replace.SearchString = "[TESTDATA1]"
Replace.ReplaceString = "THIS IS A TEST"
oDoc.replaceAll Replace
Dim searchCrtiteria
SearchDescriptor = oDoc.createReplaceDescriptor
' Now - attempt try to replace some text with an image
SearchDescriptor.setSearchString ("[PICTUREPLACEHOLDER]")
SearchDescriptor.SearchRegularExpression = False
Dim Found
Found = oDoc.findFirst(SearchDescriptor)
' create cursor to know where to insert the image
Dim oCurs As Object
Set thing = oDoc.GetCurrentController
Set oCurs = thing.GetViewCursor
' make hte call to insert an image from a file into the document
InsertImage oDoc, oCurs, "file:///c:/dev/ooo/imagefilename.jpg", oProvider
'Save the doc
Call oDoc.storeToURL("file:///c:/dev/ooo/test2.sxw", arg())
'Close the doc
oDoc.Close (True)
Set oDoc = Nothing
oDesk.Terminate
Set oDesk = Nothing
Set oSM = Nothing
End Sub
Function createStruct(strTypeName)
Set classSize = objCoreReflection.forName(strTypeName)
Dim aStruct
classSize.CreateObject aStruct
Set createStruct = aStruct
End Function
Sub InsertImage(ByRef oDoc As Object, ByRef oCurs As Object, sURL As String, ByRef oProvider As Object)
' Init variables and instance object
Dim oShape As Object
Dim oGraph As Object
Set oShape = oDoc.createInstance("com.sun.star.drawing.GraphicObjectShape")
Set oGraph = oDoc.createInstance("com.sun.star.text.GraphicObject")
'Set oProvider = serviceManager.CreateInstance("com.sun.star.graphic.GraphicProvider")
' Add shape to document
oDoc.getDrawPage.Add oShape
' Set property path of picture
Dim oProps(0) As Object
Set oProps(0) = MakePropertyValue("URL", sURL)
' Get size from picture to load
Dim oSize100thMM
Dim lHeight As Long
Dim lWidth As Long
Set oSize100thMM = RecommendGraphSize(oProvider.queryGraphicDescriptor(oProps))
If Not oSize100thMM Is Nothing Then
lHeight = oSize100thMM.Height
lWidth = oSize100thMM.Width
End If
' Set size and path property to shape
oShape.graphic = oProvider.queryGraphic(oProps)
' Copy shape in graphic object and set anchor type
oGraph.graphic = oShape.graphic
oGraph.AnchorType = 1 'com.sun.star.Text.TextContentAnchorType.AS_CHARACTER
' Remove shape and resize graphix
Dim oText As Object
Set oText = oCurs.GetText
oText.insertTextContent oCurs, oGraph, False
oDoc.getDrawPage.Remove oShape
If lHeight > 0 And lWidth > 0 Then
Dim oSize
oSize = oGraph.Size
oSize.Height = lHeight * 500
oSize.Width = lWidth * 500
oGraph.Size = oSize
End If
End Sub
'
'Converts a Ms Windows local pathname in URL (RFC 1738)
'Todo : UNC pathnames, more character conversions
'
Public Function ConvertToUrl(strFile) As String
strFile = Replace(strFile, "\", "/")
strFile = Replace(strFile, ":", "|")
strFile = Replace(strFile, " ", "%20")
strFile = "file:///" + strFile
ConvertToUrl = strFile
End Function
'
'Creates a sequence of com.sun.star.beans.PropertyValue s
'
Public Function MakePropertyValue(cName, uValue) As Object
Dim oStruct, oServiceManager As Object
Set oServiceManager = CreateObject("com.sun.star.ServiceManager")
Set oStruct = oServiceManager.Bridge_GetStruct("com.sun.star.beans.PropertyValue")
oStruct.Name = cName
oStruct.Value = uValue
Set MakePropertyValue = oStruct
End Function
'
'A simple shortcut to create a service
'
Public Function CreateUnoService(strServiceName) As Object
Dim oServiceManager As Object
Set oServiceManager = CreateObject("com.sun.star.ServiceManager")
Set CreateUnoService = oServiceManager.createInstance(strServiceName)
End Function
Public Function RecommendGraphSize(oGraph)
Dim oSize
Dim lMaxW As Double
Dim lMaxH As Double
lMaxW = 6.75 * 2540
lMaxH = 9.5 & 2540
If IsNull(oGraph) Or IsEmpty(oGraph) Then
Exit Function
End If
oSize = oGraph.Size100thMM
If oSize.Height = 0 Or oSize.Width = 0 Then
oSize.Height = oGraph.SizePixel.Height * 2540# * Screen.TwipsPerPixelY() '/ 1440
oSize.Width = oGraph.SizePixel.Width * 2540# * Screen.TwipsPerPixelX() '/ 1440
End If
If oSize.Height = 0 Or oSize.Width = 0 Then
Exit Function
End If
If oSize.Width > lMaxW Then
oSize.Height = oSizeHeight * lMax / oSize.Width
oSize.Width = lMaxW
End If
If oSize.Height > lMaxH Then
oSize.Width = oSize.Width * lMaxH / oSize.Height
oSize.Height = lMaxH
End If
RecommendGraphSize = oSize
End Function
Private Sub Command1_Click()
firstOOoProc
End Sub
The content of the testFile.Doc file is as shown below:
This is a test File
[TESTDATA1]
[PICTUREPLACEHOLDER]

Answer 1

It looks like you need to move the view cursor to the found location.
Found = oDoc.findFirst(SearchDescriptor)
oVC = oDoc.getCurrentController().getViewCursor()
oVC.gotoRange(Found, False)
oVC.setString("")