OpenOffice 3.0 macro error

toddwbucy
I recently downloaded OpenOffice 3.o (beta) and installed the Zotero extension. My problem is that whenever I try to insert a citation I get the following error:

basic runtime error. An exception has occurred type:
com.sun.star.beans.UnknownPropertyExceptionMessage: .

The macro editor then pops up and highlights the following line in the
code:

sPropertyValue = thisComponent.DocumentInfo.getPropertyValue(sPropertyName).

I have tried googling this one to death and have not found anything
helpful thus far. If anyone has any experience with this I would
greatly appreciate the help.

Todd
  • John Stafford
    I get that too. John
  • toddwbucy
    wish I could figure it out the improvements on openoffice.org's note function inside of writer is well worth the download.

    Todd
  • toddwbucy
    Ahh heaven! I got it fixed. Follow the instructions on the link: http://groups.google.com/group/zotero-dev/browse_thread/thread/b136f0182192233e/6194ed926d1906f1 also see the following link for additional help if needed http://groups.google.com/group/zotero-dev/browse_thread/thread/bbb823b2b38f8952

    Todd
  • toddwbucy
    uhh...I didn't so much fix the solution as much as I found the solution big ups to mmorandi on Google forums for writing this bit of code.

    Todd
  • marcus
    I took a look at that, and it doesn't explain what file to edit with that code. I am not a programmer so it is not obvious to me. Can someone please elucidate?
  • toddwbucy
    when you get the error does a macro window pop-up? if so, you should see a portion of the code highlighted. Compare the code that is highlighted to that which is on the posted sites. Be sure to look at the lines immediately above and below the highlighted portion of the macro code. Then cut and past the edited portion of the code into the openoffice macro window. save and restart openoffice.

    Todd
  • ftr
    Would it be possible to debug the OpenOffice extension so that it will be ready when OpenOffice 3 hits the users in some weeks ? Thanks.
  • dstillman
    The OpenOffice plugin is currently being completely rewritten, and the new version will support OpenOffice 3. (Technically, the Python version of the plugin that we had to write for Word 2008 compatibility is being ported to the OpenOffice framework.)

    While people may be able to suggest fixes to the current VBA version of the plugin to make it work in OOo 3.0, we won't be releasing an update to the OOo VBA version, as there are serious limitations (such as the overflow issue with large documents) that will be fixed by the Python version.

    We hope to release the Python version sometime this summer.
  • ftr
    Ok, I'll remain with OOo 2.4 as this version works well with the extension. Thanks for your work .
    -ft
  • Ralf Herold
    Thanks for Dan's clarifying comment of Jul 24th 2008 on the "serious limitations" of the OOo VBA plugin. Although I had been able to modify the VBA code to work with up to about 180 references, such a maximum number seems not sufficient for many works in several sciences. It is in particular the string variable in OOo that is limited to 64000 ASCII characters which is a real hurdle with the currently released OOo plugin (1.03b).

    As I have a really urgent document, is there any chance to see / test / contribute to the forthcoming OOo python version? I am really in a bad situation after having moved to Zotero as these limitations on the maximum references numbers for OOo interaction were not at all obvious initially. Of course, we are very glad and thankful for Zotero and the ongoing efforts of the Zotero team.

    Many thanks, kind regards - Ralf
  • laharrin
    @toddwbucy Thanks for directing our attention to this fix.

    Looking forward to trying the new plugin.
  • rcragun
    I tried the fix suggested above on OO 3.0 and am now getting a new error. I get:

    BASIC syntax error.
    Unexpected symbol: CRLF.

    It highlights the "not" in the "if not" statement.

    Not sure what that means.

    I'm a bit disappointed that I'm going to have to stick with OO 2.4 until the new release of the plugin for OO 3.0. Dan said it would be this summer above. Does that mean summer 2009?
  • corto_lu
    Does anybody know when zotero will work on open office. Working on a mac OO 2.4. is sometimes a pain in the ass, especially compared to OO 3.0 which is just fantastic
  • noksagt
    @rcragun,

    There are extraneous line endings in the code that you used.

    if not thisComponent.DocumentInfo.PropertySetInfo.HasPropertyByName(sPropertyName) then

    should be on a single line
  • rcragun
    noksagt, thank you! It's working now. I guess I do get to use OO 3.0. Still looking forward to the new plugin though.
  • rainmanTalking
    I received the same above error:

    basic runtime error. An exception has occurred type:
    com.sun.star.beans.UnknownPropertyExceptionMessage: .

    So I tried cutting and pasting the patch submitted above into the Macro editor.
    However, the Macro editor would not let me do this!
    I got an error to the effect that I exceeded insertion length.
    I got this error even if I tried to cut and paste in one word.

    After a couple attempts, I stumbled on the necessary
    syntax for VB, which I do not program in. This took a
    while. However, now I have the patched file, and it works
    fine. I would like to give it to someone who can wrap it in
    the appropriate extraction format for an extension
    and made available to others for download so they
    would not have to go through my frustration. I have
    read else where that the person who developed this
    script is no longer supporting it, so I am unaware of
    an 'official' solution. If someone would like to volunteer
    to wrap the patched file, I will send it to them, or
    if someone could point me towards instructions on
    how to do it, I will give it a shot.

    Thank you.

    Jerrold Thompson
  • noksagt
    Zotero.oxt (like all open document files) is zipped. You can unzip and edit the Zotero/Zotero.xba file & then rezip it.

    I offered earlier today to send such a file by email to anyone who asked. So far, no takers.

    I am not making it more publicly available because I don't want to get the blame for when something doesn't work and because the Zotero devs have a better extension in the works anyway.
  • dstillman
    http://forums.zotero.org/discussion/4336/beta-openoffice-plugin/#Item_19

    Closing this thread.
This discussion has been closed.