Shape.Object Property
| Visio Automation Reference |
Returns an IDispatch interface on the ActiveX control or embedded or linked OLE 2.0 object represented by a Shape object or an OLEObject object. Read-only.
Version Information
Version Added: Visio 4.1
Syntax
expression.Object
expression A variable that represents a Shape object.
Return Value
Object
Remarks
The Object property raises an exception if the object doesn't represent an ActiveX control or an OLE 2.0 embedded or linked object. A shape represents an ActiveX control or an OLE 2.0 embedded or linked object if the visTypeIsOLE2 bit (&H8000) is set in the value returned by the ForeignType property.
If the Object property succeeds, it returns an IDispatch interface on the control or object. You owe an eventual release on the returned value (set it to Nothing or let it go out of scope if you're using Microsoft Visual Basic). You can determine the kind of object you've obtained an interface on by using the ClassID or ProgID property.
Beginning with Microsoft Visio 5.0, if the object returned by the Object property is embedded and the shape inherits the object from its master, the Object property severs the instance—that is, it copies the inherited data into the instance. Otherwise, if the client receiving the IDispatch interface from the Object property makes changes to the object, all instances of the master, not just the instance being queried, change. If the object returned by the Object property is linked, the Object property does not sever the instance because, by definition, there may be other entities referencing the link. The ObjectIsInherited property was added to Visio 5.0 so that client programs can know if a shape inherits its object and access the master's object(s).
See Also