I have created a ribbon for Powerpoint with visual studio XML ribbon. This ribbon has a button that, simplifying, does this:
- opens an IE browser
- search an element (hiddenfield) in the code by his id
- get the value of this element
- Print the value in the actual slide
It works correctly the first time I click the button of my ribbon, but it throws an Exception 0x800A01B6 the following times I click the button.
This is the code executed when I click the button:
Dim oType As Type = Type.GetTypeFromProgID("InternetExplorer.Application")
If oType IsNot Nothing Then
Dim ie As SHDocVw.InternetExplorer
ie = Nothing
ie = TryCast(Activator.CreateInstance(oType), SHDocVw.InternetExplorer)
If ie IsNot Nothing Then
Dim oEmpty As Object = [String].Empty
Dim oURL As Object = targetURL
ie.AddressBar = False
ie.MenuBar = False
ie.ToolBar = 0
ie.Visible = True
ie.Height = 800
ie.Width = 1100
ie.Navigate(oURL, oEmpty, oEmpty, oEmpty, oEmpty)
End If
Do While (ie.Busy Or ie.ReadyState <> READYSTATE.READYSTATE_COMPLETE)
Sleep(1000)
Application.DoEvents()
Loop
Sleep(10000) ' 10 seconds for testing purpose
Dim str As String = String.Empty
Dim hdnstring As HTMLInputElement = ie.Document.getElementById("hdnstring")
str = hdnstring.value
DoSomething(str)
ie.Quit()
ie = Nothing
End If
This is the code of the website that opens (targetURL), the code remains identical in every load and only the hidden value changes:
<html>
<body>
<form name="form1" id="form1">
<input type="hidden" name="hdnstring" id="hdnstring" value="Get This String" />
</form>
</body>
</html>
The second time (and following) I execute the function: the IE opens, the website fully loads, it waits 10 seconds and then I get an error in the line:
Dim hdnstring As HTMLInputElement = ie.Document.getElementById("hdnstring")
with Exception 0x800A01B6 message.
The most strange thing is that if I click viewsource in the IE contextual menu while the 10 seconds delay (the ones for testing purpose), it works perfect every time I click the button; but if I don't, the Exception 0x800A01B6 appers.
Any idea of what I'm doing wrong?
Error details image: