AddChart gives COM error

Question

Hi,

    I'm using Windows 7, Office 2013, Visual Studio 2012.

    I'm trying to add a chart to a Powerpoint presentation but getting a COM error, using a C# program. It works fine if I open the presentation with the WithWindow parameter set to MsoTriState.msoTrue but fails with a COM error if the parameter is set to MsoTriState.msoFalse. 

    The COM error I get is 'Error HRESULT E_FAIL has been returned from a call to a COM component.' with an HRESULT of -2147467259, with no other information. Below is some code to reproduce the problem.

    Has anyone else seen this before or can anyone suggest a way to proceed please?

    Thanks,

    Kevin

 

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Data;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using IOPP = Microsoft.Office.Interop.PowerPoint;
using gr = Microsoft.Office.Interop.Graph;
using xl = Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel;
using Core = Microsoft.Office.Core;

namespace Powerpointchart
{
    public partial class Form1 : Form
    {
        public Form1()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }

        private void button3_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            IOPP.Application powerpoint = new IOPP.Application();
            var presentations = powerpoint.Presentations;
            IOPP.Presentation pres = presentations.Open("C:\\templates\\PPTChart.pptx", 
                                                        Microsoft.Office.Core.MsoTriState.msoTrue, 
                                                        Microsoft.Office.Core.MsoTriState.msoTrue, 
                                                        Microsoft.Office.Core.MsoTriState.msoFalse);

            try
            {
                //Instantiate slide object
                Microsoft.Office.Interop.PowerPoint.Slide objSlide = null;

                //Access the first slide of presentation
                objSlide = pres.Slides[1];

                IOPP.Chart ppChart = objSlide.Shapes.AddChart(Microsoft.Office.Core.XlChartType.xl3DColumn, 20F, 30F, 400F, 300F).Chart;
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                MessageBox.Show("Error: " + ex.Message);
            }
            finally
            {
                //Close Workbook and presentation
                pres.Application.Quit();
            }
        }        
    }
}

Answer 1

Hi Kevin,

Could you share us why you want to add a chart when PowerPoint is hide? I made a test with your code, and I could reproduce your issue.

As my understanding, Office automation is used to achieve what we could achieve manually and help us to use PowerPoint more convenient. You could assume that if you hide PowerPoint application windows, how you add the Cart.

If you want to add a chart without powerpoint open, I would suggest you use Open XML SDK to achieve your requirement.

Best Regards,

Edward

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Answer 2

Hi,

Check this article and try the mentioned methods to solve your problem:

https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/smondal/2013/03/08/error-hresult-e_fail-has-been-returned-from-a-call-to-a-com-component/

As Edward suggested, you could also use Open XML SDK to achieve this function. Apart from this, there are also other alternative ways like Insert Chart to PowerPoint documents in C#

Hope my answer could help you.