open "filename.txt" for input not working

[Seth Darr]

I'm working on migrating an Classic ASP/VB6 COM application from an NT
Server with IIS<6 to an virtual machine running Windows Server 2003 and
IIS 6. I've worked through most of the obvious problems resulting from
IIS 6 prohibiting ASP and SSI etc, but I've hit a peculiar wall.

One ASP page uses a VB6 COM object that basically reads from an .INI
file and uses it to open another file. The existing code uses this line
(in VB6) to do this:

Open "UpLoad.ini" For Input As #1

This works fine in the existing setup, but on the new box it returns a
"File Not Found" error at this line. If I hard code a path in there
(i.e. "C:\temp\Upload.ini") it will work, but I don't want to do that.
So my question is, why isn't this working? It should be trying to read
UpLoad.ini from the same directory that the .dll file is registered in,
right? (in this case, C:\WINDOWS\System32) Is it a permissions issue?
I've tried giving IUSR_* and SYSTEM accounts read/write access to that
folder (against my better judgement) as well as to the folder the code
is ultimately going to write to (that's a whole other, but perhaps
similar, ball of wax).

So does this ring bells for anyone? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

-Seth

 

[Steven Burn]

Try Server.MapPath() 'ing the file .......

--
Regards

Steven Burn
Ur I.T. Mate Group
www.it-mate.co.uk

Keeping it FREE!

 

[Seth Darr]

Server.MapPath is only giving me the physical path of the ASP page. The path
of the ActiveX component and the path that Open...For Input is independent of
this. If I knew of an equivalent Server.MapPath function for opening files
for input in VB6, I might get somewhere. But so far that has eluded me.

 

[Steven Burn]

Can't you server.mappath before supplying the AX with the name of the file?
(i.e. pass the whole path)

--
Regards

Steven Burn
Ur I.T. Mate Group
www.it-mate.co.uk

Keeping it FREE!

 

[Seth Darr]

Not really, the .ini's location is entirely independent of the web
file/folder structure. I could modify the asp page to send in a path to
the AX like you're suggesting (i.e. send in
"C:\WINDOWS\system32\upload.ini") but the whole point of this migration
is to have a personal copy of the production environment in work
(unfortunately, the vm setup they gave me is more modern than the
production environment). I can't just modify the production environment
to match my setup without submitting reams of action plans and service
requests etc and then I'm not so sure it's a compelling enough reason
for them. Catch my meaning?

So I guess what I'm looking for here is not so much an alternative
solution/workaround in CODE as an EXPLANATION of this discrepancy and,
hopefully, a workaround in my SYSTEM to rectify the discrepancy (i.e.
IIS settings, server settings, etc)

 

[Steven Burn]

The reason it's happening is that whilst the .dll and .ini file are in the
same folder, the .dll is being instantiated from a completely different
folder and thus, you need to tell it where to find the .ini file.


--
Regards

Steven Burn
Ur I.T. Mate Group
www.it-mate.co.uk

Keeping it FREE!

 

[Seth Darr]

At the risk of sounding like a broken record... why why why? Why does it
suffice to specify the relative path from the executable in one environment
and not the other? How do you find out where its being instantiated and
subsequently control it (not through code, but system settings)? Why do hot
dogs come in packs of 10 while hot dog buns come in packs of 12? etc.

 

[Steven Burn]

So you always have to buy more buns ;o)

At the risk of sounding like a broken record... why why why? Why does it
suffice to specify the relative path from the executable in one environment
and not the other?

Because it's a different environment? (unless the envir's are the same, the
behaviour is rarely going to be same).

How do you find out where its being instantiated and
subsequently control it (not through code, but system settings)?

Unless it is explicitly told otherwise, it's always being instantiated in
the dir in which it is called (in this case, the dir of your script).

--
Regards

Steven Burn
Ur I.T. Mate Group
www.it-mate.co.uk

Keeping it FREE!

 

[Seth Darr]

I finally stumbled upon the solution that I was looking for on this: running
the www service in IIS 5.0 Isolation mode
(http://www.microsoft.com/technet/pr...2ba-39fc-4332-bdb7-a0d9c76e4355.mspx?mfr=true)

From the article:
"You must use IIS 5.0 isolation mode for applications that conflict with
worker process isolation mode until the applications are modified.

The following application characteristics conflict with worker process
isolation mode:

[...]

• Requires Dllhost.exe: Applications that must be run in a Dllhost.exe
environment can be run only in IIS 5.0 isolation mode because Dllhost.exe is
not available in worker process isolation mode."

In other word, ActiveX dlls. Works like a champ now. Maybe now the dreams
will stop.

Thanks, though, Steven, for your help.

-Seth