topic Betreff: Custom iProperty is type Number; needs to write to type string in Inventor Programming Forum

Custom iProperty is type Number; needs to write to type string

jwitt1983 — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 23:44:19 GMT

Our new ERP system requires a custom iproperty called "gss_rm_qty" for raw material measurement in string format. I would like our users to be able to choose whether this value is actual face area or bounding box size (basically length x width)... I've already put together the code to create these custom iproperties (SheetMetalExtentsArea vs SheetMetalActualArea below), however, they are "number" type. Which is preventing me from writing the choice directly to "gss_rm_qty" with the error: Overload resolution failed because no Public '=' can be called with these arguments: 'Public Shared Operator =(a As String, b As String) As Boolean': Argument matching parameter 'a' cannot convert from '__ComObject' to 'String'. Below is the part of the code that is not working... oMyParameter=ThisApplication.ActiveDocument.ComponentDefinition.Parameters.UserParameters 'Setting a userParameter as text parameter Try otester = oMyParameter.Item("ActualOrEstimated") Catch oAreaType = oMyParameter.AddByValue("ActualOrEstimated", "Estimated", UnitsTypeEnum.kTextUnits) 'make parameter a multivalue list parameter MultiValue.SetList("ActualOrEstimated", "Estimated", "Actual") End Try If oMyParameter.Item("ActualOrEstimated") = "Estimated" Then oCustomProps.Item("gss_rm_qty") = Convert.ToString(oCustomProps.Item("SheetMetalExtentsArea").Value) Else oCustomProps.Item("gss_rm_qty") = Convert.ToString(oCustomProps.Item("SheetMetalActualArea").Value) End If I tried to use CStr() & Convert.ToString()in but it doesn't seem to work either. Maybe I'm not formatting them correctly, idk. oCustomProps.Item("gss_rm_qty") = Convert.ToString(oCustomProps.Item("SheetMetalActualArea").Value) oCustomProps.Item("gss_rm_qty") = CStr(oCustomProps.Item("SheetMetalActualArea").Value) Any help to get this formatted correctly to output would be appreciated. Thanks!

Betreff: Custom iProperty is type Number; needs to write to type string

Ralf_Krieg — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 09:17:08 GMT

Hello

AFAIK, Inventor defines the data type of an iProp by itself. I think your problem is, that you try to assign a property value to another property, not to another propertys value.

Try:

If oMyParameter.Item("ActualOrEstimated") = "Estimated" Then oCustomProps.Item("gss_rm_qty").value = Convert.ToString(oCustomProps.Item("SheetMetalExtentsArea").Value) Else oCustomProps.Item("gss_rm_qty").value = Convert.ToString(oCustomProps.Item("SheetMetalActualArea").Value) End If

Re: Custom iProperty is type Number; needs to write to type string

jwitt1983 — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 13:19:10 GMT

I tried your suggestion of adding .Value to the "gss_rm_qty" property... still same error.

Also tried your suggestion along with using CStr() instead of Convert.ToString()... I believe these are the same but thought it would be worth a shot either way, still same error:

Overload resolution failed because no Public '=' can be called with these arguments:
         'Public Shared Operator =(a As String, b As String) As Boolean':
         Argument matching parameter 'a' cannot convert from '__ComObject' to 'String'.

Betreff: Custom iProperty is type Number; needs to write to type string

Ralf_Krieg — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 13:53:56 GMT

Hello

Sorry, forgot to say the parameter value is the string you want to compare with "Estimated"

If oMyParameter.Item("ActualOrEstimated").value = "Estimated" Then

Re: Custom iProperty is type Number; needs to write to type string

Michael.Navara — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 17:07:34 GMT

Your code fragment can't be tested, but try the following modified and commented code

'Define oMyParameter type explicitly for better intellisense Dim oMyParameter As UserParameters = ThisApplication.ActiveDocument.ComponentDefinition.Parameters.UserParameters 'Setting a userParameter as text parameter Try Dim otester = oMyParameter.Item("ActualOrEstimated") Catch oAreaType = oMyParameter.AddByValue("ActualOrEstimated", "Estimated", UnitsTypeEnum.kTextUnits) 'make parameter a multivalue list parameter MultiValue.SetList("ActualOrEstimated", "Estimated", "Actual") End Try 'If oMyParameter.Item("ActualOrEstimated").Value.ToString() = "Estimated" Then 'oCustomProps.Item("gss_rm_qty") = Convert.ToString(oCustomProps.Item("SheetMetalExtentsArea").Value) 'Else 'oCustomProps.Item("gss_rm_qty") = Convert.ToString(oCustomProps.Item("SheetMetalActualArea").Value) 'End If Dim doubleValue As Double If oMyParameter.Item("ActualOrEstimated").Value.ToString() = "Estimated" Then doubleValue = oCustomProps.Item("SheetMetalExtentsArea").Value Else doubleValue= oCustomProps.Item("SheetMetalActualArea").Value End If 'Use string.Format function with possible formatting 'For example {0:N3} => converst value to string rounded to 3 decimal places oCustomProps.Item("gss_rm_qty").Value = String.Format("{0:N3}", doubleValue)