Automating MapPoint with Perl

**Eric Frost** · 08-08-2003

This article shows how to access the MapPoint API from Perl using the Win32::OLE module. Topics include basic Perl syntax, how to call MapPoint methods, and how to set MapPoint API properties.

Read the full article here: http://www.mp2kmag.com/articles.asp?...omate.mappoint

**Anonymous** · 09-21-2003

i ran Eric's perl script about automating MapPoint with perl and got error:
"Win32::OLE<0.1603> error 0x800706ba: "The RPC server is unavaiable""

Does anyone know what the problem it is?

Thanks,

Tom

**Eric Frost** · 09-21-2003

Is MapPoint 2002 installed? I think it would be this line that is failing:
my $MapPoint = Win32::OLE->new('MapPoint.Application', 'Quit');
I don't know.

**Anonymous** · 09-23-2003

Originally Posted by Eric Frost

Is MapPoint 2002 installed? I think it would be this line that is failing:
my $MapPoint = Win32::OLE->new('MapPoint.Application', 'Quit');
I don't know.

Eric,

Thanks for your response.
MpaPoint 2002 is installed in my machine. You are right, it is failing at line 14. Do you know how to fix this?

Thanks,

Tom

**Eric Frost** · 09-23-2003

I don't.. what version of Windows? Also, what version of Perl is installed?

Eric

**Anonymous** · 09-23-2003

Originally Posted by Eric Frost

I don't.. what version of Windows? Also, what version of Perl is installed?

Eric

2000 and perl v5.8.0.

Tom/

**Eric Frost** · 09-25-2003

I've got the same, 2000 and 5.8.

It looks like a pretty generic error, try this search:
http://www.google.com/search?q=%22Th...ilable%22+Perl

Nothing pops out at me right away, but that's how I would try to track it down.

Eric

**Eric Frost** · 10-10-2003

There is some discussion about the article on PerlMonks - http://www.perlmonks.org/index.pl?node_id=297733

Also, this article recently appeared in TechTrax at -
http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/P...cle.asp?ID=206

Eric

**bigRahn** · 12-20-2003

Hey Eric.
Using MP2004 on XP Pro, this worked with no problems at all. Pretty sweet.
Only hard part for me was finding the files afterwards, since I have no Perl knowledge. (Otherwise, I would modify to put them somewhere known.)
(If you're wondering, they are in directories under "My Documents".)

I've been putting off learning perl for quite a while. This may help give me incentive to do it now.

-Rahn

**Eric Frost** · 12-20-2003

Hi Rahn,

You are the second person to comment on having to search for the output, sorry about that. I will amend the article.

Have fun with Perl, I'm definitely a novice but coincidentally just recently found some powerful cgi/perl scripts I plan to spend some quality time delving into in the next few weeks

Eric