VB.NET IDE Add-in problems

[Kevin Downs]

I have managed to get a basic C# add-in to compile and work; given to
horrible installation process in to ToDo section.

Has anyone got a wizard-generated add-in using VB to work?
All I get when I try to start one is;

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Add-in 'KD Test Add-in VB 1' failed to load or caused an exception.
Would you like to remove this Add-in?

(HRESULT value: 80040154)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Regards,

Kevin Downs

[Sam Spencer]

You need to follow the same process as for a C# wizard. The wizrd creation
process still needs some work. The addin implements a classic COM interface
and needs to be registered correctly. The addin needs to be located in a
place the runtime can find it, the easiest is to copy it into
%Windir%\Microsoft.Net\Framework\v* and then run tlbexp/regasm on it.

Here are some other hints and tips:
Debugging an addin is not working correctly in the beta, the debugger is not
stopping at breakpoints. If you attach the debugger to a second IDE that is
running the addin, the debugger will stop at stop statements in VB code.

The fastest way to develop/debug is to disable the deployment project from
being built, until you want to build a setup. You should not need the setup
on your dev machine if you do the copy and regasm thing. You can disable
building the deployment project from the properties page for the
<b>Solution</b>.

The events in the managed wrapper are muddled. If you follow the
_DTE.Events.XXX property and then look at the type returned, that does not
expose the actual events. However there is an interface with a similar name
with the _ added or removed (I can't verify which at the moment as I don't
have a build on this machine at the moment) but you can cast from the value
returned by the property off _DTE.Events.XXX to the interface with the
events (using ctype) then it works.

Hope that helps,

Sam

"Kevin Downs" <kdowns@nospam.optushome.com.au> wrote in message
news:3a21b6df$1@news.devx.com...
> I have managed to get a basic C# add-in to compile and work; given to
> horrible installation process in to ToDo section.
>
> Has anyone got a wizard-generated add-in using VB to work?
> All I get when I try to start one is;
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
> The Add-in 'KD Test Add-in VB 1' failed to load or caused an exception.
> Would you like to remove this Add-in?
>
> (HRESULT value: 80040154)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
>
> Regards,
>
> Kevin Downs
>
>

[Kevin Downs]

Many thanks Sam.

inline comments follow.

regards,
Kevin

"Sam Spencer" <samsp@microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:3a234cdd$1@news.devx.com...
> You need to follow the same process as for a C# wizard. The wizrd creation
> process still needs some work. The addin implements a classic COM
interface
> and needs to be registered correctly. The addin needs to be located in a
> place the runtime can find it, the easiest is to copy it into
> %Windir%\Microsoft.Net\Framework\v* and then run tlbexp/regasm on it.
>

I *really* hope you are going to streamline this....

>
> Here are some other hints and tips:
> Debugging an addin is not working correctly in the beta, the debugger is
not
> stopping at breakpoints. If you attach the debugger to a second IDE that
is
> running the addin, the debugger will stop at stop statements in VB code.
>

sanity saving tip #1

> The fastest way to develop/debug is to disable the deployment project from
> being built, until you want to build a setup. You should not need the
setup
> on your dev machine if you do the copy and regasm thing. You can disable
> building the deployment project from the properties page for the
> <b>Solution</b>.

period of confusion followed...

Then I realised you meant the properties page that appears when you select
properties from the context (right-click) menu - not the dockable properties
page below the solution explorer....

>
> The events in the managed wrapper are muddled.

Understatement of the year.

Ah, wait, that prize already went to "some changes may be required to port a
vb6 project to vb.net" <g>
(sorry, couldn't resist)

> If you follow the
> _DTE.Events.XXX property and then look at the type returned, that does not
> expose the actual events. However there is an interface with a similar
name
> with the _ added or removed (I can't verify which at the moment as I don't
> have a build on this machine at the moment) but you can cast from the
value
> returned by the property off _DTE.Events.XXX to the interface with the
> events (using ctype) then it works.

Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuk! Please, please, please, someone tell me that this will
not be in the release version (pretty please?)

>
> Hope that helps,
>

It sure does.

Again, many thanks Sam - you have probably just saved many hours of
frustration, if not my sanity!

[Steve Binney]

Sam,

Thank you for the information.

For building, I have the result of the build go directly to COREPATH. I
only needed to RegAsm once.

I found another way to debug. Add System.Diagnostic.Debugger.Break() to the
beginning of OnConnection. This allows you to break in immediately.
Hopefully this will be fixed soon.

I have had some limited success hooking events. The form is as follows:

object.Event += new EventHandler(MyHandler); //the event does not show
in intellisense

void MyHandler(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
}

I am also looking for details on the Winform events, methods and properties.

Steve Binney


"Sam Spencer" <samsp@microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:3a234cdd$1@news.devx.com...
> You need to follow the same process as for a C# wizard. The wizrd creation
> process still needs some work. The addin implements a classic COM
interface
> and needs to be registered correctly. The addin needs to be located in a
> place the runtime can find it, the easiest is to copy it into
> %Windir%\Microsoft.Net\Framework\v* and then run tlbexp/regasm on it.
>
> Here are some other hints and tips:
> Debugging an addin is not working correctly in the beta, the debugger is
not
> stopping at breakpoints. If you attach the debugger to a second IDE that
is
> running the addin, the debugger will stop at stop statements in VB code.
>
> The fastest way to develop/debug is to disable the deployment project from
> being built, until you want to build a setup. You should not need the
setup
> on your dev machine if you do the copy and regasm thing. You can disable
> building the deployment project from the properties page for the
> <b>Solution</b>.
>
> The events in the managed wrapper are muddled. If you follow the
> _DTE.Events.XXX property and then look at the type returned, that does not
> expose the actual events. However there is an interface with a similar
name
> with the _ added or removed (I can't verify which at the moment as I don't
> have a build on this machine at the moment) but you can cast from the
value
> returned by the property off _DTE.Events.XXX to the interface with the
> events (using ctype) then it works.
>
> Hope that helps,
>
> Sam
>
> "Kevin Downs" <kdowns@nospam.optushome.com.au> wrote in message
> news:3a21b6df$1@news.devx.com...
> > I have managed to get a basic C# add-in to compile and work; given to
> > horrible installation process in to ToDo section.
> >
> > Has anyone got a wizard-generated add-in using VB to work?
> > All I get when I try to start one is;
> >
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> --
> > The Add-in 'KD Test Add-in VB 1' failed to load or caused an exception.
> > Would you like to remove this Add-in?
> >
> > (HRESULT value: 80040154)
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> --
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Kevin Downs
> >
> >
>
>