When creating an installshield project in visual studio you may want to have a requirement that another visual studio project must be installed. Since the other installshield project has specific registry entries specified, you can define this requirement under the section “5. Define Setup Requirements and Actions > Requirements”. Make sure when you create this requirement to specify the value. Without it it will use default which is typically null. It is also described in detail here.

When building my VSTO project I got the following error: ”
Warning Type library exporter warning processing ‘HplAddinAGSL.Agslo.GetFilesToOpen(#0), HplAddinAGSL’. Warning: Type library exporter encountered a generic type instance in a signature. Generic code may not be exported to COM. AGSLo ”

This stems making the VSTO COM visible and the type being using for this function was from systems.collection. In the function with the error I am using List<string> which may not be exported to COM. More research is needed at this point to correct the warning.

It took HOURs to figure all this out and the answer!? (see older post) The issue that we are having is that  the VSTO would work initated from the ribbon, but the VBA when you added a “reference” to the .tlb file would tell you that it could not create an ActiveX object or other message saying “what!?”. Solution:  to run from the command line:  

[c]regasm /codebase &amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;pathToMyDll&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; /tlb:&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;pathToMyTlb&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;[/c]

But that command too could not “just run”. Here is a guy doing the exact same thing as me, except I found this article last – or at least I stopped looking. It is the key. Making VSTO things and wanting to use them in the “old world” and the new. This confirms all I have learned. Lots of links at the bottom about CLSID’s, regasm etc. COM====ActiveX in case you run into ActiveX – it is 100% the same. I used RegShot to see the registry items to learn what to google next

Continue reading →

First, here is what we are looking for our of our VSTO

• VSTO just works
• VBA code can use the new libraries AND have intellisense (eg pre-binding)
• to be used by all users of the computer (click once installer is thus ‘out’ thus – custom installer)

UPDATE: This article has the answer: The stuff below is also good information to use and do. Continue reading →

After I deleted registry entries for a VSTO program, I used the regshot tool to compare the before and after.

When I started testing my VSTO from a VBA button, the function that reads from the app.config broke. I knew that the VBA was not able to access the app.config since my default null value was being returned, but did not know how to fix it.

After trying multiple approaches, the one approach that works is found here.

http://sharepoint.stackexchange.com/questions/105992/which-special-characters-are-not-allowed-in-sharepoint-2013-files-folders

I uploaded something I got from a collegue – it seems to be plagurizing the doc above BUT HAS even MORE info.  I would love to give credit, but I don’t know where it comes from: Ilegal Characters _SharePoint.pdf

OK – so 1.5 days down without pay. That stinks and is not going to happen to me again. I have always wanted to make a VM and run Windows inside my VM. 2 machines later and 3 crashes – I finally snapped and did it. I don’t have a blog with many links, but here is what I did… and it works. Again , I wrecked many a VM on purpose – fiddling and knew how quick a restore could be – so why am I not working like this on purpose for my own disaster recovery? A whole weekend went down the drain – but never again … here’s how… Continue reading →

The blog post here describes what program to install and how to create the icon. Then once created I saved it into a Icon folder in the project file.

What route to choose. There are really only 2 options

1. Sole Proprietership (also called Trade Name) and Incorporated. Here is how to choose. You do not want any of the other options due to the risk involved.
   • click on the sub-links and it has all the how to steps on getting things done
2. Canada Government resources
   • self employed …
   • GST section is most important
     • Do I need a GST Number? Use this online tool.
     • To register
     • How to charge GST
     • After you register for GST – they have made it easy to understand what to do next
   • Important Dates if you own your own company
3. Book Keeping 101
   • tips
   • online calculators
   • some basic spreadsheets for
     • stuff you spend $$ on
     • splitting out
       • the GST (basically it is a running total. How much GST to collect, how much stuff did you expense that you can take off that GST)
       • categories
     • stuff you can claim (eg. $500 for gift cards in some instances, meals is 50% deductible, computer is 100% but over X years etc. etc.)
     • automobile – miles or $$ and %driven
   • reading
     • record keeping for small business
     • Dummies(c)  book for Canadian book keeping