Misha Shneerson

Hello Misha --

I did try COM Shim Wizard (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=300A6CDB-84DD-4C62-B3BD-E79194D83494&displaylang=en) with VS2005 Prof + MS Access 2003 and it didn't run well enough to have my managed add-in loaded and activated.

This dirty hack in CLRLoader.cpp helped to make it working:

   // If S_FALSE is returned, it means the CLR has already been loaded

   if (hr == S_FALSE)

   {

       //+SS

       //return hr;

       return m_pHost->Start();

      //-SS

   }

Please comment on this issue/bug/feature...

Thank you.

Shamil

Hi Misha,

I am writing an Excel COM add-in in Visual Studio 2005 targeting Office 2002 and Office 2003.

The download page gives the impression it will only work for Office 2007.

Would it be possible to confirm if this COM Shim will work when building COM add-ins for earlier versions of Office.

many thanks

Russell

Hi Misha,

I have downloaded the COM shim for Visual Studio 2005 but there are no instructions telling me what to do next.

Would it be possible to point me in the right direction.

many thanks

Russell

Thank you for the link.

I am using Visual Studio Tools for Office 2005 and there is no C++ Projects in this version.

Does this COM Shim work with this version ?

many thanks

Thanks,

Is there a way to create a COM Shim for an add-in written using Visual Studio Tools for Office 2005.

If I create a Shared Add-in (using the IDExtensibility3 interface) that can be used with Office XP and Office  2003 using Visual Studio Tools for Office 2005 do I need to Shim it ?

Sorry for the confusion

Does Microsoft Plan to create VSTO addins for other Office Applications such as InfoPath, Project, or Visio? I am currently using the managed COM addin in VS 2005 approach to developing a MS Project addin. I think it would be nice to have this technology (VSTO) for all applications no just a few.

How do we create a installation/Setup for the newly created Shim with our project? I'm not sure how to deploy it.

So how do I use the COM shim wizard for an Office 2007 add-in?

The shim doesn't implement IRibbonExtensibility and an Office 2007 add-in that wants to customize the Ribbon, needs to implement that interface. The result of using the current wizard is that my add-in crashes at runtime (I wonder why...maybe because my add-in implements IRibbonExtensibility but the shim doesn't?)

When will the wizard be updated? Or should I just forget about COM shims for Office 2007 add-ins?

Thanks,

Patrick Schmid

Hi Misha,

Your blog has some very good details, and I would like to view the material referenced in the background article.  Unfortunately, it is broken.  Can you suggest an alternative location?

DL

Hi Misha,

Thanks for the updated COM addin shim wizard -- we've been working around this for some time, and we're very glad to have the new version!

We've been experimenting with loading our own .config files into the AppDomain that the shim creates for our solution, so that we can take advantage of the ability to define app-level properties.  We've done this by modifying the C++ code that the wizard generates, in order to set the ConfigurationFile property on the DomainSetup object.  This is tedious for each project, and we would prefer to have this extra code defined in the template that the wizard uses to create the project.  I modified the source in the VCWizards\COMShims\AddinShim\Templates\1033 folder, but the wizard seems to be drawing from a different location.  Can you fill me in?  Or better yet, is this a change you folks can make and support in the released version of the wizard?  We've been setting .ConfigurationFile to the name of the managed assembly filename, plus the .config extension -- that way the VS.NET project can manage that file natively.

Thanks much...Steve

Hi Steve

I talked with Misha about the issue of editing the template files. One thing to check is whether or not you're editing the correct copy. When you install the COM Shim Wizards, the installer lays the template files down in a known location, typically %programfiles%Microsoft\COM Shim Wizards 2.0.0.0. This is because at this time, the installer doesn't know where VS is installed. After laying down the files, a custom action runs, and this custom action figures out where VS is installed and then copies the templates to the expected location under %programfiles%Microsoft Visual Studio\.

VS finds these templates in this location - it never uses the "temporary" copies that were first installed.

On another note, we're finishing off a new version of the shim wizards - the main difference is that the new version supports the new extensibility interfaces. I'll be posting details on my blog very soon.

http://blogs.msdn.com/andreww/default.aspx

Andrew

Thanks Andrew (and Misha) -- I located the files in the "correct" location, and once I added my customized code to that location then my new projects contain the modified code as expected.

I'd still like to hear comments about the use of .config files with assemblies loaded by the addin shim, and whether this could be added to the upcoming release (or future releases).  VSTO projects support this capability, however we're not moving to VSTO at this time for other technical reasons.  Configuration files in .NET afford many great capabilities for debugging and runtime application configuration, and I'd much rather see a supported method rather than the workarounds we're currently using.

Thanks much -- Steve

We have a lot of the older CAPI .wll code for WORD2002. We see WORD2007 mentions

a .wll add-in.  Is the CAPI lib approach obsolete, or is VSTO the new way? We are C/C++ coders.

Any advice on direction and tools welcomed.

OK, this is driving me crazy :)

I wrote simple Word Add-in that perfoms a simple task when a button is clicked. It compiled Ok, setup part also "works", but I can't get it into Word.

As I've read, shimming would help. Great:

The end result is .dll, and when I try to shim it I get an error "Error PRJ0019: A tool returned an error code from "Performing registration".

My steps:

a) I built my add-in

b) file->new project -> VC++ ->COMshims->Addin Shim -> OK, I pick DLL built in step A

c) next, (check) Word, next, finish (as in article)

d) build- and I get the error :-S

What could be wrong? VS2005, MSO2003 (and 2007), Vista.

I just downloaded and installed version 2 of the COM Shim Wizard, and when I attempt to create a new Addin Shim project, I receive "Automation server can't create object" error dialog and the project is never created.  I am running VS 2005 SP1 on Vista Business.  Any clues?

That did the trick!  Thanks for your reply.

Hi Misha,

After installing the shim, I am gettin this error "Not loaded. A runtime error occurred during the loading of the COM Add-in".  The same installer works on couple of other machines (standard build w/o admin access). What could be reason for the failure of COM shim to load?

Is there a way I can debug the add-in and figure out the error?

Appreciate your response.

Thanks,

Singapura

Hey there, so im going crazy trying to figure out what is going on...

My Managed add-in was working great, then i saw that the Com Shim was suggested. So i followed several suggestions here, and on MSDN, to get the SHIM up and running, so its all setup and its installing on my machine. Great! It runs much faster now.

Problem is, it doesnt seem to install correctly on any other machine but mine. The installer says completed but the add-in never loads. Its not in the Disabled Items menu and im not sure how to go about finding out whats going on?

Any help would be much appreciated!

Ok, so i finally made some ground on whats going on, i made a basic addin and set it to be available for Word, Excel and Project. Then i compiled, tested, works. Now i followed the docs on making a shim with the wizard to a t, made it available for word, excel and project. Neither the add-in or the shim are signed just to get it working. Created the installer and installed, the AddIn works for word and excel but when it fires up in Project, nothing happens, and the LoadBehavior in the registry is set from 3 to 2. I know its not the AddIn code, is this a bug anyone else has run into?

My addin is only for Project and i would love to get it running but im getting no where.

Adam,

I've been running into this as well. Everything would work fine for my Shimmed addin for Project in Windows Server 2003, but wouldn't load in XP (LoadBehavior changed from 3 to 2).

I implemented Shamil Salakhetdinov's "hack" above, changing part of the LoadCLR function in CLRLoader.cpp to:

if (hr == S_FALSE)

{

      return m_pHost->Start();

      //return hr;

}

This seems to work in both environments for Project 2003. I still need to test it for Project 2007.

Misha, did you ever get a chance to investigate this?

Thanks,

Adam Behrle

QuantumPM

Hi Misha

I 'm little confused about my Word 2003 Add-In deployment.  

1)   I Have created the Word 2003 Shared Add-in with a strong key and build it using C#.

2)   Run the COM Shim wizard 2.0 and selected Word only

3)   Finished the Shim Wizard and build the C++ Project.  I got "AddinShim1.dll" and "AddinShim1.tlb" in     the  Debug directory.

4)   On the default setup project that added with the Shared Add-in, I have added the "AddinShim1.dll" to "File System" and run 'Rebuild'.

After deploying to another Win XP machine, the Add-in is loading with Word.

Could you help me?

The latest version of the COM shim wizards was released back in the summer, here . With the help of Adam

The latest version of the COM shim wizards was released back in the summer, here . With the help of Adam

Hi Misha

My Excel COMAddIn has ribbon and creates custom task panels. I can add IRibbonExtensibility and ICustomTaskPaneConsumer to Connection Proxy object but ribbon callbacks is a real problem. COM Shim has to be updated with every new method added to COM AddIn.

I have created simple DLL project that loads mscoree.dll in DllMain and passes all calls to DllCanUnloadNow and DllGetClassObject to mscoree.dll. It seems to do the trick. All I do is sign my dll and replace mscoree.dll in InprocServer32 with full path to my dll.

Do you know if this way can cause any problems?

Thanks,

Dmitri Zouchinski

Hi Misha,

This is a great tool for isolation. i am working on an add-in for outlook 2003 and 2007 with c# (not VSTO), can i use this approach to add com shim project to my solution and release the project to production environment after testing cycle?

thanks

kish

Hi Misha,

I just came across your blog while searching on COM-SHIM :), its very informative!!

We have used COM-SHIM version 2.3 in our Outlook Add-in which has been developed by using IDTExtensibility2.

We are facing issues related to the after integration with the COM-SHIM project.

Code Snippet:

Outlook.ApplicationClass _app = new Outlook.ApplicationClass();

Outlook.Application olApp = (Outlook.Application)_app;

Outlook.MAPIFolder root = Folder.GetRootFolder(olApp.Session);

string folderName = FedExFolderManager.FedExFolderName;

foreach (Outlook.MAPIFolder f in root.Folders)

{

   if (f.Name == folderName)

   {

      f.Delete();

      break;

   }

}

olApp = null;

root = null;

*****************

//For example, this code was running fine before integration, but now it gives a null exception at (Outlook.MAPIFolder f in root.Folders)

We are trying to meet deadline on fixing this issue here, any help on this COM-SHIM integration will be highly appreciated.

Have a great day :)

-Prasanjit

Misha

Thank you for the advice.

I have tried latest COM Shim Wizard and it works. Ribbon callbacks are now functional.

I know I am whingeing but as I use Custom Task Pane I need .Net controls to be created from ProgId. Wizard only create proxy for COM AddIn. What are the consequences of leaving other controls from the same assembly in hands of mscoree.dll?

Dmitri Zouchinski

I love the 2.3 COM Shim wizard and have used in successfully in an Access 2007 application. I am having trouble installing the wizard in the Visual Studio 2008 environment. Is it compatible with VS 2008?

Thanks!

Jay

I have created an Addin for Outlook2007 that adds a button to the ribbon for a mail message that is being read. This worked fine but after creating the shim with v2.3 of the wizard Outlook crashes.  Outlook starts OK but it is when I click on a message to read that it then crashes.  I have tried to attach the debugger but I can't get that to work so it is hard to know how to track down the problem.  

Any ideas what is going wrong or how to debug it?

Alistair

Hi Misha

Very interesting article. It should solved my problem of conflict between my addin for outlook and mscrm outlook addin.

I work on vista and Visual Studio 2008, but the com shim wizard failed to install. Can you provide me working setup?

Thanks

Ok, it works Misha!

I have follow this :

To install the COM Shim Wizard on Windows Vista

To run the entire install process as elevated, click Start, right-click the Command Prompt, and then select Run as administrator.

Run the COMShimWizardSetup.msi from the elevated command prompt.

Select the Install for all users option, which registers the wizards to the HKLM subkey, where Vista can find the entries.

Hi,

I have written a C# COM add-in Using VS 2008 .I have deployed it in XP with Outlook 2007. I have used COM SHIM . My question is , will it work on Windows Vista with Outlook 2007 and 2003?