danmgs / exceldna.com.quickstart

Excel Add-in QuickStart V1 (Simple version)

ExcelDna.COM.QuickStart

Author @Daniel NGUYEN July 27th 2017 EXCEL DNA COM Sample : Generation of an XLL file to be used in VBA

1. Check post build event of project "DataApiAddin": it will generate tlb files, then build a DataApiAddin-packed.xll.

2. Open Excel, load the DataApiAddin-packed.xll.

3. Or, Open Excel, Tools > References > Browse in order to add DataApiAddin-packed.xll Not the tlb but the .xll. DataApiAddin-packed.xll can be added because of the following Pack="true" in DataApiAddin.dna file:

<ExternalLibrary Path="DataApiAddin.dll" ComServer="true" Pack="true" />

tlb could be added but it is not the purpose.

4. Alt+F11 Add a module and the following code:

Public Sub Test()
    Dim api As New COMDataManager
    Dim res As String    
    res = api.GetHello("2017")
    MsgBox (res)
End Sub

' These work only after the COM Server has been registered ' either by calling ExcelDna.ComInterop.ComServer.DllRegisterServer() ' (like from a macro or AutoOpen routine in the Excel-DNA addin) ' or by calling "regsvr32 DataApiAddin-packed.xll" from a command prompt (once, before opening Excel).

Check ExcelAddin.cs class : use of AutoOpen routine

5. Press F5 to check the result

6. Additionnal: Check sample codes for details https://github.com/Excel-DNA/ExcelDna

ExcelDna-master\ExcelDna-master\Distribution\Samples\ComServer