Vista - Re: Interop Forms Toolkit - how to determine if worked

This question has started an interesting conversation. I suppose it
is a COM and .NET question so I will also post this in the
dotnet.general group. The Interop Forms Toolkit allows you to wrap
a .NET assembly as a COM object. So instead of rewriting an entire
program to .NET you can create an upgrade path that slowly changes it
from VB6 to .NET.

Now I am now trying to find out two things.
1) How to determine if a COM wrapper is registered.
2) On a client computer why regasm is giving an access denied error
when logged in as Administrator.

So I have a .NET assembly, let's call it dotnet.dll. I have a
wrapper, let's say it is called wrapper.dll. The program that is
accessing the wrapper.dll is written in VB6. In development
environment it automatically registers things properly. The installer
automatically did some stuff so they are registered correctly. As I
understand it the wrapper.dll is registered with mscorlib somehow and
I am not completely sure about the dotnet.dll.

I asked in this group because if anyone has experience with this it
would be VB6 developers as they are migrating to .NET.


On Nov 20, 5:31*pm, Kevin.M.Jo...@xxxxxx wrote:

On Mon, 24 Nov 2008 09:11:23 -0800 (PST), Kevin.M.Jonas@xxxxxx wrote:

¤ This question has started an interesting conversation. I suppose it
¤ is a COM and .NET question so I will also post this in the
¤ dotnet.general group. The Interop Forms Toolkit allows you to wrap
¤ a .NET assembly as a COM object. So instead of rewriting an entire
¤ program to .NET you can create an upgrade path that slowly changes it
¤ from VB6 to .NET.
¤
¤ Now I am now trying to find out two things.
¤ 1) How to determine if a COM wrapper is registered.
¤ 2) On a client computer why regasm is giving an access denied error
¤ when logged in as Administrator.
¤
¤ So I have a .NET assembly, let's call it dotnet.dll. I have a
¤ wrapper, let's say it is called wrapper.dll. The program that is
¤ accessing the wrapper.dll is written in VB6. In development
¤ environment it automatically registers things properly. The installer
¤ automatically did some stuff so they are registered correctly. As I
¤ understand it the wrapper.dll is registered with mscorlib somehow and
¤ I am not completely sure about the dotnet.dll.
¤
¤ I asked in this group because if anyone has experience with this it
¤ would be VB6 developers as they are migrating to .NET.

Below is an article on how to work with and register a .NET DLL for COM from Visual Basic 6.0
interop:

How to call a Visual Basic .NET or Visual Basic 2005 assembly from Visual Basic 6.0

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/817248

For question #2 see the following:

FIX: "Access to the Registry Key Denied" Error Message When You Register .NET Assembly for COM
Interop
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;327507


Paul
~~~~
Microsoft MVP (Visual Basic)

> How to call a Visual Basic .NET or Visual Basic 2005 assembly from Visual Basic 6.0This doesn't answer my first question though. I know how to use the
interop forms toolkit in the development environment. Once installed
on a client computer how do I know everything is registered properly?

With a straight up VB6 COM component you can use oleview to see if the
GUIDs are correct and such. But with this interop stuff how do I know
it is installed properly on a client computer, not a development
computer?

<Kevin.M.Jonas@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:92bc3e68-53f8-4c59-a79f-6734609d0a1a@xxxxxx
Only some of them are migrating to .NET. Many of them are for the time being
staying exactly where they are, and many are migrating to somewhere else
entirely.

On Nov 24, 4:50*pm, "Mike Williams" <M...@xxxxxx> wrote:I understand that but you can see my reasoning for asking here. I'd
think if anyone had experience with this it would be people who
migrated. I should have originally also asked the question in a .net
group.

>
I understand that but you can see my reasoning for asking here. I'd
think if anyone had experience with this it would be people who
migrated.Yes, and they're in the .Net group. How many
times do you need to be told that? There's no
"reason" in asking a .Net question in a VB group.

On Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:55:24 -0800 (PST), Kevin.M.Jonas@xxxxxx wrote:

¤ > How to call a Visual Basic .NET or Visual Basic 2005 assembly from Visual Basic 6.0
¤ >
¤ > http://support.microsoft.com/kb/817248
¤
¤ This doesn't answer my first question though. I know how to use the
¤ interop forms toolkit in the development environment. Once installed
¤ on a client computer how do I know everything is registered properly?

The Regasm utility provides confirmation information when you register the assembly.

But if you want absolute verification then you can still use COM utilities, as Bill mentioned, to
verify installation.


Paul
~~~~
Microsoft MVP (Visual Basic)

On Nov 25, 1:02*pm, Paul Clement
<UseAdddressAtEndofMess...@xxxxxx> wrote:I might be missing something but all I have seen for absolute
verification is oleview to verify the wrapper. Isn't the .net control
added to the GAC? How would I know that? Unless I am not reading
something correct all I have seen is instructions to register a .net
control.

The more I read into this the more I think .NET needs to be
reinstalled and then our program reinstalled so everything gets
registered correctly. I am going to do that first. If it doesn't
work I will be back.

Thank you.

On Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:52:24 -0800 (PST), Kevin.M.Jonas@xxxxxx wrote:

¤ I might be missing something but all I have seen for absolute
¤ verification is oleview to verify the wrapper. Isn't the .net control
¤ added to the GAC? How would I know that? Unless I am not reading
¤ something correct all I have seen is instructions to register a .net
¤ control.
¤
¤ The more I read into this the more I think .NET needs to be
¤ reinstalled and then our program reinstalled so everything gets
¤ registered correctly. I am going to do that first. If it doesn't
¤ work I will be back.
¤
¤ Thank you.

No, actually the assembly does not need to be installed in the GAC. That is, unless you plan on
sharing it amongst other applications. I would just install it locally with the Visual Basic app.


Paul
~~~~
Microsoft MVP (Visual Basic)

is, unless you plan onwith the Visual Basic app.If it's a VB program then he won't need any
assemblies or even a .Net install. If it's .Net
then you should not be cross-posting to a VB
group.