.dll vs .dot

[Ian Bayly]

I am reviewing a spec for a task which places a floating custom tool bar
over a Word document and uses buttons on this tool bar to handle some
special formatting requirements in the underlying document.

The spec calls for this to be handled by a .net dll.
I have never coded an addin, but have worked for years with VB and VBA and
it seems to me that as most of the code will involve Word formatting
commands, using an add in template would be a more effective method than
using a dll.

To my question. Am I correct, and if not, what am I missing?

TIA

Ian B

[Scott McPhillips [MVP]]

Post by Ian Bayly
I am reviewing a spec for a task which places a floating custom tool bar
over a Word document and uses buttons on this tool bar to handle some
special formatting requirements in the underlying document.
The spec calls for this to be handled by a .net dll.
I have never coded an addin, but have worked for years with VB and VBA and
it seems to me that as most of the code will involve Word formatting
commands, using an add in template would be a more effective method than
using a dll.
To my question. Am I correct, and if not, what am I missing?
TIA

An addin can call the same objects & methods that you can call from VBA.
Using an addin would mean your functionality is not dependent on a
particular .dot, and it would keep your source code private.

[Jonathan West]

Post by Ian Bayly
I am reviewing a spec for a task which places a floating custom tool bar
over a Word document and uses buttons on this tool bar to handle some
special formatting requirements in the underlying document.
The spec calls for this to be handled by a .net dll.
I have never coded an addin, but have worked for years with VB and VBA and
it seems to me that as most of the code will involve Word formatting
commands, using an add in template would be a more effective method than
using a dll.
To my question. Am I correct, and if not, what am I missing?

Yes, you are correct. A toolbar stored either in the attached template or in
an add-in will work perfectly well, will probably be faster, and will be
easier to deploy.

The only reason to go for a .Net dll in this context is if you are having to
access data (eg webservices) built in a way which .net is designed to
access. Based on your description of the features, that isn't so.

[Ian Bayly]

Thanks to both of you for your responses.

After some experimenting, I intend to use a bit of both, the initial
floating menu bar coming out of a word template, these word menu items
calling addin code from VB6 .dll
Haven't got a test version fully functional yet!

Tks again
Ian B

Post by Ian Bayly
I am reviewing a spec for a task which places a floating custom tool bar
over a Word document and uses buttons on this tool bar to handle some
special formatting requirements in the underlying document.
The spec calls for this to be handled by a .net dll.
I have never coded an addin, but have worked for years with VB and VBA and
it seems to me that as most of the code will involve Word formatting
commands, using an add in template would be a more effective method than
using a dll.
To my question. Am I correct, and if not, what am I missing?
TIA
Ian B