Deploying OL2007 Add-In

[John]

Hi

Are there any step by step simple instructions on how to deploy Outlook 2007
Add-In created in VS 2008? The documentation I have gone through seemed
complicated.

Thanks

Regards

 

[Ken Slovak - [MVP - Outlook]]

Shared managed code addin or VSTO addin? If shared are you using a shim?

Are you deploying any necessary PIA's and dependencies? If you want an addin
for Outlook 2007 that must be installed on your dev machine. If you want one
for Outlook 2003 that has to be installed on the dev machine (only 1 version
of Outlook can be installed). That will run on Outlook 2007, but a 2007
developed addin won't run in Outlook 2003.

 

[John]

vs 2008 add-in, no shin
both production and target pcs have OL2007

Thanks

Regards

 

[Ken Slovak - [MVP - Outlook]]

I would very strongly recommend using a shim. If you don't then you're in
the same AppDomain as any other unshimmed managed code running in Outlook.
That means that any unhandled exception in any of that code, not just yours,
or a crash in any of that code will end up disabling all those applications.
If you're in your own AppDomain from a shim only your own code gets
disabled, and if any other application causes problems only that gets
affected, not your code.

For a pure Outlook 2007 solutiion you can use either a standard setup
program or you can use a ClickOnce deployment. With a shimmed solution the
ManagedAggregator code and the addin code aren't registered for COM, only
the shim dll is registered. It then loads the addin when Outlook calls for
it. You add the primary outputs of the ManagedAggregator, addin and shim to
the setup project, deploy any dependencies you need and make sure that the
registrations are set up.

For ClickOnce deployment you can review the material at
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/t71a733d(VS.80).aspx for lots of
information.

The Shim Wizard information and download is at
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb508939.aspx.