VSTO outlook 2010 AddIn - Separating the Form Regions in separate Assembly(ies)
Dear all,
I am returning to these forums after a while now; so greetings to all. CG has been my best ever place to find a solution to my coding queries. And, today I am returning with one of my queries.
I have a C-sharp Add-In project with certain functionality implemented in custom Form Regions (.ofs, .cs, .designer.cs, .resx) files. The Form Regions are invoked via a Ribbon menu (.xml and .cs) file(s). Since, there are multiple applications for different users, right now, we have to re-implement the design and code in all the applications. Hence, we are trying to include a group of Form Regions associated with a particular functionality, in one or more individual assembly(ies). Which ever application needs the functionality(ies), will refer the assembly(ies). I have tweaked the designer code a little bit and got it working some how; till the point that, it does not invoke the custom Form region (.ofs) for Appointment item. However, I am successfully able to build the assembly with Form Regions as resource files.
To clarify further, I have performed the following steps:
[1] Excluded the imported FormRegion(s) {.ofs, .cs, .designer.cs, .resx files} from the main Add In project.
[2] Added a new class library project to the existing solution.
[3] Added all the necessary references needed by the Outlook Add In project to the assembly project.
[4] Added .ofs, .cs, .designer.cs, .resx files of the Form Regions to the Assembly project and got to build it successfully.
[5] Add the assembly project reference to the main AddIn project
[6] Removed the partial implementation of WindowFormRegionCollection (containing a single property) from the Form Regions designer code and implemented it in ThisAddIn.designer.cs with the Fully qualified class name as return type of the property.
[7] Comment out the Factory property and _factory field from the Globals class in ThisAddIn.designer.cs and moved it to a separate Globals class (in Global.cs) in the assembly project.
After doing these changes, I was able to get the ribbon UI displayed properly. I am not sure, how to get this thing working. Please guide me further.
The following article says something about separating Form Regions in an assembly:
This is sample chapter from the Addison and Wesley publication book for VSTO authored by Eric Carter and Eric Lippert. The book may contain the sample code. Don't know for sure. But it does not exactly say how to separate Form Regions into an assembly. However, the book provides me with hope that it can be done.
Any slightest help, in the form of articles, samples, code snippets, posts, etc. is much appreciated.
Thanks,
Bhushan
