I am trying to create a Com Class dll in VB.Net 2008 which will be accessable from VBA and VB6.

I have choosen Class Library.
Then added a New COM Class
I deleted the original Class1 .vb

I added my code.
I added <Assembly: ClassInterface(ClassInterfaceType.AutoDual)> to my Com Class. It already had a ComClass entry
I made sure "Register for COM interopp" was checked in the project>properties>Compile screen.

After a build I move the .dll, .tlb and the snk to a server.

I would like to leave the dll on the server rather than install it on every workstation (but I could put it on every workstation if that is my problem).
Since I am also testing on the server I use RegAsm to register the assembly.

I have tried both

regasm M:\email\sendemail.dll /codebase M:\email\sendemail.dll
and

regasm M:\email\sendemail.dll /tlb:M:\email\sendemail.tlb /codebase M:\email\sendemail.dll

The second one overwrites the .tlb created by visual studio.

I even dragged the .dll into the C:\windows\assembly directory and unregistered the assembly.

Regardless of what I have tried, I cannot add the dll as a reference in Excel 2003.

The message I receive is:
"Can't add a refernce to the specied file"

I can add the .tld file. When I add the .tlb file I can see the properties and methods. But when I run the code I get ActiveX component cannot create object. (this is the error message I get when using the VS version of the.tlb. The message is different when I use the .tlb which is generated by the RegAsm.)

I have read many many google results but still nothing that has gotten me going.

It can't be this difficult. What am I missing???

thanks,
pat

Here is the code. I have removed all of the properties except for one and I have stripped everything out of the method, except the one line. I hope this helps.

Imports System.Net
Imports System.Net.Mail
Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices
'
<Assembly: ClassInterface(ClassInterfaceType.AutoDual)>
<ComClass(SendEmailClass.ClassId, SendEmailClass.InterfaceId, SendEmailClass.EventsId)> _
'
Public Class SendEmailClass
'
#Region "COM GUIDs"
' These GUIDs provide the COM identity for this class
' and its COM interfaces. If you change them, existing
' clients will no longer be able to access the class.
Public Const ClassId As String = "187d8992-b211-44f7-9bf0-9be98129905c"
Public Const InterfaceId As String = "2ca24656-528b-42a2-bed0-a1452d70c0de"
Public Const EventsId As String = "e8f8d4e7-ee4d-47e8-8b30-765111c27ec0"
#End Region
'
' A creatable COM class must have a Public Sub New()
' with no parameters, otherwise, the class will not be
' registered in the COM registry and cannot be created
' via CreateObject.
Public Sub New()
MyBase.New()
End Sub
'
Private ToStringM As String
'
Public Property ToAddressString() As String
Get
Return ToStringM
End Get
Set(ByVal Value As String)
ToStringM = Value
End Set
End Property

Public Sub SendMail()
Dim mail As New Mail.MailMessage
mail.To.Add(ToStringM)

End Sub
End Class

Not really sure why you want to run this DLL from the network but in order to do so you will have to provide full trust to the share.

http://blogs.msdn.com/shawnfa/archive/2004/12/30/344554.aspx

BTW, ClickOnce Deployment may be an option you want to consider for distribution of the DLLto the workstations.

---

Paul ~~~~ Microsoft MVP (Visual Basic)

Not really sure why you want to run this DLL from the network but in order to do so you will have to provide full trust to the share.

http://blogs.msdn.com/shawnfa/archive/2004/12/30/344554.aspx

BTW, ClickOnce Deployment may be an option you want to consider for distribution of the DLLto the workstations.

---

Paul ~~~~ Microsoft MVP (Visual Basic)