[DavidZ]

Just when I thought I had got the hang of deploying .NET plugins they seem to stop working.

I wanted to compile a list of steps and useful information that needs to be done in order to get a .NET plugin to work in RE.

Does it make any difference to RE if you use a release or a debug configuration when building the dll?

Firstly I know that you have to register the plugin with regasm and not with regsvr32. Also this only works for me when I use the /codebase switch - Anyone have any explanation as to why?

However you should be able to use VS2005 setup project in order to have it register the plugin for you. It doesn't seem to do this. There are a few options when registering the primary output in the setup project either vsdrpCOM, vsdrpCOMSelfReg or vsdrpCOMRelativePath. Does anyone know the difference between these and which ones work?

Even when I do use the setup project the files end up in the plugins directory (I am using a custom folder to do this in the setup project), the entry does not appear in under plugins.
Instead I copy over all the output file including the pdb and xml files (pdb is a debug database) and when I register it using regasm it works (some of the time).

Does anyone have a definitive explanation of which file are required and how to always ensure they appear in RE?

Thanks

David

[Vinojd1]

Boy – I can’t wait to hear the answer!! I’ve gone thru the same thing with a custom plug-in we had developed for us…even the developer couldn’t figure this one out. And if David Z is ASKING the question, who-ee –you KNOW it’s a zinger J

I have nothing to contribute other than to reiterate that it only worked for us if I used regasm and then only from within the C:\Windows\Microsoft.net\Framework\v1.1.4322 using the following syntax:
“C:\Program Files\Blackbaud\The Raisers Edge 7\Plugins\[procedure].dll” /tlb:{procdure].tlb /codebase

Jim DiGiovanni
Application Manager, CSM
Wycliffe Bible Translators
407-852-3756
407-459-6756 (cell)
407-852-3601 (fax)
(Email Address Removed)
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I have enough money to last me the rest of my life, unless I buy something.
- Jackie Mason

Quote:

From: DavidZ
Sent: Tuesday, August 21, 2007 10:15 AM

Subject: [API & VBA-t-2402] Deploying .NET plugins


Just when I thought I had got the hang of deploying .NET plugins they seem to stop working.

I wanted to compile a list of steps and useful information that needs to be done in order to get a .NET plugin to work in RE.

Does it make any difference to RE if you use a release or a debug configuration when building the dll?

Firstly I know that you have to register the plugin with regasm and not with regsvr32. Also this only works for me when I use the /codebase switch - Anyone have any explanation as to why?

However you should be able to use VS2005 setup project in order to have it register the plugin for you. It doesn't seem to do this. There are a few options when registering the primary output in the setup project either vsdrpCOM, vsdrpCOMSelfReg or vsdrpCOMRelativePath. Does anyone know the difference between these and which ones work?

Even when I do use the setup project the files end up in the plugins directory (I am using a custom folder to do this in the setup project), the entry does not appear in under plugins.
Instead I copy over all the output file including the pdb and xml files (pdb is a debug database) and when I register it using regasm it works (some of the time).

Does anyone have a definitive explanation of which file are required and how to always ensure they appear in RE?

Thanks

David

[DavidZ]

And of course, as if by magic, I just ran the install and it registered the plugins and they show up perfectly in Raiser's Edge.

I really don't like the randomness of it all...

David

[DavidZ]

I have recently discovered one cause of the problems mentioned above.

If I have several plugins and if any of them have the same root namespace (in the project settings) then they will not appear in the Raiser's Edge. As soon as I have changed the name they appear. I was using the organization name but then changed that to the name of the application and they appeared. I am not sure if you can do [org name].[app name] (in order to make it consistent).

David