CODEWITHSUNDEEP
pluginsoutlookribbon
Mark Anderson
Mark Anderson

Reputation: 370

CommandBar / RibbonBar issue with Outlook 2016 and VB6

I am trying to revive / recompile an old Outlook Plugin that was written in VB6 however I am getting an error seemingly related to setting a button on the Ribbon bar. Just cannot work out why and would appreciate any feedback / guidance.

The Plugin still works fine on Outlook 2003 on Windows 7 for both x86 and x64

The issue though is trying to recompile it so I can tweak it and also have it run with the more recent versions of Outlook name 2013 - 2018

In compiling I am getting - Error in loading DLL for xxxx.CommandBars ( Lines 40 and I presume also 70 )

Public Function CreateTSEButton() As Boolean
10       On Error GoTo CreateTSEButton_Error

20        If Not objExplorer Is Nothing Then
             Dim mCommandBar As CommandBar
30           On Error Resume Next
40           Set mCommandBar = objExplorer.CommandBars("E-mail")
50           On Error GoTo 0
60           If mCommandBar Is Nothing Then
70              Set mCommandBar = objExplorer.CommandBars("Standard")
80           End If

90           If mCommandBar Is Nothing Then Exit Function

             'Command Bar Initialized, Now Find the Control First
             Dim mControl As Object
100          For Each mControl In mCommandBar.Controls
110              If UCase$(Trim$(TypeName(mControl))) = UCase$(Trim$("CommandBarButton")) Then
120                 If UCase$(Trim$(mControl.Caption)) = UCase$(Trim$(IDS_TSE_ON)) Or UCase$(Trim$(mControl.Caption)) = UCase$(Trim$(IDS_TSE_OFF)) Then
                       'Button Found
130                    Set mTSEButton = mControl
140                    Exit For
150                 End If
160              End If
170          Next

180          If Not mTSEButton Is Nothing Then
190             Call UpdateButtonStatus
200          Else
210             Set mTSEButton = mCommandBar.Controls.add(msoControlButton, , , , True)
220             mTSEButton.Style = msoButtonIconAndCaption
230             mTSEButton.BeginGroup = True
240             mTSEButton.Enabled = True
250             mTSEButton.Visible = True
260             Call UpdateButtonStatus
270          End If

280          Set mControl = Nothing
290          Set mCommandBar = Nothing
300       End If
310      Exit Function

CreateTSEButton_Error:

Definitions ; 

Private WithEvents objOLApp As Outlook.Application
Private WithEvents colInspectors As Outlook.Inspectors
Private WithEvents objExplorer As Outlook.Explorer
Private WithEvents mTSEButton As Office.CommandBarButton

References (image grab);

screen grab of the references list

I have done a lot of hunting around and a bunch of reading and from what I have seen Microsoft moved to a XML type model along the lines of CodeJock if that name rings a bell.

The code in the plugin is solid, I just cannot compile it due to the above error which if having to guess relates to the new XML format that should be used for 2013 onwards ?

I do have a couple of other VB6 apps here that use CodeJock for the Ribbon bar so they are self contained and work fine in VB6 so I can see what goes on there.

However tapping into Outlook and from the VB6 code and adding / interacting with a button in the Outlook Command bar or Ribbon bar as I think it is now called is not working for me.

My questions (or requests for help) fall around the following ( I'm not very clued up on Outlook interfacing );

a) has "Outlook.Explorer" been replaced with something else so it is just a matter of using what the new whatever is ? b) I have read about IDTExtensibility2 but not sure how that factors in if at all c) Do I actually have to rewrite the code completely for placing button on the Ribbon Bar / Command Bar of Outlook 2013 + and if so could you point me to an example please for VB6 and Outlook 2013 or 2016 etc as I am having trouble finding anything.

I would prefer not to have to rewrite this VB6 code in VB.Net if I can help it.

Thanks

Upvotes: 0

Views: 506

Answers (2)

Dmitry Streblechenko
Dmitry Streblechenko

Reputation: 66286

You need to rewrite your code that accesses the command bars in Outlook with XML based ribbons. You'd be better off creating a new VSTO addin in VB.Net - that will let you use the built-in Ribbon designer.

See https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/vsto/walkthrough-creating-your-first-vsto-add-in-for-outlook?view=vs-2019

Upvotes: 0

xupiter2012
xupiter2012

Reputation: 36

Note that there is no way to load a 32-bit DLL into a 64-bit process (and vice versa).

I'm pretty sure VB 6.0 runtime files are 32-bit. So your Outlook 2016 should be 32-bit as well. The reason it works okay with Outlook 2003 is because Outlook 2003 is a 32-bit application.

A possible solution would be either (1) or (2) as listed below:

  1. rebuild this plugin under VB.Net to get 64-bit binary
  2. use 32-bit version of Outlook 2013 - 2016

Upvotes: 1

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