Help on ACAD2004 + VS2003: compile, debug and for port to ACAD 2008)

[Anonymous]

Hi all,
I need to start maintenance on a 3rd party project written in VB.NET (vs2003, framework 1.1) that uses COM components. It's written for ACAD 2004. Other then some bug fix, the goal is to check compatibility on ACAD 2008. Obviously, no documentation. I'm totally new at ACAD and I do not use VB since year 1996. Yes...it's not a very good scenario :-).
Coming to the problem: I'm looking at the code but I cannot understand how does the project works. I mean: the final result has to be a DVB file. I have a copy of it, I tried it and it correctly loads on ACAD. Nevertheless, when I compile the project, it builds a standard .NET assembly (.dll). I cannot figure how to get the updated DVB file.
FYI there is also a setup project that installs all, also a acad2004.lsp file to auto load the application.
In the end: is there a way to debug? I've tried to attach the vs2003 debugger to ACAD process but it doesn't attach.
Thanks in advance for every help you can supply...

Luca

[Anonymous]

wrote in message news:5841711@discussion.autodesk.com...
Hi all,
I need to start maintenance on a 3rd party project written in VB.NET
(vs2003, framework 1.1) that uses COM components. It's written for ACAD
2004. Other then some bug fix, the goal is to check compatibility on ACAD
2008. Obviously, no documentation. I'm totally new at ACAD and I do not use
VB since year 1996. Yes...it's not a very good scenario :-).

Coming to the problem: I'm looking at the code but I cannot understand how
does the project works. I mean:

the final result has to be a DVB file. ???

thats acad vba file extension

afaik vba has nothing to do with .Net and visa versa

does .Net actually produce dvb files???

[Anonymous]

What i undestrand is that .net produces an assembly that is registrable for COM Interop (there is a flag in VS that automatically register/deregister on each compilation). Than, in some dark way, a dvb is generated and, in a darker, it interacts with the generated dll. I've opened the DVB file using VBAMAN (just discovered...sorry) and I'v seen that the code inside is the same I can found in a txt file inside the .net project (vba.txt). It's the following:

Option Explicit
Public objEE As Application

Public Sub Initialize()
'Create AltamiraEasyEvents object
If objEE Is Nothing Then
Set objEE = New Application
'Set objEE.Application = Application
Set objEE.ActiveDocument = ActiveDocument
objEE.Initialize
End If

End Sub

Public Sub Setup()
objEE.Setup
End Sub

Public Sub SetupDrawing()
objEE.SetupDrawing
End Sub

Public Function CreateStandView()
objEE.CreateStand(False)
End Function

Public Function CreateStandGroup()
objEE.CreateStand(True)
End Function

Public Sub EditStand()
objEE.EditStand
End Sub
Private Sub AcadDocument_Activate()
'Set objEE.Application = Application
Set objEE.ActiveDocument = ActiveDocument
End Sub

Sub ShowStandList()
objEE.ShowStandList
End Sub

Sub Browser()
objEE.Browser
End Sub

My conclusion is that the vba.txt file is hand written and the dvb file is manually generated (starting from vba.txt) using vbaman and acts just as interface for the .net dll (used as COM component). May it be?? And if it is...how dows it works?? How does he can connect this vba script to the dll??? Message was edited by: Luca Mor

[Anonymous]

>quote
wrote in message news:5841823@discussion.autodesk.com...
What i undestrand is that .net produces an assembly that is registrable for
COM Interop (there is a flag in VS that automatically register/deregister on
each compilation). Than, in some dark way, a dvb is generated and, in a
darker, it interacts with the generated dll. I've opened the DVB file using
VBAMAN (just discovered...sorry) and I'v seen that the code inside is the
same I can found in a txt file inside the .net project (vba.txt). It's the
following:
>end quote


amazing, I never knew .Net created dvb files
like I said I know nothing about .Net but i would think dotnet questions
would get quicker answers on the .dotnet group...
but for some reason I see a lot of dotnet questions there being redirected
here if they so much as mention com(ax) in them....

(though I would assume almost everyone on dotnet would also know ax where as
few vba'ers would be expected to also know dotnet)
strange

hopefully someone here(or somewhere ) will know your answer
mark


>quote
My conclusion is that the vba.txt file is hand written and the dvb file is
manually generated (starting from vba.txt) using vbaman and acts just as
interface for the .net dll (used as COM component). May it be?? And if it
is...how dows it works?? How does he can connect this vba script to the
dll???
>end quote

[Anonymous]

Hi mark, my question is here because it's neither a VB question nor a .NET question: as you say, .net generates DVB files?? 🙂
I think it's in the middle..i will alo try .net forum.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

wrote in message news:5841873@discussion.autodesk.com...
Hi mark, my question is here because it's neither a VB question nor a .NET
question: as you say, .net generates DVB files?? 🙂
I think it's in the middle..i will alo try .net forum.

Thanks!


I guess i'm old fashioned ...in addition to being old! 🙂
your subject line says VS2003
vs2003 is dotnet
that sounds to me like a dotnet question

:-)
hope you find an answer, i'll be interested to learn more about dotnet
creating vba files.

mark