Synopses & Reviews
Most developers can think of dozens of ways in which they'd like to modify
Visual Basic's integrated development environment (or IDE) in order to work
more productively. These enhancements can range from simple items (like
determining the version of Visual Basic for Applications used by the IDE,
or clearing the Immediate window) to much more involved ones (like
developing a utility that allows the tab order of the individual controls
on a form to be set easily).
Just as the major Microsoft Office applications expose their functionality
through their object models, Visual Basic's development environment also
exposes its functionality through the Visual Basic Extensibility Model.
Unfortunately, though, the model is poorly documented and poorly
understood. And most programmers simply don't have the time to sift through
the documentation and experiment using trial and error to extend the IDE.
Developing Visual Basic Add-ins addresses this lack of adequate
documentation by showing how to develop add-ins for Visual Basic Versions
5.0 and 6.0 and by providing numerous coding examples of simple but useful
add-ins.
The book is divided into two parts. The first part, Add-in Basics,
discusses the mechanics of add-in creation. This includes such topics as:
- Retrieving a reference to the VB IDE
- Registering an add-in
- Activating an add-in
- Making an add-in's functionality accessible through a menu option
or toolbar button
- Debugging an add-in
Developing an add-in requires creativity, since it requires a programmer to
both identify a shortcoming of the IDE and implement some means of
enhancing it. The second part of the book, The Extensibility Model,
prepares you for this creative part of add-in development by focusing on
the VB IDE Extensibility Model. Individual chapters provide in-depth
coverage of specific categories of objects, such as user interface objects,
project-related objects, and form and control objects.
With Developing Visual Basic Add-ins, you can finally make all of the
enhancements to the VB IDE that will allow you to program more effectively.
Synopsis
Most developers can think of dozens of ways in which they'd like to modify Visual Basic's integrated development environment (or IDE) in order to work more productively. These enhancements can range from simple items (like determining the version of Visual Basic for Applications used by the IDE, or clearing the Immediate window) to much more involved ones (like developing a utility that allows the tab order of the individual controls on a form to be set easily).Just as the major Microsoft Office applications expose their functionality through their object models, Visual Basic's development environment also exposes its functionality through the Visual Basic Extensibility Model. Unfortunately, though, the model is poorly documented and poorly understood. And most programmers simply don't have the time to sift through the documentation and experiment using trial and error to extend the IDE.Developing Visual Basic Add-ins addresses this lack of adequate documentation by showing how to develop add-ins for Visual Basic Versions 5.0 and 6.0 and by providing numerous coding examples of simple but useful add-ins.The book is divided into two parts. The first part, Add-in Basics, discusses the mechanics of add-in creation. This includes such topics as:
- Retrieving a reference to the VB IDE
- Registering an add-in
- Activating an add-in
- Making an add-in's functionality accessible through a menu option or toolbar button
Developing an add-in requires creativity, since it requires a programmer to both identify a shortcoming of the IDE and implement some means of enhancing it. The second part of the book, The Extensibility Model, prepares you for this creative part of add-in development by focusing on the VB IDE Extensibility Model. Individual chapters provide in-depth coverage of specific categories of objects, such as user interface objects, project-related objects, and form and control objects.With
Developing Visual Basic Add-ins, you can finally make all of the enhancements to the VB IDE that will allow you to program more effectively.
Synopsis
While most developers can think of dozens of ways to work moreproductively by extending the Visual Basic IDE, they don't have timeto sift through documentation to find out how. A tutorial and referenceguide in one, this book brings together all the information and showshow to create useful VB add-ins to extend the IDE. The book is divided into two main parts: Add-in Basics: discusses the mechanics of add-in creation, including retrieving a reference to the VB IDE; registering, activating, and debuggingan add-in; and making an add-in's functionality accessible through a menuoption or toolbar buttonThe Extensibility Model focuses on the creative side of add-indevelopment, covering specific categories of objects, such as user interface, project-related, and form and control objects.Visual Basic developers who like the convenience of one-stop shoppingin their documentation will want "Developing Visual Basic Add-ins ontheir bookshelf. Readers with even a modest acquaintance with VB will be developing add-ins in no time.
Synopsis
A tutorial and reference guide in one, this book covers all the basics of creating useful VB add-ins to extend the IDE, allowing developers to work more productively with Visual Basic. Readers with even a modest acquaintance with VB will be developing add-ins in no time. Includes numerous simple code examples.
About the Author
Dr. Roman has authored 32 books, including a number of books on mathematics, such as Coding and Information Theory, Advanced Linear Algebra, and Field Theory, published by Springer-Verlag. He has also written Modules in Mathematics, a series of 15 small books designed for the general college-level liberal arts student. Besides his books for O'Reilly, Dr. Roman has written two other computer books, both published by Springer-Verlag.