Demo Script: DevCon 2024

• I have 25 minutes for the demo portion:
  • 0:01: Download and open twinBASIC
  • 0:02: Customize add-in name and description
  • 0:04: Create the tool window controls
  • 0:05: Edit the Code in myToolWindow
  • 0:07: Test in Access
  • 0:10: Explain Strongly-typed collections and copy BuildStronglyTypedCollection() function
  • 0:15: Bring in other dependencies
  • 0:16: Test in Access
  • 0:18: Test in Barebones Access
  • 0:22: Convert fafalone's WinDevLib package
  • 0:24: Build 64-bit version
  • 0:25: Explain regsvr32 registration; mention InnoSetup

1. Download twinBASIC BETA 504
2. Extract from Zip folder
3. Open twinBASIC > Sample 4
4. Enter Project Name: Demo2024 (Do not put spaces in the name)
5. Save as: %tmp%\Demo2024\Demo2024.twinproj
   1. Navigate to: %tmp%
   2. Create folder named: Demo2024
   3. Filename: Demo2024.twinproj

Next, let's customize the friendly name and description of our addin. This is the info that appears in the VBA Add-in Manager dialog box.

1. Go to dllRegistration.twin > DllRegisterServer
2. In the "FriendlyName" line, replace AddinProjectName with "DevCon 2024 Demo"
3. In the "Description" line, replace AddinProjectName with "Create a strongly-typed collection class from an existing VBA class object."
4. Save the project
5. Build the project
6. Launch M:\Repos\NLS\DevCon2024\DevCon2024.accdb
7. Switch to VBA: Ctrl + G
8. Dock the add-in window
9. Go to "Add-Ins" > "Toggle myToolWindow Visibility"
10. Go to "Add-Ins" > "Add-in Manager"
    • Point out the "DevCon 2024 Demo" item with description below
11. Close "Add-In Manager" window

Next, we're going to customize the controls that appear on the tool window. I'll explain what these controls will be used for in a minute. For now, all you need to know is that we are adding two text boxes, a command button, and a label to hold a version number.

1. Open myToolWindow.tbcontrol
2. Select all controls and delete them
3. Click DIAGNOSTICS error to go to myToolWindow.twin and delete all dead code
4. Select form and set the following properties:
   • Height: 1700
   • Width: 2550
5. Create a text box and set the following properties:
   • Name: tbObjName
   • Anchors > Right: ☑ True
   • Height: 300
   • Left: 150
   • Text: {blank}
   • TextHint: Object Class Name
   • Top: 150
   • Width: 2250
6. Create a text box and set the following properties:
   • Name: tbCollName
   • Anchors > Right: ☑ True
   • Height: 300
   • Left: 150
   • Text: {blank}
   • TextHint: Collection Class Name
   • Top: 600
   • Width: 2250
7. Create a button and set the following properties:
   • Name: btnCreateClass
   • Anchors > Right: ☑ True
   • Caption: Create Collection Class
   • Height: 450
   • Left: 150
   • Top: 1050
   • Width: 2250
8. Create a version label
   • Caption: Version {hhmm}

1. Delete the Timer1_Timer() and HelloWorld_Click() subroutines
2. Add a Click event handler for btnCreateClass using the code below

    Private Sub btnCreateClass_Click()
        MsgBox "Object class name: " & Me.tbObjName.Text & vbNewLine & _
               "Collection class name: " & Me.tbCollName.Text, vbInformation, "Create Class"
    End Sub

1. Make sure Access is closed then Build the tB project
2. Reopen Access and switch to VBA
3. Enter sample text oVehicle for object class name and collVehicles for collection class name then click [Create Collection Class]

Now, let's talk about what this add-in will actually, you know, do.

The purpose of the add-in is to encapsulate the BuildStronglyTypedCollection() function as described here: Strongly-Typed Collections: The Easy Way

I put a link to this article in the Resources page for today's presentation. If you've never heard of strongly-typed collection classes, I recommend you read up on them later.

For our purposes, the important thing to know about them is that you CANNOT build them in the VBA editor. They require setting a couple of hidden code attributes that only appear when you export the code module to a text file.

As you can imagine, manually jumping through those hoops is inefficient and error-prone. The existing code I wrote in VBA does automate the process, but it requires importing several additional dependencies. Our VBE add-in will be a direct replacement for the BuildStronglyTypedCollection() function.

1. Create a new module named MyModule.twin

The following instructions assume you are building on a machine with 32-bit Office (mjw20), but installing on a machine with 64-bit Office (e.g., gbm18):

1. Ensure "win64" is selected in dropdown
2. File > Build
3. I copied M:\Repos\NLS\DevCon2024\Build\DevCon2024_win64.dll to %fb%\12114\DevCon2024_win64.dll (I will test registering it tomorrow on gbm18)
4. Open a non-admin cmd prompt
5. Run: regsvr32 DevCon2024_win64.dll
   • Receive message: "DllRegisterServer in DevCon2024_win64.dll succeeded."
6. Open Word (or Excel) - The add-in appears.

1. Add a standard code module named "MyModule":
   1. Right-click Sources > Add > Add Module (.TWIN supporting Unicode)
2. Go to Strongly-Typed Collections: The Easy Way
   1. Copy and paste the GetGuidBasedTempPath code
   2. Copy and paste the FileWrite code
3. Handle "Unrecognized datatype symbol 'Scripting'" error in DIAGNOSTICS pane:
   1. Go to Project > References
   2. Switch to "Available COM References" tab
   3. Search for "script" and then click the "Microsoft Scripting Runtime" reference
   4. Click [Save Changes]

1. Project > References…
2. Switch to "Available Packages" tab
3. Search for "windows"
4. Check box next to "☑ Windows Development Library for twinBASIC vX.Y.ZZZ"
   • The package will immediately begin downloading in the background
   • When the download finishes, the name will change to "☑ [IMPORTED] Windows Development Library for twinBASIC vX.Y.ZZZ"
   • NOTE: "WinDevLib for Implements" is a different package
5. Click [Save Changes]
6. Comment out (or delete) API `Declare` lines throughout the project
   • Be aware that if you used non-standard `Alias` names, you may need to adjust your API calls to match the standard versions used in WinDevLib
   • myAddIn.twin:
     • Delete Private Type RECT structure
     • Delete GetClientRect() function declare
   • InterProcess.twin:
     • Delete GetCurrentProcessId() function declare line…
     • …through Type UUID structure
   • MyModule.twin:
     • Delete Sleep sub declare
     • Comment out CoCreateGuid function declare and highlight the failure to compile due to the stricter typing of id As UUID in WinDevLib versus id As Any in my code
     • Uncomment the CoCreateGuid function to show that explicit API declares override the WinDevLib versions
7. Pass Unicode strings directly to API declare functions
   • Most string-related API functions have ANSI and Unicode versions ("A" and "W" for "ANSI" and "Wide", respectively)
   • Lots of legacy VB6/VBA code use the ANSI version of API functions
   • WinDevLib encourages the use of Unicode versions by default
   • This means that code that passes input strings to API functions may require wrapping the string in `StrPtr()` (or removing `StrPtr()`) from your existing code
   • ☐ Remove StrPtr() from calls to FindWindowEx() in InterProcess.callerApplicationObject
   • ☐ Convert final argument from 0& to vbNullString for calls to FindWindowEx() in InterProcess.callerApplicationObject