Demo Script: DevCon 2024

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

1. Open myToolWindow.tbcontrol
2. Select all controls and delete them
3. Select form and set the following properties:
   • Height: 1700
   • Width: 2550
4. 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
5. 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
6. 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

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

The following instructions assume a machine with 32-bit Office (e.g., mjw20):

1. Ensure "win32" is selected in dropdown
2. File > Build
   • Creates and registers this file: M:\Repos\NLS\DevCon2024\Build\DevCon2024_win32.dll
   • As part of registration, the following registry key and values are created:
     • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VBA\VBE\6.0\Addins\DevCon2024.myAddIn\
       • Description: "DevCon2024"
       • FriendlyName: "DevCon2024"
       • LoadBehavior: 3 (3 => Loaded/Load at startup)
     • HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DevCon2024.myAddIn\CLSID
       • (Default): {9B80DA6E-8B20-4D53-AE54-430ACFAE987B} (this matches the [ClassID()] attribute value above the myAddIn class in myAddIn.twin)
         
     • HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DevCon2024.myToolWindow\CLSID
       • (Default): {D531346A-90B8-470D-AA33-FB009F19CEFD} (this matches the [ClassID()] attribute value above the myToolWindow class in myToolWindow.twin)
         
     • HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{9B80DA6E-8B20-4D53-AE54-430ACFAE987B}
       • (Default): myAddIn
       • \InProcServer32
         • (Default): M:\Repos\NLS\DevCon2024\Build\DevCon2024_win64.dll (NOTE: The presence of win64.dll here is likely a result of running the win64 build as shown in the next section)
         • ThreadingModel: Both
       • \ProgID
         • (Default): DevCon2024.myAddIn
           
   • DEBUG CONSOLE should show this:
     • [LINKER] SUCCESS created output file 'M:\Repos\NLS\DevCon2024\Build\DevCon2024_win32.dll'
     • [LINKER] → Open Folder (NOTE: this is a clickable link)
     • [REGISTER] type-library registration completed. DllRegisterServer() returned OK
3. Open Excel or Access
4. Press [Alt] + [F11] to go to VBA IDE
5. Tool window will likely be floating; click and drag to dock it somewhere:
   
6. Enter Obj Name in the first text box, Coll Name in the second text box, then click [Create Collection Class]
   

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