I'm VERY new at VB .NET and have recently downloaded MS Visual Studio Express 2012. I'm trying to design an application to replace a VBScript I created and can't find the answer to Two of the main design phase features I require so I apologize ahead of time for my ignorance.
I'm trying to create an application to edit the configuration parameters of an existing application I support. the configurations are edited in both the Files System and in the Windows Registry.
I'm looking for a way to pass a "/q" or "/quiet" and allow the application to run silently. I have developed the program far enough to edit the options in the form and save them. I can run code (so far only messages displaying the options) from the start configuration button from a "Windows Form Application".
I'm also needing to make sure that when running silently the application does not need UAC elevation. In the original VBScript I need to elevate UAC when editing the Windows Registry.
I know this is a lot to ask for with my current knowledge level. But I'm still in the design stage and trying to learn fast and really need to know if this is even possible before I go too far.
If the original application required UAC elevation to edit the registry then the new one will too. The level of access is on a per user basis not a per application basis so unless you run the application as a different user you will have the same problem with your new application.
As to running without showing the form you will need to edit Main something like this:
<STAThread()> _
Shared Sub Main()
' Read the arguments
' Starts the application.
if (argument == "/q" or argument == "/quiet") then
' Edit the other program configurations here
else
Application.Run(New Form1())
End if
End Sub
You can call a version of Run(ApplicationContext ) that doesn't show a form, but as the starts the message loop you'd still need some way of actually editing the other program's configuration, perhaps in response to key strokes.
Related
I have a com dll developed in VB.net that provides an interface to eBay api's. Been working for many years. Recently eBay change certificate authority and moved to TLS 1.2. Sorted through that but now the dll seems to quit in mid transaction when called from Access. The functionality does listings from local inventory to eBay. The first part loads pictures of the listing item to eBay. That works fine. I can see the calls and responses using Fiddler. It then moves on to actually listing the item which seems to stop when called from Access. What I get back in Access is "Can't find x.dll at file location". I know the call is going to the dll because it uploads the pictures.
I have a test project developed in VB.net to test the dll and when run from that everything works. I can see the listing call and response in fiddler. When run from Access there is no listing call. I can verify that the endpoints for the calls are the same from test project or Access.
My question is how to debug the dll in the Visual Studio IDE when it is called from Access. Any thoughts?
Yes, the way you do this is open up the vs class you have for the .dll.
Then in debug of the project, setup this:
Now, when you hit f5, then access will launch and run.
If at this point, say you close access (exit), then you note the debugging process stops.
However, go though the forms and whatever in Access, and get to the point where you hit that button or whatever.
You find now that you can say set a break point and even step and debug your .net code like any other code. So say in my example (a custom sage 300 .net interface to access), I want to debug "find customer" routine from VBA.
Well, in vb.net I have this code:
so, when any routine - even those in the class instances is called, you can set break-points etc.
And to stop? Just exit access.
So, you can make a change to your code, and even hit f5.
It not clear how you are registering your .dll (or do you use some VBA to side-load the .net - that's what I do, since it is a pain to have to register my .net com objects on each PC.
But, do give the above a try. It should let you debug your .dll code. The trick is to have VS launch ms-access as a attached debug session - and that is exactly what the above setting in your class project above allows you to do.
do note in above, I used the path to access 2010 (access 14), so replace the path name to the access.exe with your version of access you are using.
And keep in mind, that if have some installer, or some custom "thing" that registers your .net .dll for you?
Well, during this process, if your VBA assumes a registered com object, then ensure you have this check box enabled:
On compile for the project settings, you thus want this option checked:
NOTE very careful, checking the above option does not change the code or anything at all - it ONLY does a regasum automatic for you, and this would of course re-register your existing .dll - which is what we want for debugging. After you done, do run your re-register of your .dll to switch back from the debug .dll that going to be in your current project bin folder to whatever you "regular" use on your PC.
FYI:
In MOST cases, I find this whole idea does NOT work unless you launch VS as administraor. So, make sure VS is being run as administraor for this to work.
I tend to just tap windows key, or even right click on your vs shortcut, and of course choose run as administraor.
This is so often required, you note that VS will EASY and quite CLEAR show you running in admin mode, and I quite much now always run VS this way.
You should see this:
In a simple windows form application on VS 2010 I have put a ovalShape using power packs.
The simple Form
Now automatically this action puts the reference of Microsoft.VisualBasic.PowerPacks.Vs in to project properties.
when deploying this in different PC obviously the (a)powerpacks needed to be installed if this application doesn't work, (b) or it can set to "copy local = true" in reference properties so that it should sit to next with the application.
assuming (b) is not an option, since it is a solitary executable, (a) is the only option. in this way if the target machine does not have powerpacks the requirement is to notify it to the user in the first place.
apparently the dll will be deployed in when using the "VisualBasicPowerPacksSetup"
C:\Windows\assembly\GAC_MSIL\Microsoft.VisualBasic.PowerPacks.Vs\10.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a\Microsoft.VisualBasic.PowerPacks.Vs.dll
so the blind approach is just to check if the above file not exist then prompt user to install "VisualBasicPowerPacksSetup". but i feel its more accurate if the application able to actually check in registry level.
in registry "Microsoft.VisualBasic.PowerPacks" records in several location, thus makes a confusion.
how to identify the correct key and what should be correct way of checking this reference in vb ?
You could just try to create an object defined in the dependency and catch the resulting exception.
Handling this you could ask the user to install the package. This is probably not considered good practice but should get the job done.
Hi I'm hoping this isn't too vague to get some help with!
We've searched for several days now and cannot get an answer that works. We use Advanced Installer for different projects and need a sensible way to encrypt the connection strings for sites that do NOT use windows authentication into the sql server.
We've tried encryption after installation, running custom DLL's in Advanced Installer and all sorts. Nothing works because of Microsoft's frustrating permissions fortress around Program Files folder.
Does anyone know of a decent way to do this that does not involve Windows Authentication on the database?
Any help would be very warmly appreciated. As you can imagine, this request is made as a last ditch attempt to find a good solution.
I'm rather shocked that there isn't one that is fairly standard - but if you don't use Windows Authentication on SQL server, I don't see one as far as I can tell.
Thank you in advance for any help offered!
Warmest regards
Richard
Edit: From what I understand the encrypt/decrypt can only be done on the same machine - preventing me from shipping an encrypted app.config. The key is based on a machine.config that differs by machine.
I finally found the key to solving this with Advanced Installer - it can't run DLLs that are built in managed code, so you need to use another toolset called Wix to create a DLL that Advanced Installer can use. The instructions for that can be found here: https://www.advancedinstaller.com/user-guide/qa-c-sharp-ca.html
For the encryption we're after, this is the function I created as a custom action in the Wix project (for clarity, minus the try-catch, file check and logging that our actual code has):
<CustomAction()>
Public Shared Function Encrypt(session As Session) As ActionResult
Dim config As Configuration = ConfigurationManager.OpenExeConfiguration(session.CustomActionData("ExecutablePath"))
Dim section As ConnectionStringsSection = TryCast(config.GetSection("connectionStrings"), ConnectionStringsSection)
If section.SectionInformation.IsProtected Then Return ActionResult.SkipRemainingActions
section.SectionInformation.ProtectSection("DataProtectionConfigurationProvider")
If Not section.SectionInformation.IsProtected Then Return ActionResult.Failure
config.Save()
Return ActionResult.Success
End Function
When you build the project, it generates two DLL files: a normal .dll and a .CA.dll. In the Advanced Installer project, add the .CA.dll to the included files (preferably as a temporary file since it's only needed during installation). Then go to custom actions, add a new "Call Function From Attached Native DLL" action, point it at the same .CA.dll file as you selected to add to the project, and then set up the rest of the action like this:
(attached image)
...where [#ConfigEncryptionTestProgram.exe] should be replaced with your executable!
The important bits here are the position of the action in the sequence (just before Finish Execution), the execution time (commit), and the execution option that makes it run with privileges so that it can get around Microsoft's restriction on modifying files in the Program Files folder.
I have done this and have written not a single line of real code.
I have just added to the installer a custom action for encryption:
Launch File (With Sequence)
File to launch: C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\aspnet_regiis.exe
Command line: -pe connectionStrings -app /myappname
Hide program's window
You would set "Run as administrator" (not applicable to us, because our installer completely runs as administrator)
Execution Time: Immediately
Wait for custom action to finish before proceeding
DO NOT Fail installation if custom action returns an error
and another one for decryption, same settings, but with command line -pd instead of -pe.
And then I have moved the decryption before the "Dialogs->Searches" stage, and the encryption behind the "Execution->InstallFinalize" stage:
I have a desktop Windows Forms application I built.
As we try out improvements to the program, I make the changes on a test version of the application, which connects to a test copy of the Microsoft SQL database on the back end.
Basically, to start out, I just copied the program to a different directory, re-named the assembly, created a different PublicTokenKey and used that.
The problem is when I try to run a the test copy and the live copy at the same time. It pretty clearly thinks they are the same program (when I click on the second one, the "busy" circle simple turns for a second, then the already-opened icon in the taksbar gets highlighted), even though they show up in the Task Manager as differently named applications.
What do I need to tweak in Visual Studio so Windows 10 will recognize them as different, separate programs?
Recently I have created an Addin for my outlook 2013 in VB.net. I usually do a lot of modifications on this application especially in the beginning. These modification automatically download when a user starts its outlook as soon I publish the project.
The question I have, and which I cant seem to figure out how to do it is:
Is it possible to show the user some kind of custom made UPDATE pop-up text when outlook automatically updates the addin?
So a user starts its outlook, then the outlook usually executes the updates pretty fast and then I want them to show some kind of message which contains the updates being done.
I have no clue if this is possible though and I cant seem to find an option for it in the publish tab of visual studio. Can this be done with code, and if so, how?
ClickOnce doesn't provide anything for that. See Deploying an Office Solution by Using ClickOnce for more information.
In the new version of the software which you are going to publish you may add a message box. It can be shown for the first run only. For example, add a windows registry key which indicates that the add-in (new version) is run for the first time. Reading the value at runtime will help you to decide whether such message box is required or not.