Making the DLL

This content is no longer actively maintained. It is provided as is, for anyone who may still be using these technologies, with no warranties or claims of accuracy with regard to the most recent product version or service release.

After debugging your COM add-in to your satisfaction, you can package it as a DLL. If you created your COM add-in using Microsoft® Office XP Developer, it is already a .dll. However, if you created it in Microsoft® Visual Basic® Editor, you must create the .dll. To create the .dll in Visual Basic, click Make projectname.dll on the File menu. The Make Project dialog box appears; note that you can enter a name for the DLL that is different from the suggested name. The process of making the DLL registers it on the local machine.

When you make the DLL in the Visual Basic Editor, the information in the add-in designer is used to add a sub key to the Windows registry, indicating which applications can host the add-in. The COM add-in then appears in the COM Add-ins dialog box in those applications for which it is registered.

See Also

Building COM Add-ins for Office Applications | Working with Add-in Designers | Specifying Load Behavior | Writing Code in the Add-in Designer | Hooking a COM Add-in Up to a Command Bar Control | Debugging a COM Add-in | Add-in Registration | Distributing COM Add-ins | COM Add-ins and Security