Re: Excel References

From: Rob Bovey (Rob_Bovey_at_msn.com)
Date: 03/17/04 

Date: Wed, 17 Mar 2004 13:14:42 -0800

Hi Joe,

<<If I have the References dialog open, I can't get to the Browser (as
indicated in Help); I tried that and it didn't work. I had to close the
References dialog.>>

    Let's make sure we're talking about the same thing. In the Excel Visual
Basic Editor (VBE) you choose the Tools/References menu to open the
References dialog. On the References dialog there is a Browse button located
directly below the Cancel button. If you click this button you will get a
File/Open-style Add References dialog. Use this dialog to navigate to and
select your DLL. Click OK and the VBE will register the DLL and add it to
the Available References listbox.

<<I have also noticed that when the XL workbook is opened on other machines,
an error appears indicating that it can't find the referenced library
(MISSING is present) and the path to the DLL is given as the path that it
would have on my machine>>

    The MISSING flag in the References dialog means that the flagged
component has not been properly registered on that machine.

<<How do I know if the DLL is a valid ActiveX DLL?>>

    The easiest way is to attempt to register the DLL with the Windows
command-line registration tool Regsvr32.exe. Open a command prompt and enter
the following on the command line:

C:\>Regsvr32 C:\YourPath\YourDLL.DLL

where the actual path and file name identify the DLL you are trying to
register. If the DLL is a valid ActiveX DLL you will get a success message
and the DLL will be registered on the machine (registering multiple times
won't hurt anything). If the DLL is not an ActiveX DLL you will get a
failure message indicating that the DLL could not be registered, in which
case it is not the type of DLL that can be referenced through the
Tools/References dialog. 

-- 
Rob Bovey, MCSE, MCSD, Excel MVP
Application Professionals
http://www.appspro.com/
* Please post all replies to this newsgroup *
* I delete all unsolicited e-mail responses *
"Joe" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:9AE3715D-0EBF-4741-A0C0-F2DCEC2CB310@microsoft.com...
> Rob,
>
> If the DLL is listed in the References list and doesn't include the word
MISSING in the name, the Browser lists it in the dropdown of available
libraries.  If MISSING is included, then the browser doesn't include it in
the list of available libraries.
>
> If I have the References dialog open, I can't get to the Browser (as
indicated in Help); I tried that and it didn't work.  I had to close the
References dialog.
>
> I have also noticed that when the XL workbook is opened on other machines,
an error appears indicating that it can't find the referenced library
(MISSING is present) and the path to the DLL is given as the path that it
would have on my machine.  For example, I would see
D:\WINNT\System32\CTXS.dll listed as the path to the DLL.  This is fine for
my machine, but for others who local drive is C:, this raises the error that
Excel can't find the library.
>
> How do I know if the DLL is a valid ActiveX DLL?  BTW, I'm using Inno
Setup 4 and ISTOOL for the deployment of the XL workbook and the DLL.
>
> THanks,
>
> Joe
>
>
>
>
>
>      ----- Rob Bovey wrote: -----
>
>      Hi Joe,
>
>          The references list is just a list of COM components from the
registry.
>      A couple ideas: Are you sure that your DLL is a valid ActiveX DLL?
What
>      happens if you use the Browse button to point Excel at your DLL?
>
>      -- 
>      Rob Bovey, MCSE, MCSD, Excel MVP
>      Application Professionals
>      http://www.appspro.com/
>
>      * Please post all replies to this newsgroup *
>      * I delete all unsolicited e-mail responses *
>
>
>      "Joe" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>      news:B53CD110-146A-4202-9EA9-CD537084D4E4@microsoft.com...
>      > Does anyone know how Excel loads the References dialog in the VBE?
>      >> I have registered a DLL and XL still claims that it can't find it.
Is
>      there a registry setting that I have to set for XL to find a DLL?
>      >> Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>      >> Thanks,
>      >> Joe
>
>
>