Sparx Systems Forum

Enterprise Architect => Automation Interface, Add-Ins and Tools => Topic started by: zalbina on October 16, 2012, 08:13:07 pm

Title: Add Ins: Status "Error-Missing"
Post by: zalbina on October 16, 2012, 08:13:07 pm
Hello,

I've registerd my dll and created key successfully, but when EA starts in "Manage Add-Ins" the Status of it is "Error - Missing". I tried to do the same on different computes, but get the same result. I checked everything, but did not find the problem.

Thanks.
Title: Re: Add Ins: Status "Error-Missing"
Post by: zalbina on October 16, 2012, 08:37:08 pm
Forgot to mention that I'm running the application (VS) as administrator. And after distribution of my dll on other computers I've the same issue "Error-Missing".

Thanks.
Title: Re: Add Ins: Status "Error-Missing"
Post by: qwerty on October 16, 2012, 09:29:34 pm
Haven't we discussed that issue already?

q.
Title: Re: Add Ins: Status "Error-Missing"
Post by: zalbina on October 16, 2012, 10:01:03 pm
We did, but it did not work out anyway :(.
Title: Re: Add Ins: Status "Error-Missing"
Post by: Geert Bellekens on October 16, 2012, 10:32:38 pm
Try calling one of the operations EA will call  (EAsomething()) from an excel VBA macro. If that works then the registration of your dll was successful.

Geert
Title: Re: Add Ins: Status "Error-Missing"
Post by: zalbina on October 16, 2012, 11:55:49 pm
But how can it help to work with my ea addins? I'll try this.
Title: Re: Add Ins: Status "Error-Missing"
Post by: Geert Bellekens on October 17, 2012, 12:02:35 am
You want to know where the problem is right?
If you can call your dll from Excel VBA then the COM Interop registration is not the problem.

Geert
Title: Re: Add Ins: Status "Error-Missing"
Post by: zalbina on October 18, 2012, 10:06:49 pm
Hello,

I've built the MSI installer package following the Guru Geert instructions with SharpDevelop and Wix. It's very nice tools to work with, but ... SAME PROBLEM!!!!! "ERROR-MISSING". HOW COULD IT BE  :o?

Thanks.
Title: Re: Add Ins: Status "Error-Missing"
Post by: Geert Bellekens on October 18, 2012, 10:16:32 pm
As said before, you first need to determine the cause of the problem.
This could be
- COM interop registration of your dll
- Error in EA Addins reg key value
- Error in the code (like you forgot a required EA_ operation)

As long as you don't determine that there's not much we can do. :-/

Geert
Title: Re: Add Ins: Status "Error-Missing"
Post by: zalbina on October 21, 2012, 06:09:12 pm
I see. I have not been trying the Excel yet, but I did try to deploy my dll using MSI package on different work stations in our network and it did work on some of them and did not on a rest. Could it be security issue or sort of it?
Title: Re: Add Ins: Status "Error-Missing"
Post by: Paulus on October 21, 2012, 08:21:44 pm
... or perhaps your add-in is using other resources that are missing, things like .net framework, or certain ocx-es or 3d part dlls?  .... or ...: like Geert said, if you haven't got a clue use another method to access your add-in dll to rule out any issues that are not ea-related.

If Excel is not available on all workstations write a small vbscript in EA that uses createobject to load your assembly and run some method in it. If you have tested that in EA, run the script on other workstations in WSH or whatever scripting engine is available and check the err object for clues,

Paulus
Title: Re: Add Ins: Status "Error-Missing"
Post by: zalbina on October 23, 2012, 10:08:34 pm
OK, I've added MyAddin dll from the References. After that I wrote in Excell VBA:

Dim abc as New MyAddin.MyAddinClass
abc.CheckDLL          'CheckDLL function calls for Message Box

I've got the message:
"ActiveX component can't create object".

So ...
Title: Re: Add Ins: Status "Error-Missing"
Post by: Paulus on October 24, 2012, 04:42:50 am
... so that tells you the current problem is not related to EA but the deployment of the DLL itself.

Brute force: start with a version of your add-in with no dependencies (comment the code) and call again from VBA. If that works, start adding code/dependencies until the problem reappears. Then check the offending dependency. Note that even if the registry looks OK it may be incorrectly installed or be corrupt.

Paulus
Title: Re: Add Ins: Status "Error-Missing"
Post by: zalbina on October 24, 2012, 06:46:12 pm
And if I created dll but don't see it in References it means the problem is with dll registration? How could it be? The VS 10 does it by itself and I also tried to register the dll with regasm. The registration was OK.
Title: Re: Add Ins: Status "Error-Missing"
Post by: Paulus on October 27, 2012, 12:55:42 am
Maybe i misunderstand but my point is that you now have a simple testcase reproducing the error that doesn't require knowledge of EA to solve, just VS, COM and VBA.

So if you can't get an answer here (and this seems to be the case) there are plenty, and probably better, places where you can. Eventually your search might lead you back to EA  but for now that's not the case.

I suggested the brute-force method since that's what i usually do if i'm stuck like this.

best regards,

Paulus
Title: Re: Add Ins: Status "Error-Missing"
Post by: zalbina on October 28, 2012, 10:25:34 pm
Yes, I did what you suggested. The problem is that I've crated with VS 10 dll project. I'm running the VS in Admin mode and WITHOUT ANY CODE IT DOES NOT WORK :(!!! I DID WRITE NOTHING! What could be wrong?
Title: Re: Add Ins: Status "Error-Missing"
Post by: Paulus on October 29, 2012, 06:11:43 am
I'm sorry, but i can't help you with that. I'm using VS 2010 as well and i had some startup problems with DLL's but not something like this. :-/
Title: Re: Add Ins: Status "Error-Missing"
Post by: zalbina on October 31, 2012, 10:23:55 pm
This is a serious problem for me. It seems like VS 10 is a problem maker otherwise I don't know what to think. Someone can recommend me something?
Title: Re: Add Ins: Status "Error-Missing"
Post by: Geert Bellekens on November 01, 2012, 04:44:31 am
If you think VS is the problem try SharpDevelop:

http://www.icsharpcode.net/opensource/sd/

Personally I think this is a classical case of PEBKAC.

Geert
Title: Re: Add Ins: Status "Error-Missing"
Post by: g.makulik on November 01, 2012, 04:49:08 am
Quote
Personally I think this is a classical case of PEBKAC.
;D
Title: Re: Add Ins: Status "Error-Missing"
Post by: zalbina on November 01, 2012, 05:54:22 pm
Well, I don't think so. Not only me have this problem in my office.
Title: Re: Add Ins: Status "Error-Missing"
Post by: zalbina on November 01, 2012, 06:37:28 pm
OK, I've installed SharpDevelop, made assembly COM-visible. "Register for COM interop" means use the RegAsm utility provided with the .net framework to register the dll, right? I did it also, but SAME THING :(. I run SharpDevelop in admin mode. I can built the installer for it, but I need to debug my dll with EA first. Sad story :(.
Title: Re: Add Ins: Status "Error-Missing"
Post by: Geert Bellekens on November 01, 2012, 06:44:05 pm
No "register for COM interop" means you have to tick the appropriate checkbox in your IDE.

But really, if you can't figure this out on your own I wouldn't even try to start programming an add-in for EA. ::)

Geert

Title: Re: Add Ins: Status "Error-Missing"
Post by: zalbina on November 01, 2012, 06:58:22 pm
But SharpDevelop does not have this Build tab with project properties and checkbox "Register for Com interop" as well. I found out that regasm does this job instead.
Title: Re: Add Ins: Status "Error-Missing"
Post by: zalbina on November 01, 2012, 07:14:22 pm
Sorry, I found it and I'll try again.
Title: Re: Add Ins: Status "Error-Missing"
Post by: zalbina on November 01, 2012, 07:16:48 pm
IT STARTED TO WORK. 100% OF THISS SUCCESS IS YOURS, GEERT!!!! BUT WHAT CAN BE WRONG WITH VS 10?

THANKS A LOT AGAIN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Title: Re: Add Ins: Status "Error-Missing"
Post by: shimon on November 02, 2012, 01:58:01 am
Quote
No "register for COM interop" means you have to tick the appropriate checkbox in your IDE.

But really, if you can't figure this out on your own I wouldn't even try to start programming an add-in for EA. ::)

Geert



Sorry GEERT,
But she's a great programmer. ;)
Title: Re: Add Ins: Status "Error-Missing"
Post by: g.makulik on November 02, 2012, 06:36:53 am
Quote
Quote
No "register for COM interop" means you have to tick the appropriate checkbox in your IDE.

But really, if you can't figure this out on your own I wouldn't even try to start programming an add-in for EA. ::)

Geert



Sorry GEERT,
But she's a great programmer. ;)

Sometimes simply all this windoze stuff is shit  :P ...
Title: Re: Add Ins: Status "Error-Missing"
Post by: qwerty on November 02, 2012, 06:07:22 pm
Often it feels like the windoze programmers went nuts too...

q.
Title: Re: Add Ins: Status "Error-Missing"
Post by: g.makulik on November 02, 2012, 09:22:00 pm
I wanted to write sh** but YABB didn't let me and changed it automatically  :P
Title: Re: Add Ins: Status "Error-Missing"
Post by: qwerty on November 03, 2012, 02:55:35 am
Are all Americans (Australians?) prude? No. Just most of them.

Somehow I managed to get these f-words to appear in YABB but I forgot how.

q.
Title: Re: Add Ins: Status "Error-Missing"
Post by: KP on November 05, 2012, 10:13:23 am
Quote
Are all Americans (Australians?) prude? No. Just most of them.
I know of many Americans and Australians who are very creative in their swearing. However, the strength of swear words is very much tied to their taboo nature and so it benefits prudes and non-prudes alike if we continue to ban their use on this forum.
Title: Re: Add Ins: Status "Error-Missing"
Post by: qwerty on November 05, 2012, 09:24:41 pm
I think I know what you mean. It's just really funny for (at least) Germans to see that kind of attitude. I guess it's because during times of the Wild West most of those prude Germans moved to America so we got rid of them  ;)

q.