Office Automation - Capturing Custom Menu Clicks

I am trying to automate MS-Word 2003 from my VB.Net client application using
the latest PIAs for Office2003.
My work also involves creating custom menus and toolbars in MS-Word and
capturing their click events at the VB.Net client application side.

I wrote a simple code (see below) based on code snippets from Microsoft and
other forums.

The problem that I am having is that when clicking my custom menu item the
corresponding
event is never fired !!! However it gets fired for built-in Word menu items
!!!

Is there any way to do that without using Add-Ins or VSTO, just simple
automation ??

Please help...........


Here is the VB.Net (2003) code:

Imports Office = Microsoft.Office.Core
Imports Word = Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word

.......

Public WithEvents WordApp As New Word.ApplicationClass
Public WithEvents cbMenuItem As Microsoft.Office.Core.CommandBarButton


Public Function AddWordMenus()
Dim SaveAsPosition As Integer
Dim i As Integer

RemoveWordMenus()
' Find the position for the Save As menu
For i = 1 To WordApp.CommandBars.Item("File").Controls.Count
If WordApp.CommandBars.Item("File").Controls(i).Caption="Save
&As..." _
Then
SaveAsPosition = i
Exit For
End If
Next i

' Create New Menu object and add it to the built-in Menu Bar.
cbMenuItem=DirectCast(WordApp.CommandBars.Item("File").Controls.Add( _

Microsoft.Office.Core.MsoControlType.msoControlButton, _
Temporary:=False, Before:=SaveAsPosition + 1), _
Microsoft.Office.Core.CommandBarButton)

cbMenuItem.Caption = "MyCustomMenu"
cbMenuItem.Visible = True
AddHandler cbMenuItem.Click, AddressOf cbMenuItem_Click

' I also tried this but it did not work !!
' --- AddHandler
DirectCast(WordApp.CommandBars.Item("File").Controls("MyCustomMenu"),
Microsoft.Office.Core.CommandBarButton).Click, AddressOf cbMenuItem_Click

' Funny enough this one works (i.e. for the built in Word menu: Save
As)
' --- AddHandler
DirectCast(WordApp.CommandBars.Item("File").Controls("Save &As..."),
Microsoft.Office.Core.CommandBarButton).Click, AddressOf cbMenuItem_Click
End Function


Public Sub cbMenuItem_Click(ByVal Ctrl As
Microsoft.Office.Core.CommandBarButton, ByRef CancelDefault As Boolean)
' This event never gets fired for custom menus !!!!
MsgBox("This is my event handler!", MsgBoxStyle.Information)
End Sub

normally you'd
set the OnAction property of the commandbarbutton.
to point to a public procedure in a dll or vba project


--
keepITcool
| www.XLsupport.com | keepITcool chello nl | amsterdam


luai7 wrote :

> I am trying to automate MS-Word 2003 from my VB.Net client
> application using the latest PIAs for Office2003.
> My work also involves creating custom menus and toolbars in MS-Word
> and capturing their click events at the VB.Net client application
> side.
>
> I wrote a simple code (see below) based on code snippets from
> Microsoft and other forums.
>
> The problem that I am having is that when clicking my custom menu
> item the corresponding
> event is never fired !!! However it gets fired for built-in Word menu
> items !!!
>
> Is there any way to do that without using Add-Ins or VSTO, just
> simple automation ??
>
> Please help...........
>
>
> Here is the VB.Net (2003) code:
>
> Imports Office = Microsoft.Office.Core
> Imports Word = Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word
>
> ......
>
> Public WithEvents WordApp As New Word.ApplicationClass
> Public WithEvents cbMenuItem As
> Microsoft.Office.Core.CommandBarButton
>
>
> Public Function AddWordMenus()
> Dim SaveAsPosition As Integer
> Dim i As Integer
>
> RemoveWordMenus()
> ' Find the position for the Save As menu
> For i = 1 To WordApp.CommandBars.Item("File").Controls.Count
> If
> WordApp.CommandBars.Item("File").Controls(i).Caption="Save &As..." _
> Then
> SaveAsPosition = i
> Exit For
> End If
> Next i
>
> ' Create New Menu object and add it to the built-in Menu Bar.
>
> cbMenuItem=DirectCast(WordApp.CommandBars.Item("File").Controls.Add(
> _ Microsoft.Office.Core.MsoControlType.msoControlButton, _
> Temporary:=False, Before:=SaveAsPosition
> + 1), _
> Microsoft.Office.Core.CommandBarButton)
>
> cbMenuItem.Caption = "MyCustomMenu"
> cbMenuItem.Visible = True
> AddHandler cbMenuItem.Click, AddressOf cbMenuItem_Click
>
> ' I also tried this but it did not work !!
> ' --- AddHandler
> DirectCast(WordApp.CommandBars.Item("File").Controls("MyCustomMenu"),
> Microsoft.Office.Core.CommandBarButton).Click, AddressOf
> cbMenuItem_Click
>
> ' Funny enough this one works (i.e. for the built in Word
> menu: Save As)
> ' --- AddHandler
> DirectCast(WordApp.CommandBars.Item("File").Controls("Save &As..."),
> Microsoft.Office.Core.CommandBarButton).Click, AddressOf
> cbMenuItem_Click End Function
>
>
> Public Sub cbMenuItem_Click(ByVal Ctrl As
> Microsoft.Office.Core.CommandBarButton, ByRef CancelDefault As
> Boolean) ' This event never gets fired for custom menus !!!!
> MsgBox("This is my event handler!", MsgBoxStyle.Information)
> End Sub

Thanks for your quick reply.

What is the syntax? Where should I place my .Net DLL?
Do you know where I can find samples?

Thanks again.

"keepITcool" wrote:

>
> normally you'd
> set the OnAction property of the commandbarbutton.
> to point to a public procedure in a dll or vba project
>
>
> --
> keepITcool
> | www.XLsupport.com | keepITcool chello nl | amsterdam
>
>
> luai7 wrote :
>
> > I am trying to automate MS-Word 2003 from my VB.Net client
> > application using the latest PIAs for Office2003.
> > My work also involves creating custom menus and toolbars in MS-Word
> > and capturing their click events at the VB.Net client application
> > side.
> >
> > I wrote a simple code (see below) based on code snippets from
> > Microsoft and other forums.
> >
> > The problem that I am having is that when clicking my custom menu
> > item the corresponding
> > event is never fired !!! However it gets fired for built-in Word menu
> > items !!!
> >
> > Is there any way to do that without using Add-Ins or VSTO, just
> > simple automation ??
> >
> > Please help...........
> >
> >
> > Here is the VB.Net (2003) code:
> >
> > Imports Office = Microsoft.Office.Core
> > Imports Word = Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word
> >
> > ......
> >
> > Public WithEvents WordApp As New Word.ApplicationClass
> > Public WithEvents cbMenuItem As
> > Microsoft.Office.Core.CommandBarButton
> >
> >
> > Public Function AddWordMenus()
> > Dim SaveAsPosition As Integer
> > Dim i As Integer
> >
> > RemoveWordMenus()
> > ' Find the position for the Save As menu
> > For i = 1 To WordApp.CommandBars.Item("File").Controls.Count
> > If
> > WordApp.CommandBars.Item("File").Controls(i).Caption="Save &As..." _
> > Then
> > SaveAsPosition = i
> > Exit For
> > End If
> > Next i
> >
> > ' Create New Menu object and add it to the built-in Menu Bar.
> >
> > cbMenuItem=DirectCast(WordApp.CommandBars.Item("File").Controls.Add(
> > _ Microsoft.Office.Core.MsoControlType.msoControlButton, _
> > Temporary:=False, Before:=SaveAsPosition
> > + 1), _
> > Microsoft.Office.Core.CommandBarButton)
> >
> > cbMenuItem.Caption = "MyCustomMenu"
> > cbMenuItem.Visible = True
> > AddHandler cbMenuItem.Click, AddressOf cbMenuItem_Click
> >
> > ' I also tried this but it did not work !!
> > ' --- AddHandler
> > DirectCast(WordApp.CommandBars.Item("File").Controls("MyCustomMenu"),
> > Microsoft.Office.Core.CommandBarButton).Click, AddressOf
> > cbMenuItem_Click
> >
> > ' Funny enough this one works (i.e. for the built in Word
> > menu: Save As)
> > ' --- AddHandler
> > DirectCast(WordApp.CommandBars.Item("File").Controls("Save &As..."),
> > Microsoft.Office.Core.CommandBarButton).Click, AddressOf
> > cbMenuItem_Click End Function
> >
> >
> > Public Sub cbMenuItem_Click(ByVal Ctrl As
> > Microsoft.Office.Core.CommandBarButton, ByRef CancelDefault As
> > Boolean) ' This event never gets fired for custom menus !!!!
> > MsgBox("This is my event handler!", MsgBoxStyle.Information)
> > End Sub
>

im a VBA hack and i dont .NET so dont know .NET specifics,
apparently you do need events handlers

see
How To Use Automation to Create Office Command Bars and Controls with
Visual Basic .NET
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=303017



--
keepITcool
| www.XLsupport.com | keepITcool chello nl | amsterdam


luai7 wrote :

> Thanks for your quick reply.
>
> What is the syntax? Where should I place my .Net DLL?
> Do you know where I can find samples?
>
> Thanks again.
>
> "keepITcool" wrote:
>
> >
> > normally you'd
> > set the OnAction property of the commandbarbutton.
> > to point to a public procedure in a dll or vba project
> >
> >
> > --
> > keepITcool
> > > www.XLsupport.com | keepITcool chello nl | amsterdam
> >
> >
> > luai7 wrote :
> >
> > > I am trying to automate MS-Word 2003 from my VB.Net client
> > > application using the latest PIAs for Office2003.
> > > My work also involves creating custom menus and toolbars in
> > > MS-Word and capturing their click events at the VB.Net client
> > > application side.
> > >
> > > I wrote a simple code (see below) based on code snippets from
> > > Microsoft and other forums.
> > >
> > > The problem that I am having is that when clicking my custom menu
> > > item the corresponding
> > > event is never fired !!! However it gets fired for built-in Word
> > > menu items !!!
> > >
> > > Is there any way to do that without using Add-Ins or VSTO, just
> > > simple automation ??
> > >
> > > Please help...........
> > >
> > >
> > > Here is the VB.Net (2003) code:
> > >
> > > Imports Office = Microsoft.Office.Core
> > > Imports Word = Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word
> > >
> > > ......
> > >
> > > Public WithEvents WordApp As New Word.ApplicationClass
> > > Public WithEvents cbMenuItem As
> > > Microsoft.Office.Core.CommandBarButton
> > >
> > >
> > > Public Function AddWordMenus()
> > > Dim SaveAsPosition As Integer
> > > Dim i As Integer
> > >
> > > RemoveWordMenus()
> > > ' Find the position for the Save As menu
> > > For i = 1 To
> > > WordApp.CommandBars.Item("File").Controls.Count If
> > > WordApp.CommandBars.Item("File").Controls(i).Caption="Save
> > > &As..." _ Then
> > > SaveAsPosition = i
> > > Exit For
> > > End If
> > > Next i
> > >
> > > ' Create New Menu object and add it to the built-in Menu
> > > Bar.
> > >
> > > cbMenuItem=DirectCast(WordApp.CommandBars.Item("File").Controls.Ad
> > > d( _ Microsoft.Office.Core.MsoControlType.msoControlButton, _
> > > Temporary:=False,
> > > Before:=SaveAsPosition + 1), _
> > > Microsoft.Office.Core.CommandBarButton)
> > >
> > > cbMenuItem.Caption = "MyCustomMenu"
> > > cbMenuItem.Visible = True
> > > AddHandler cbMenuItem.Click, AddressOf cbMenuItem_Click
> > >
> > > ' I also tried this but it did not work !!
> > > ' --- AddHandler
> > > DirectCast(WordApp.CommandBars.Item("File").Controls("MyCustomMenu
> > > "), Microsoft.Office.Core.CommandBarButton).Click, AddressOf
> > > cbMenuItem_Click
> > >
> > > ' Funny enough this one works (i.e. for the built in Word
> > > menu: Save As)
> > > ' --- AddHandler
> > > DirectCast(WordApp.CommandBars.Item("File").Controls("Save
> > > &As..."), Microsoft.Office.Core.CommandBarButton).Click, AddressOf
> > > cbMenuItem_Click End Function
> > >
> > >
> > > Public Sub cbMenuItem_Click(ByVal Ctrl As
> > > Microsoft.Office.Core.CommandBarButton, ByRef CancelDefault As
> > > Boolean) ' This event never gets fired for custom menus
> > > !!!! MsgBox("This is my event handler!",
> > > MsgBoxStyle.Information) End Sub
> >