Using .NET library in VBA

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Three easy steps for exporting .NET functionality to VBA:

1. Write a source file:

 

 using System;

using System.Collections.Generic;

using System.Linq;

using System.Text;

using System.Runtime.InteropServices;

using System.Windows.Forms;



namespace InteropTest

{

    [Guid("BEB2C62D-5646-4B08-81DF-670314BFEE4A")]

    public class InteropTestClass

    {

        public void Help()

        {

            MessageBox.Show("Hello From .NET!");

        }



    }

}

The GUID needs to be unique.

2. Generate a strong key to sign the assembly:

sn -k MyKey.snk

3. Compile the C# file using CSC:

csc /target:library /out:tstint.dll MyClass.cs /keyfile:MyKey.snk

 

We now have a DLL that can be exported to another machine with the .NET Framework installed. On the target machnie, the assembly needs to be registered:

regasm tstint.dll /codebase /tlb:tstint.tlb

 

Now the library can be used in Office by selecting it from the list of references in VBA:

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