VS 2005 Demo version & Release build

[seahunt]

Greetings,
I got the 180 day trial of Visual Studio 2005 and created an app that reads from Outlook. I've been trying to figure out a bug.
I can select in Project Options to build all configuration. In Obj\Debug, it puts an executable. In Bin\Debug it puts an executable. But in Bin\Release there is nothing.
Two questions. What is the difference between the Obj and Bin directories.
Also, does the Trial version just not put out a Release build? This is interesting, because the app uses the Outlook Interop.DLL and as far as I can tell, it will not use the one in the GAC. It wants to access the local version. So I am wondering if only the Release build will access the GAC and the Debug versions will only access the local DLL.
Fairly curious, as I am trying to demonstrate that Outlook Ites can be extracted from any machine.... and it doesn't work well .... on other machines. Even on my machine, it must have the Interop.DLL in the same directory. I know that in c:\Windows\Assembly is Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook from the full install of Office 2003 Professional.
Any thoughts would be appreciated. I looked for the build info a fair amount and did not find it.
Thansk, Mike

 

[JohnH]

Obj folder is used by compiler as part of the compile process that outputs to Bin folder, Bin\Debug or Bin\Release by default, depending on configuration option set from Build menus Configuration Manager.

There is no limit to the Trail as far as I know. Download page says "full retail functionality".

Interop files are not the actual object libraries, they are type wrappers for the "real deal". The interop files are part of the deployment package and is as you say used locally from the assembly. The real object libraries is prioritized from GAC if present there during runtime.

 

[seahunt]

That's all well and good, but.....

Shouldn't a .exe file be made in the bin\release directory then? It's just not being made even when I select All Configurations in the project properties.
Why does the error I recieve say that the interop file is missing from the local test directory then? It should be looking for it in the GAC, not locally.
Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks, Miguelito

 

[JohnH]

The default setting produces the exe in Bin\Release if you have chosen Release mode and Bin\Debug for Debug mode.

Interop is not the object library itself as I said, the interop is a type wrapper that is needed and used locally. The functionality of the mapped object library is used from GAC if present there during runtime.

 

[seahunt]

I dunno about that.

What you say makes sense, but it doesn't seem to be so. Nothing is ever created in the bin\release directory (which I created manually anyway). On the Properties page, under the Build tab, Configuration has been set to both Release and All Configurations. There is still nothing at all in the Release directory. When Release is selected, it did make an executable in the bin\debug directory. ... I wonder if that could really be a release version, just put into debug. ... Whatever Microsoft says though, I don't think the trialware will make a Release version. I tried it on a number of other test projects and none created the release directory even.

What it is is I am trying to run an application to extract Calendar and Task Items from Outlook in Office 2003. the application dies at
objOutlook = new Outlook.ApplicationClass();
objNamespace = objOutlook.GetNamespace("MAPI");
the error it throws is
************** Exception Text **************
System.IO.FileNotFoundException: Retrieving the COM class factory for component with CLSID {0006F03A-0000-0000-C000-000000000046} failed due to the following error: 8007007e.
.
.
.
.----------------------------------------
Interop.Outlook
Assembly Version: 9.2.0.0
Win32 Version: 9.2.0.0
CodeBase: file:///C:/ForOutlookExtract/Interop.Outlook.DLL
----------------------------------------

So from what you have said, it seems that it means the final error is coming from the Interop.Outlook.DLL as it tries to call the library in the GAC, Windows/Assembly. The library is there... Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook .. 11.0
I don't know if it is because there is no release version, but I have been wondering.
I'm trying to come up with any solution, which is why I'm trying to figure out if it is because it is not a release build.
It works on my machine.
It worked on my test machine until I put a GUI wrapper on it (no code change) then it could do Task Items, but could not caste the Calendar Items to Appointments.
I tried it on another machine and it just fails with the above error.
It's basically driving me nuts.
.... Any ideas would be welcome....
Thanks, Mike

 

[JohnH]

This has nothing to do with debug or release mode, neither has it got anything to do with if the targeted library is a GAC or not.

So when you go to Project properties, Compile tab, what paths are there for Release and Debug mode? Just in case you have deleted a default setting, look into this.

When MS say the only limit for the Trail is the time expiration, I believe that.

The problem could be related to using generated interops instead of the official PIAs.(which also behave same as the object library itself, I believe, ie linked locally at development but used from GAC at runtime)

 

[cjard]

If you have installed full vs 2005 then you should be able to create c# projects too.

Create a new windows c# application and set the dropdown box to Release (on the main gui, near the play button to start debugging) and choose Solution from the Build menu...

Do you get anything in the release folder now?

 

[seahunt]

Gentlemen, Gentlemen,
Thank you all for your consideration, but ..... FYI..... it appears that the Trial Version of Visual Studio 2005 Enterprise (180 day) does NOT produce a release version. I opened the same project with Visual Studio Express 2005 and it created a release version in the release directory.... that worked perfectly. Not that this is going to get my company to buy a version, but HooRah! I got my application to work. I can extract Outlook Items to SQL server and serve them in peoples web pages. Well what do you know.
Thank you all for your consideration, Mike Breeden - VP of Senile Foilage Maintenance and Head Bottle Washer.

http://www.diver.net/seahunt
http://a1swdeveloper.com

 

[jwh]

180 day trial most certainly does produce release versions. Mine does.