How to programatically set OL2000 COM Addin Load Order

[Eric Cozzi]

My product installs two OL2000 COM Addins/DLLs. The first addin adds a
Command Bar, Pulldown menu, and other functionality. The second addin
modifies first addins command bar and menu (so, in order for the second COM
addin to load properly, the first addin must be loaded first).

I am using an InstallShield Professional (non-MSI based) script to install
both of these COM dlls. When I launch Outlook after installing, only the
unmodified CommandBar and Menu are shown. But, when I check the
Tools/Options/Advanced/ComAddins property sheet, both AddIns are selected.
If I deselect the second addin and then reselect it, it will load and show
fine from then on.

This makes me think that the load order is getting set wrong. Is there a way
that I can programatically set the load order? Or, another idea... a way
that I can tell Outlook to delay the load of the second DLL if I can't
detect the first addins command bar?

Clear as mud?

Thanks!
Eric Cozzi

 

[Ken Slovak - [MVP - Outlook]]

You cannot directly control the order in which COM addins load.

However, there's a workaround you can use. Each COM addin has a
..Connect property. If you set that False and then True it will
disconnect and then connect again. So one COM addin can check for the
..Connect status of the other one and do what it has to do.

--
Ken Slovak
[MVP - Outlook]
http://www.slovaktech.com
Lead Author, Professional Outlook 2000 Programming, Wrox Press
Lead Author, Beginning VB 6 Application Development, Wrox Press
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