How To Use a Satellite DLL to Localize an Add-In

MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft Visual Basic features a Connect designer for Add-Ins. Under the "Advanced" tab of this designer, there is an option to specify a Satellite DLL. The Satellite DLL will contain resource information for localizing an Add-In.

Create a Satellite DLL

The sample below demonstrates how to create a Satellite DLL containing string resources necessary for localizing the Display Name and Description of an Add-In. It requires the Resource Editor to create the string resources. If the Resource Editor is not already installed within the Visual Basic IDE, select Add-In Manager under the Add-Ins menu and double-click on "VB 6 Resource Editor" so that the Load Behavior is Loaded.

1. Create a new ActiveX DLL project in Microsoft Visual Basic.
2. From the Tools menu, select Resource Editor.
3. In the Visual Basic Resource Editor dialog box, click the Edit String Tables button on the toolbar.
4. In the Edit String Tables dialog box, type This is My Add-In for resource Id 101.
5. Click the Insert New Row button on the Toolbar to create a new resource item 102, then type This is a description of My Add-In for resource Id 102.
6. Close the Edit String Tables dialog box.
7. In the Visual Basic Resource Editor dialog box, right-click the Resource File entry and click Save. Save the file as SatTest.res.
8. Close the Visual Basic Resource Editor.
9. On the Project menu, click Project1 Properties, and then click the General tab.
10. In the Project Name box, enter SatTest and click OK.
11. On the File menu, click Make SatTest.DLL.
12. On the File menu, click Save Project to save the SatTest.DLL project.

Using the Satellite Resource DLL with an Add-In

In the satellite DLL (SatTest.DLL) created above, two string resources were created:

• String resource #101, "This is My Add-In"
• String resource #102, "This is a description of My Add-In"

The sample below shows how to bind SatTest.DLL to an Add-In, and use the string resources to determine the Display Name and Description of the Add-In.

1. On the File menu, click New and create a new Add-In project.
2. In the Project Explorer, expand the Designer folder and double-click the Connect designer.
3. In the Connect Designer dialog box, enter #101 in the Add-In Display Name box and enter #102 in the Add-In Description box.
   
   NOTE: These values correspond to the resource IDs of the strings contained within SatTest.DLL.
4. Click the Advanced tab, and enter SatTest.DLL in the Satellite DLL Name box. This field binds the Add-In to the satellite DLL and will look in it for any requested resources.
5. Close the Connect Designer dialog box.
6. On the File menu, click Make MyAddin.dll.
7. On the File menu, click Save Project to save the MyAddin.dll project.
   
   NOTE : Make sure the Satellite DLL (SatTest.DLL) and the compiled Add-In (MyAddin.DLL) reside within the same directory.

Test the Add-In

1. On the File menu, click New and create a Standard EXE project.
2. On the Add-Ins menu, click Add-In Manager.
3. In the Add-In Manager Dialog Box, "This is My Add-In" is listed under "Available Add-Ins."
4. Click on "This is My Add-In." The Description field displays "This is a description of My Add-In."