Late binding is actually what you're using now if you're using the Interop.
That's why you have to cast objects received from the Interop to the various
types exposed in the object models.
For true late binding you treat everything as an object and only access
properties using methods such as this:
oWhatever.GetType().InvokeMember("Subject", BindingFlags.Public |
BindingFlags.SetProperty, null, oWhatever, new object[] { "Test"});
That would set the Subject to "Test". After that of course you'd have to
save the item.
When you use late binding you also can't handle any object events.
Using the PIA's without Office or Outlook installed isn't really a good way
to go and may be a license breaker. That you'd have to take up with MS.
What I'd probably do is compile all my Office/Outlook related code into a
DLL and only load that if the applications were installed. I'd check in my
main code to see if they are installed, probably by reading the registry to
get the installation paths of any applications I wanted to use, and load or
not load the DLL as appropriate.
--
Ken Slovak
[MVP - Outlook]
http://www.slovaktech.com
Author: Absolute Beginner's Guide to Microsoft Office Outlook 2003
Reminder Manager, Extended Reminders, Attachment Options
http://www.slovaktech.com/products.htm
"Michael" <outlookissueman DeleteThis @fastmail.fm> wrote in message
news:OVbENjJJHHA.2312@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>I have written a standalone C# program which has used the Office/Outlook XP
>PIA's to access the Outlook Object Model, Word Object Model, etc. I link
>directly to the dll's which come in the PIA "kit", which is probably
>non-standard, but allows my standalone app to run even if Microsoft Office
>is not installed. I conditionalize my Office-related code by checking
>registry entries to determine if various Office applications are installed.
>This basically works.
>
> However, I would like to start using the Office 2003 PIA's and link
> properly to them via the GAC. These are not just a collection of PIA's
> and .reg files, but are instead an installer which requires Microsoft
> Office to be installed. This would make my application require Microsoft
> Office, which is not acceptable.
>
> Is there any way to build and distribute a C# application that can use the
> Microsoft Office object models when present, but also run without problems
> when Office is not installed? I have heard about late-binding, but don't
> know much about it... is that a possible solution? The examples I have
> seen make it seem difficult. Thanks in advance for the help.
>
> Michael
>
Microsoft Office