C#, Word 2003 addIn and a toolbar button event.

Question

Hi

I'm trying to write application-level add-in for Word 2003. The plugin adds a button on a new commandbar - clicking the button saves active document and then performs some additional actions. When I launch Word 2003 and then click my commandbar button everything works fine. However if I launch Word 2003, open a new Word window by clicking toolbar button "New document" on a "Standard" toolbar and then click my commandbar button it turns out that no action is performed. It seems that my toolbar button on a new opened window has no "onclick" event handler assigned. Do you have any idea how to solve the problem ?
My add-in code is based on the code below:

private Office.CommandBar commandBar;
private Office.CommandBarButton docSaveButton;

private void ThisAddIn_Startup(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
{
  // prepare toolbar:
  try
  {
    commandBar = Application.CommandBars["MY_TOOLBAR"];
  }
  catch (ArgumentException)
  {
    //...
  }

  if (commandBar == null)
  {
    commandBar = Application.CommandBars.Add("MY_TOOLBAR", 1, missing, true);
  }
  commandBar.Visible = true;

  // addbutton: 
  docSaveButton = (Office.CommandBarButton)commandBar.Controls.Add(1, missing, missing, missing, missing);
  docSaveButton.Style = Microsoft.Office.Core.MsoButtonStyle.msoButtonIcon;
  docSaveButton.Caption = "My save";
  docSaveButton.Click += new Office._CommandBarButtonEvents_ClickEventHandler(docSaveButtonClick);
}

private void docSaveButtonClick(Office.CommandBarButton ctrl, ref bool cancel)
{
  MessageBox.Show("Hello !", "Hello !", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Information);
}

Regards JanK

Answer 1

Haven't done this in Word, but I believe in Outlook I got it to work by listening for NewWindow Events (called Explorers and Inspectors in Outlook), and re-adding the button when a new window is created (and using "true" as the last parameter in commandBar.Controls.Add to make the button "temporary" so you won't end up with two of 'em).

P.S. I agree it should work like you expect, and am not sure why this is needed (or how it should ever work if "temp" is "false").

Answer 2

I suspect your "add-in" is not loaded, but your toolbar is being persisted. Have you placed your "add-in" in one of Word's startup locations?

Frequently asked questions about the location of templates in Word 2003 or in Word 2007, Q3: Where Are My Word Add-in Files Saved?, http://support.microsoft.com/kb/826867.

Loading a Word Add-in, second bullet, http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa165426(office.10).aspx

•Automatically when Word starts, by saving the template file in the Word Startup folder on your computer. The default path to this folder is C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Word\Startup; if you're using user profiles, the default path is C:\Windows\Profiles\UserName\Application Data\Microsoft\Word\Startup. You can change this path in the Options dialog box