50059 - Visual Studio 2005 Tools for the Microsoft Office System

This two-day instructor-led (Level 400) course provides students with the knowledge to develop solutions based on Microsoft Word 2003, Microsoft Excel 2003, or Microsoft Outlook 2003. You'll learn about the types of solutions you can create with Visual Studio Tools for Office, understand how to work with the Microsoft Office object models, find out how to create your own user interface through Windows forms or the Actions pane, learn about deploying your solutions to end-user computers, and much more.

After completing this course, students will be able to:

• Build solutions with Microsoft Office using Visual Basic
• Read and understand examples from other sources that are presented in C#

Module 1: Getting Started with Visual Studio Tools for Office
This module explains solutions that can be built using Visual Studio 2005 Tools for the Microsoft Office system, together with the Microsoft Office 2003 system.

Lessons
• Building Solutions with the Microsoft Office System
• Creating Your First Visual Studio Tools for Office Project
• Taking a Closer Look at an Office Project

Lab : Getting Started with Visual Studio Tools for Office
• Overview
• Creating a Word Code-Behind Solution
• Adding Code to a Word Event

After completing this module, students will be able to:
• Build solutions using Visual Studio 2005 Tools for the Microsoft Office system together with the Microsoft Office 2003 system
• Create a simple Visual Studio Tools for Office solution
• Understand the components that make up a Visual Studio Tools for Office solution

Module 2: Working with Office Object Models
This module explains how unmanaged objects work in a managed code environment to write code that runs in response to users' actions and how to control objects through code.

Lessons
• Using COM Objects in a Managed Code Environment
• Working with Properties, Methods, and Member Objects
• Responding to Events
• Using Word Objects
• Working with Excel Objects
• Navigating Outlook Objects

Lab : Working with Office Object Models
• Overview
• Using Active Objects in Excel
• Spell-checking a Document on Close
• Creating a New Assignment

After completing this module, students will be able to:
• Understand how unmanaged objects work in a managed code environment
• Launch an Office application from a console application
• Write code that runs in response to a user's action
• Control some of most commonly used Excel, Work, and Outlook objects through code

Module 3: Understanding Special Techniques for C# Programmers
This module explains how to handle optional parameters and how to declare variables and accessor methods provided by the Word and Excel PIAs to read and change properties.

Lessons
• Using C# to Work with the Office Object Models
• Dealing with Optional Parameters
• Sending Arguments by Reference with Word
• Exploring Accessors in the Excel and Word PIAs
• Using Late-Bound Members

Lab : Understanding Special Techniques for C# Programmers
• Overview
• Highlighting the Data in a Range
• Adding a New Document
• Spell-Checking a Document

After completing this module, students will be able to:
• Handle optional parameters in Excel and Word object members
• Declare variables and send them by reference when calling Word methods
• Explore some of the accessor methods provided by the Word and Excel PIAs to read and change properties
• Understand how the System.Reflection namespace can help work late-bound objects at design time

Module 4: Creating Add-Ins for Office
This module explains how to enhance applications by add-ins, use automation add-ins to provide new functions to Excel, and solutions using Outlook VSTO add-ins.

Lessons
• Defining Add-Ins
• Creating Your Own Functions with Excel
• Building COM Add-Ins in Word and Excel
• Creating VSTO Add-Ins in Outlook

Lab : Creating Add-Ins for Office
• Overview
• Creating an Excel User-Defined Function
• Building a Word Add-In
• Creating a VSTO Add-In for Outlook

After completing this module, students will be able to:
• Understand how an add-in provides application-wide enhancements
• Use automation add-ins to provide new functions to Excel
• Understand which problems inherent in managed code COM add-ins are solved with Outlook VSTO add-ins

Module 5: Building Code-Behind Solutions
This module explains how to use the Visual Studio templates to create code-behind solutions, add a Windows Forms control directly to the document, and understand how host controls add functionality.

Lessons
• Adding Managed Code to an Office Document
• Working with Windows Forms and Controls
• Using Host Controls

Lab : Building Code-Behind Solutions
• Overview
• Creating an Excel Code-Behind Solution
• Restoring a Default View at Startup
• Adding a Combo Box to Sort a List

After completing this module, students will be able to:
• Use the Visual Studio templates available in Visual Studio Tools for Office to create code-behind solutions for Word and Excel
• Understand the two files that make up a code-behind solution
• Add a Windows Forms control directly to the document in a code-behind project
• Understand how host controls add functionality to some commonly used objects in Word and Excel

Module 6: Working with the Actions Pane
This module explains how to take control of the task pane in Word and Excel, how to use the ActionsPane control, and how to add and remove controls.

Lessons
• Introducing the Actions Pane
• Adding Multiple Controls with the User Control
• Making the Actions Pane Context-Sensitive

Lab : Working with the Actions Pane
• Overview
• Adding an Actions pane to a Word Solution
• Using the Actions Pane to Provide Context-Sensitive Help

After completing this module, students will be able to:
• Take control of the task pane in Word and Excel
• Understand how the ActionsPane control relates to the task pane seen in Word and Excel
• Use the user control to design the Actions pane
• Add and remove controls from the Actions pane, both at startup and after the user has worked with the document

Module 7: Creating Data-Driven Solutions
This module explains the basics of ADO.NET, how to add a DataSet to a solution, how to add DataTables, and how to bind a set of rows to a list.

Lessons
• Setting Up a Data Source
• Binding Data to an Excel Workbook
• Binding Data to a Word Document
• Using Data in the Actions Pane

Lab : Creating Data-Driven Solutions
• Overview
• Setting Up a Data Source
• Implementing an Actions Pane Query UI
• Binding a Worksheet List Object

After completing this module, students will be able to:
• Understand the basics of ADO.NET and how those basics apply to data-driven solutions in Word and Excel
• Add a DataSet to a solution and add DataTables based on queries designed rather than stored database objects
• Bind a single field to a host control in Word and Excel
• Use a control when and with what rows DataTables are filled in a solution
• Try out data binding in an Actions pane

Module 8: Deploying Visual Studio Tools for Office Solutions
This module explains the deployment modes, how to use manual techniques to deploy a document-based solution, and how to set a security policy.

Lessons
• Sharing Your Solutions with Others
• Deploying Your First Word or Excel Solution
• Deploying to Different Folders
• Deploying with the Publish Wizard
• Deploying an Outlook Add-In

Lab : Deploying Visual Studio Tools for Office Solutions
• Overview
• Deploying a Solution to a Single Folder
• Deploying a Solution's Document to a Different Folder
• Deploying a Strong-Named Solution with the Publish Wizard

After completing this module, students will be able to:
• Understand deployment models that can be used to share solutions with others
• Understand what must be installed on an end-user computer to run solutions
• Use manual techniques to deploy a document-based solution
• Set a security policy so that a solution can run on the end-user's computer
• Understand how application and deployment manifests work

This course is intended for students who want to develop solutions and have a programming background and some experience in Visual Basic.

Before attending this course, students must have:

• Familiarity with Visual Studio 2003 or 2005 and .NET Framework