install and deploy .dotx without setup or vsto install

Question

 

Hi

 

i have build a word template using vsto 08. in word template i use webs services to gets some content controll. when i debugg my project i get related information in content controll.

 

when i build this solution i get some manifest files, dotx, .vsto,setup  and .dll.

 

to use this dotx file i need to install setup file. and then i can use this dotx in sharepoint. in sharepoint contnet type will use this dotx. that will be done from different klient pces by different users.

 

is their any solution that i can avoid to install the setup and during build i can get dotx. file which i can just share with sharepoint and i dont need to install on each user pc?

 

i get also "the customization asembly could not be found and load" when i try to open same dotx. on a pc where setup havent been installet or not. in both cases.

 

some one can help me?

thanks for wirting me back

Answer 1

hi ahmriz,

 

yes, you can deploy a document, workbook, or template without the setup.exe or the .vsto file.  there are some extra steps that you need to take to enable this.

 

1. the .dotx file still needs to know how to find the .vsto file.  in document-level solutions, this path is stored as a custom document property.  you can set the _AssemblyLocation custom document property in two different ways: set the Installation Path in the Publish Wizard or Publish Page of the Project Designer or manually through Word Options.  once you set the _AssemblyLocation, all copies of a document created from your template will also know how to locate the customization assembly.

 

2. the Sharepoint document library must be added to the Trusted Locations in Word, or the customization will not run.

 

3. all the end user computers must have all the prerequisites already installed, or Word won't know how to deal with the customization assembly.  this includes Word 2007, Word primary interop assembly, VSTO 3.0 runtime, and .NET Framework 3.5. 

 

steps 1 and 2 are documented in How to: Deploy a Document-Level Office Solution to a SharePoint Server (2007 System).  you can find the download links for the various redistributable files in Installing Visual Studio Tools for Office.

 

m.

Answer 2

Thanks Mary

 

the problem was solved when i buildet, published and installed at the same folder(which is a share folder) and uploaded at sharepoint content type (also added as trusted location in word).

 

that works fine for my administrator account. but when i log inn as test user the word promt error that coutomize assembly cant be loaded or not fine. i have set all rights as administrator for test user on the share folder.

 

even when i have installed the setup.exe or .vsto is done.

 

the error shows in detail

"Customization could not be loaded because the application domain could not be created."

 

what does that means. i suggest i miss some thing on this test account.?

some one know?

 

 

 

 

Answer 3

hi ahmriz,

 

VSTO solutions are installed and secured per user.  that means that when you log in with the test user account, you need to add the SharePoint doc library location to the Office Trusted Locations again.

 

then, the VSTO solution will have sufficient privileges to load the customization assembly.

 

m.

Answer 4

Thanks for reply.

 

what i did is to use domain nettwork places(in our organization). and added build and publish folder inn.

 

and i had this folder *** trusted in word. but still i god the same message to install.same with my test user.

 

i seems that i need to install that for each user.

 

do any body know what install actually do. ? i tried Mary's answer but that did not helped. but i just found other solution.

 

thanks for reply

 

Answer 5

hi ahmriz,

 

in order to install and run VSTO solutions, trust is evaluated by three parts.

 

1. VSTO runtime

2. ClickOnce runtime

3. Office

 

all three of these need to consider the network location (in your case, the SharePoint doc library) to be trusted.  you can find the order in which these trust evaluations are done at Security in Office Solutions (2007 System).  there are also diagrams that demonstrate how these interact.

 

i'm not sure what the domain network places tool is that you're using.  you don't need to add the build or publish folders to any list, only the installation folder.  the publish folder is where Visual Studio copies the output after you use the Publish Wizard or the Publish page of the Project Designer.  the installation folder is a setting inside the Publish Wizard and Publish Page, which is the location that your end users will install the VSTO solution from.  the installation location is the directory that needs to be trusted.  there is more explanation about these paths in Publishing Office Solutions (2007 System).

 

is your test computer the same computer as your development computer or a different computer?  does the test computer have all the prerequisites installed: .NET Framework 3.5, Office primary interop assemblies, VSTO runtime, and Office?

 

m.

Answer 6

Hi

 

you arising a good question about the test user. test user is on the same computer as development. and i am sure that all prerequisites are installed.

 

reason i used nettwork file path( like \\xx\sharepoint\documents) and within domaine it works (and it is in trusted location in word from default and its subfolders). when i am away form office the word template never get same values, but i understand that. at the end these content type can be open anywhere from any computer.  

 

what i want to do is make a wordtemplate which will be assign with sharepoint content type and then content type will show the content control(these shows user profile using web services) in word template when user start new document based on its content type. and i dont want to let user to install anything when they open this word file.   

 

My coding works with and without having publish and bulid within same folder. or just publish path and install using setup.exe or .vsto. if i just want to ask you all how i can make this solution without having installation for the end user. in this case some of then have prerequisites installed and other not.

 

thanks for reply

Answer 7

hi ahmriz,

 

every VSTO solution must be installed by each user.  even if you don't use the setup.exe or .vsto file, opening the VSTO-customized template starts the installation process. 

 

some scenarios: you log into your development computer and build your solution.  you log out of that account, and log in as User1.  User1 must run the setup.exe, open the .vsto file, or open the .dotx template.  in any of those three scenarios, the VSTOinstaller.exe starts the installation.  if you log out of the User1 account and log in as User2, User2 must run the setup.exe, open the .vsto file, or open the .dotx template to begin the installation.

 

i apologize if i misunderstood your question at the beginning.  it is indeed possible to install a VSTO-customized template without setup.exe or the .vsto file, but the template must still be installed per user.  these three methods of installation are documented in How to: Install a ClickOnce Office Solution (2007 System).

 

ClickOnce does not require administrator privileges to install a VSTO solution; it is only the prerequisites that require admin rights (.NET Framework, Office PIAs, and VSTO runtime).  a normal user can install a VSTO-customized template on their own.  is there any reason why a template cannot be installed for normal users?

 

m.

Answer 8

Thank you all for helping me alot.

 

i have finished my project where i have a .dotx template which gets userprofile in word as contont control and this template is uploaded in sharepoint.

 

thanks everyone.

 

 

Answer 9

 

Hello,

 

I had the same problem. I developed one .dotx template and attached with sharepoint document library. it is attached when I installed the setup on server and add the two location as trusted location in word.

 

Now my problem is this when I am trying to access from any network PC or on same PC with different user Id then it's automatically ask me for installation. I don't want that it install customization for each user on each PC. Is their any soluation you found so I can installed on server and I can access from any where in sharepoint without any installation. Because my all users does not have installation rights.

 

Neha

Answer 10

hi neha,

 

see the previous section where i wrote this: every VSTO solution must be installed by each user.  even if you don't use the setup.exe or .vsto file, opening the VSTO-customized template starts the installation process. 

 

you cannot run Office solutions on the SharePoint server, and ClickOnce is designed to be a per-user install.  that means that if five different users log into the same computer and load the template, the installation occurs five times.

 

m.