The issue of dynamically updating control state

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The issue of dynamically updating control state
The issue of dynamically updating control state 
hundun wds




Posts: 13
 Joined: 2020-05-12
Hello, I have some questions to ask, I am from China, this content is translated by software, it may be a little difficult to read, I hope you understand.
I developed an Outlook add-in and needed to dynamically modify the state of some controls in the Ribbon. However, after I modified the state of the controls in one Inspector, other Inspector also changed. It seems that the controls are global objects, and the controls are not independent from each other in the Inspector.Developing add-ins based on Microsoft's VSTO doesn't have this problem. Maybe I didn't get it.

In addition, if possible, could you please provide a help document in Chinese?
Posted 12 May, 2020 07:21:00 Top
Andrei Smolin


Add-in Express team


Posts: 18821
 Joined: 2006-05-11
Hello Hundun,

hundun wds writes:
after I modified the state of the controls in one Inspector, other Inspector also changed


Please check section Updating Ribbon Controls at Run Time; see the PDF file in the folder {Add-in Express}\Docs on your development PC or, you can find it at https://www.add-in-express.com/docs/net-ribbon-components.php#properties-events.

hundun wds writes:
In addition, if possible, could you please provide a help document in Chinese?


No, we don't have documents in Chinese.


Andrei Smolin
Add-in Express Team Leader
Posted 12 May, 2020 07:25:56 Top
hundun wds




Posts: 13
 Joined: 2020-05-12
Thank you very much for your reply, which is very useful to me. Although I don't understand English and I don't have Chinese documents, I still barely understand it with the help of translation software. I didn't expect your reply would be so timely
Posted 12 May, 2020 07:33:39 Top
hundun wds




Posts: 13
 Joined: 2020-05-12
I still have a question, could you please tell me if I can modify the form in the Outlook email editing interface?I need to add my own input box below the recipient to enter a custom field. What should I do?
Posted 12 May, 2020 07:40:13 Top
Andrei Smolin


Add-in Express team


Posts: 18821
 Joined: 2006-05-11
You are welcome.

This feature is built in Outlook. Check https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/office/vba/outlook/concepts/outlook-forms/create-an-outlook-form. An alternate way is to create a pane e.g. at the right of the Outlook email editor window; that window is often referred to as the Outlook Inspector window.


Andrei Smolin
Add-in Express Team Leader
Posted 12 May, 2020 08:37:15 Top
hundun wds




Posts: 13
 Joined: 2020-05-12
I'm sorry to ask you such a basic question, thank you for your patience to answer, I want to know is how to implement this functionality through add-ons, I need to modify the Outlook email editor interface originally, but I don't know how to modify, I see Microsoft official document has the function that can create a new Inspector, but if all to achieve the function of the original email editor interface, seems too complicated, is there a way can be modified on the basis of the original?Or inherit from the original form?

Another question is, how do I use a third-party packager to generate the installation package for the add-in I developed with add-in Express?I don't know what needs to be done during the installation process.

Your product integrates the function of packaging, but there are some problems for me. If the program is updated, the installation cannot be overwritten, and the system prompts that the old version needs to be uninstalled first. I don't know where to modify this setting.
Posted 12 May, 2020 08:53:25 Top
Andrei Smolin


Add-in Express team


Posts: 18821
 Joined: 2006-05-11
Hello Hundun,

hundun wds writes:
how to implement this functionality through add-ons


hundun wds writes:
is there a way can be modified on the basis of the original?Or inherit from the original form?


As far as I know (and I may be wrong), this isn't possible to do programmatically. This is why I suggested using a pane: it allows you to add required controls to the Outlook user interface.

hundun wds writes:
Another question is, how do I use a third-party packager to generate the installation package for the add-in I developed with add-in Express?


Please have a look in the Add-in Express manual; see the PDF file in the folder {Add-in Express}\Docs on your development PC. In particular, you need to check section Deployment.


hundun wds writes:
system need to uninstall the old version, I don't know where I can change this setting


You should check this in the documentation on the installation software product that you use. If you use WiX, have a look in section "Multiple-Language Installers"; see the PDF file in the folder {Add-in Express}\Docs on your development PC.


Andrei Smolin
Add-in Express Team Leader
Posted 12 May, 2020 09:07:22 Top