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Outlook Add-in
 
Brian Vicary




Posts: 2
 Joined: 2022-02-02
I have just downloaded Add-In Express so I am totally unfamiliar with it, but I wanted to ask a couple of questions before I delve into it.

I understand that Add-In Express can create an installer/setup for any add-ins, but is it possible to create an add-in that can be installed from the Microsoft Store. ie. The user selects "Manage COM Add-ins" and can add it from a browser? Add-in Express would need to create a XML Manifest, I think.

I want to create an add-in that uses a pin able task pane. Is this possible using Add-In Express? From what I have read it should be, but I couldn't find a specific tutorial for it.

Sorry if these are rather basic questions.

Thank you for any guidance.
Posted 02 Feb, 2022 15:11:32 Top
Andrei Smolin


Add-in Express team


Posts: 18833
 Joined: 2006-05-11
Hello Brian,

Add-in Express is about COM add-ins.

Microsoft Store doesn't accept COM add-ins and VSTO add-ins; see the first Note at https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/vsto/development-best-practices-for-com-vsto-and-vba-add-ins-in-office?view=vs-2022.

They only accept Javasript-based Office add-ins.

Regards from Poland (CET),

Andrei Smolin
Add-in Express Team Leader
Posted 03 Feb, 2022 03:43:01 Top
Brian Vicary




Posts: 2
 Joined: 2022-02-02
Hi Andrei

Thank you for your reply.

Is Add-in Express perhaps not the correct tool for us? As you can probably tell, this is a whole new venture for us and currently I am in totally uncharted waters.

We were hoping to distribute our add-in via the store or by sideloading direct from our server, but this is only because we believe that to be the simplest route for users. Are we mistaken in this? We want to minimise the requirement for Admin rights so that our users shouldn't have to employ their IT Support to install it.

While I am struggling a little with the Add-in Express tutorials at the moment, I can see the immense value in using ADD-in Express for communicating with the Office API. I can see how complex it would be to design an add-in without such support.

As is so often the case I am on a very tight deadline, which is never good when starting a totally new, and unfamiliar, project, but I am struggling to find an appropriate way forward. Any guidance you can provide would be gratefully received.

Thanks again.
Posted 03 Feb, 2022 07:53:00 Top
Andrei Smolin


Add-in Express team


Posts: 18833
 Joined: 2006-05-11
Hello Brian,

Add-in Express allows creating COM add-ins. Such add-ins can only be loaded in Office on Windows Desktop. As said, they can't be deployed via Office Store. So, you can deploy them using e.g. a per-user MSI; such an .MSI *normally* doesn't produce permission-related issues.

That is, if you need to support other platforms, you should choose Office Add-ins; see https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/office/dev/add-ins/overview/office-add-ins. In that case, you would be able to load your add-in from your server.

There's a significant difference between the object model available for an Office add-in and the object model available for the COM add-in; the latter is far more developed and it provides far more features and freedom for developers.

Also, deployment of a COM add-in produce more issues than deployment of an Office add-in.

This is a top-level description. If you provide more details, I may be able to provide more details, too.

Regards from Poland (CET),

Andrei Smolin
Add-in Express Team Leader
Posted 03 Feb, 2022 08:08:58 Top