Excel dependent on .Net Framework Runtime?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

Hello everyone,


I am wondering whether Microsoft Excel 2003 is a native application or
dependent on any .Net Framework Runtime, like 1.1, 2.0 or 3.0?

How about Microsoft Excel 2007?


thanks in advance,
George
 
Run Excel 2003 and use some software (like Process Explorer) to see loaded
modules of excel.exe (2003), I didn't find any DLL related to .NET. You can do
the same check with Excel 2007.
 
Thanks man,


What is "Process Explorer"? Could you provide an URL please?


regards,
George
 
George said:
Hello everyone,


I am wondering whether Microsoft Excel 2003 is a native application or
dependent on any .Net Framework Runtime, like 1.1, 2.0 or 3.0?

How about Microsoft Excel 2007?
Click to expand...

Both Excel 2003 and Excel 2007 have the ability to load .NET assemblies
(created with VSTO - Visual Studio Tools for Office). Excel itself,
however, is a native app, and AFIAK doesn't require the .NET framework to
run.

-cd
 
Thanks Carl,


Could you describe in more details what means "the ability to load .NET
assemblies"? Excel loading .Net assembly by some platform interop
technologies or some other means?


regards,
George
 
George said:
Thanks Carl,


Could you describe in more details what means "the ability to load
.NET assemblies"? Excel loading .Net assembly by some platform interop
technologies or some other means?
Click to expand...

Exactly.

Excel hosts the CLR, which is simply a collection of DLLs; the CLR, in turn,
hosts managed assemblies, which are also nothing but DLLs. Those managed
DLLs interact with Excel through an Interop layer (a PIA - Primary Interop
Assembly).

-cd
 
Thanks Carl,


Still a little confusing. :-)

Excel is a native application and it should not have any .Net Code, right?
So, I am wondering what are the managed assemblies Excel will interact? Could
you show me some examples what are they?

(I think they should be some plug-ins, but I am not quite sure.)


regards,
George
 
George said:
Thanks Carl,


Still a little confusing. :-)

Excel is a native application and it should not have any .Net Code,
right?
Click to expand...

The CLR itself is a native application (a few DLLs) - any native application
can be modified to load the CLR via the CLR Hosting APIs (look 'em up on
MSDN). Once the CLR is loaded, that application can host .NET assemblies
and can expose it's own internals via it's own interop facilities to .NET
assemblies.

So, I am wondering what are the managed assemblies Excel will
interact? Could you show me some examples what are they?
(I think they should be some plug-ins, but I am not quite sure.)
Click to expand...

Yes, they'd be plug-ins of some sort, developed using VSTO. IIUC, Excel
also support COM-based plug-ins, VBA programs and macros - there's more
ways to extend Excel (or Word) than you can shake a stick at.

-cd
 
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