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POMy C# COM Library Isn't Working Right; Can't Instantiate The Class and a Method Appears As a Property
 

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  1. POMy C# COM Library Isn't Working Right; Can't Instantiate The Class and a Method Appears As a Property
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    <p>I'm writing a COM DLL in C# to handle the import and export of X.12 format documents, so I would be able to use it in an Access database and a custom program for handling EDI with my company. I've gotten a DLL to compile but with disappointing results, and I'm wondering if I'm missing something; COM "from scratch" is new ground to me (I've made a ribbon for Excel before but a wizard handled all of that).</p> <p>I've read <a href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/c3fd4a20" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this article on MSDN</a> and came across <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/853553/warning-msb3391-dll-does-not-contain-any-types-that-can-be-unregistered-for-co">this question here</a> to get my DLL and TLB to compile and register. This is the skeleton of my X12Segment class and the interface for COM visibility:</p> <pre class="lang-cs prettyprint-override"><code>using System; using System.Collections; using System.Linq; using System.Runtime.InteropServices; using System.Text; namespace X12 { [Guid("28A76274-05EE-45B2-A8EF-ADD5A5B351DE"), ComVisible(true)] public interface IX12Segment { [DispId(1)] string SegmentType { get; set; } [DispId(2)] string[] Fields { get; set; } [DispId(3)] char FieldDelimiter { get; set; } [DispId(4)] char SegmentDelimiter { get; set; } [DispId(5)] string ToString(char sep, char eol); [DispId(6)] string ToString(); [DispId(7)] Type GetFieldEnum(); } [Guid("B321599A-E5EC-4510-A021-E9A8B4D6293E"), ClassInterface(ClassInterfaceType.None), ComVisible(true)] public class X12Segment : IX12Segment { private string _type; protected ArrayList _fields; protected short _minFields = -1; protected short _maxFields = -1; protected short[][] _fieldSizes = { new short[] { -1, -1 } }; protected char _sep; protected char _eol; public enum Field { } /// &lt;summary&gt; /// Creates a new X.12 segment of the supplied type, /// optionally with a supplied number of fields or /// values. /// &lt;/summary&gt; /// &lt;param name="segType"&gt;The type of segment (eg "ISA", "GS")&lt;/param&gt; /// &lt;param name="fields"&gt;Each string is a field /// within the segment&lt;/param&gt; public X12Segment(string segType, params string[] fields) : this(segType) { //Do cool stuff } /// &lt;summary&gt; /// Creates a new X.12 segment from a string. /// &lt;/summary&gt; /// &lt;param name="segType"&gt;The type of segment (eg "ISA", "GS")&lt;/param&gt; /// &lt;param name="segment"&gt;The string to parse&lt;/param&gt; public X12Segment(string segType, string segment) : this(segType) { //Do cool stuff } /// &lt;summary&gt; /// Creates a new X.12 segment of the supplied type, /// optionally with a supplied number of fields or /// values. /// &lt;/summary&gt; /// &lt;param name="segType"&gt;The type of segment (eg "ISA", "GS")&lt;/param&gt; /// &lt;param name="fieldCount"&gt;The number of fields /// in this segment&lt;/param&gt; public X12Segment(string segType, int fieldCount) : this(segType) { //Do cool stuff } /// &lt;summary&gt; /// Creates a new X.12 segment of the supplied type, /// optionally with a supplied number of fields or /// values. /// &lt;/summary&gt; /// &lt;param name="segType"&gt;The type of segment (eg "ISA", "GS")&lt;/param&gt; public X12Segment(string segType) : this() { //Do cool stuff } public X12Segment() { //Do cool stuff } /// &lt;summary&gt; /// Gets or sets the segment type. /// &lt;/summary&gt; public string SegmentType { get; set; } /// &lt;summary&gt; /// Gets or sets all of the fields in the segment, /// in the form of an array of strings. /// &lt;/summary&gt; public string[] Fields { get; set; } /// &lt;summary&gt; /// Gets or sets the character used to seperate fields in the segment. /// &lt;/summary&gt; public char FieldDelimiter { get; set; } /// &lt;summary&gt; /// Gets or sets the character denoting the end of the segment. /// &lt;/summary&gt; public char SegmentDelimiter { get; set; } /// &lt;summary&gt; /// Generates an X.12 formatted segment. /// &lt;/summary&gt; /// &lt;param name="sep"&gt;The field delimiter to use.&lt;/param&gt; /// &lt;param name="eol"&gt;The segment delimiter to use.&lt;/param&gt; /// &lt;returns&gt;An X.12 formatted string.&lt;/returns&gt; public string ToString(char sep, char eol) { //Do cool stuff } /// &lt;summary&gt; /// Generates an X.12 formatted segment. /// &lt;/summary&gt; /// &lt;returns&gt;An X.12 formatted string.&lt;/returns&gt; public override string ToString() { //Do cool stuff } /// &lt;summary&gt; /// Returns the Type associated with the Field enumeration of this object. /// &lt;/summary&gt; /// &lt;returns&gt;A System.Type of this object's Field enumeration.&lt;/returns&gt; public virtual Type GetFieldEnum() { //Do cool stuff } } } </code></pre> <p>Now, when I open up VBA and add the reference, the class shows up in IntelliSense. However, when I Dim a variable with the X12Segment type, then put in the dot operator, the IntelliSense window that pops up shows me that ToString() is a property, not a method. Also, ToString's overload shows up as ToString_2. When I attempt <code>Set seg = New X12Segment</code>, VBA tells me that it's an invalid use of the New keyword.</p> <p>What am I missing here?</p> <h2>Update</h2> <p>I've revised my code as per the comments and answer below, and I have solutions for <code>New</code> not working and my ToString overload appearing funky in IntelliSense. A new problem arises, though; trying to access Fields gives me errors. <code>seg.Fields = someStringArray</code> gets me an error saying "Function or interface marked as restricted, or the function uses an Automation type not supported in Visual Basic".</p>
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    1. COI don't understand your problem. Those ARE properties, even in your C# code.
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      1. POMy C# COM Library Isn't Working Right; Can't Instantiate The Class and a Method Appears As a Property
      1. USDaniel Hilgarth
    2. COWhup. For some reason I thought I had more than that. But either way, ToString is a method and it shows up as a property. And I can't instantiate my X12Segment in VBA.
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      1. POMy C# COM Library Isn't Working Right; Can't Instantiate The Class and a Method Appears As a Property
      1. USp0lar_bear
    3. COMethod overloading isn't valid in COM (as well as some other technologies - see WCF, web services). That's why your ToString() / ToString_2() shows up like that - the compiler protected you from that implementation detail...
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      1. POMy C# COM Library Isn't Working Right; Can't Instantiate The Class and a Method Appears As a Property
      1. USGalacticCowboy
 

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