Share via

Deploying Smart Documents Without Using an XML Expansion Pack [Office 2003 SDK Documentation]

  • Article

If your deployment has requirements that prevent the use of an XML expansion pack, you can also deploy your smart documents manually. To do this, you must mimic the file and registry modifications that Microsoft Office 2003 makes when an XML expansion pack is used to install a smart document. You can use the following steps to locate the registry information required to install your smart document:

  1. Create an XML expansion pack to install your smart document on your development computer.

  2. Use this XML expansion pack to install your smart document, and record the registry and file changes that Office makes when it installs the XML expansion pack.

    Note  There are commercial software packages that track and record this information.

  3. Create a Microsoft Windows Installer package (.msi file) that makes these exact modifications to the user's computer upon installation.

    Important  If a smart document was installed by using an installation package, and the manifestLocation subkey (located under the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Schema Library\ or HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Schema Library\ key) is missing, Microsoft Office Excel 2003 will quit unexpectedly if a user clicks Update in the XML Expansion Packs dialog box (on the XML submenu of the Data menu).

    To avoid this problem, either install smart documents by using an XML expansion pack manifest file or make sure that your installation package writes a manifestLocation registry subkey value, even if the value is an empty string. With an incorrect manifestLocation value, if the user clicks Update in the XML Expansion Packs dialog box, Excel will display an "XML expansion pack is invalid" error message; however, Excel will continue to function properly.

Note  Understanding how Office sets up the file and registry information may be helpful when you are trying to mimic the installation that is performed when an XML expansion pack is installed. For more information, see How Office Installs XML Expansion Packs.