PRB: MSDev Doesn't Close When COM Reference Count Is Zero

• Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Editions, versions 5.0, 6.0
• Microsoft Visual Studio 97
• Microsoft Visual InterDev, version 1.0
• Microsoft Visual J++, versions 1.0, 1.1, 2.0

SYMPTOMS

After a Component Object Model (COM) client has loaded MSDev.exe using the COM automation interface, MSDev.exe does not automatically close when its last reference is released.

RESOLUTION

Use Application.Quit method of MSDev.exe to cause it to remove itself from memory just before releasing the last reference to it. See the MORE INFORMATION section of this article for sample Visual C++ and Visual Basic code.

STATUS

This behavior is by design.

MORE INFORMATION

MSDev.exe is the Developer Studio shell. In Visual Studio 97 it hosts Visual C++, Visual InterDev, Visual J++, and the InfoViewer. In Visual Studio 6.0, it only hosts Visual C++. It supports an automation interface that exposes its object model. An external application using the object model can access internal functions to automate tasks such as building projects, changing their settings, modifying text files, and so on.

The automation interface is based on COM technology. Most COM automation objects count the number of COM clients referencing them, and automatically terminate themselves when the reference count goes to zero. One example is Microsoft Word, which starts when a COM client creates a Word.Document object, and terminates when the last reference to that object is released.

In Visual C++, the following code illustrates proper automation of MSDev.exe:

    #import <devshl.dll>       // Create smart pointers for automation.
   using namespace DSSharedObjects;
   CoInitialize(NULL);        // Initialize COM.

   IApplicationPtr pApplication;

   if (pApplication.CreateInstance(__uuidof(DSSharedObjects::Application))
    == S_OK)
   {
      // Perform automation steps with pApplication.

      pApplication->Quit();
   }

   CoUninitialize(); 

   Dim msdev As Object
   Set msdev = CreateObject("MSDev.Application") ' Create a new instance of
                                                 ' MSDev.exe.

   ' Perform automation steps here.

   msdev.Quit           ' Force MSDev.exe to unload.
   Set msdev = Nothing  ' De-reference MSDev.exe. 

REFERENCES

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q192913 BUG: EnableModeless Causes Events to Fire Late

Visual C++ 5.0 Online Help: Developer Products; Visual C++; Developer Studio Environment User's Guide; Automating Tasks in Developer Studio; Developer Studio Objects; Overview: Developer Studio Objects; Automating Developer Studio Tasks from Other Applications

MSDN Library: Platform SDK; COM and ActiveX Object Services; COM

Visual C++ 6.0 Online Help: Visual C++ Documentation; Using Visual C++; Visual C++ User's Guide; Automating Task's in Visual C++; Developer Studio Objects; Overview: Developer Studio Objects; Automating Developer Studio Tasks from Other Applications

Additional query words:

Keywords : kbAutomation kbide kbVC500 kbVC600 kbVisID100 kbVJ100 kbVJ110 kbVS97 kbDevStudio kbVJ200 kbGrpDSTools kbvc600faq
Version : WINDOWS:1.0,1.1,2.0,97; winnt:5.0,6.0
Platform : WINDOWS winnt
Issue type : kbprb