How do I create a real-time Excel automation add-in in C# using RtdServer?

Question

I was tasked with writing a real-time Excel automation add-in in C# using RtdServer for work. I relied heavily on the knowledge that I came across in Stack Overflow. I have decide to express my thanks by writing up a how to document that ties together all that I have learned. Kenny Kerr's Excel RTD Servers: Minimal C# Implementation article helped me get started. I found comments by Mike Rosenblum and Govert especially helpful.

Answer 1

(As an alternative to the approach described below you should consider using Excel-DNA. Excel-DNA allows you to build a registration-free RTD server. COM registration requires administrative privileges which may lead to installation headaches. That being said, the code below works fine.)

To create a real-time Excel automation add-in in C# using RtdServer:

1) Create a C# class library project in Visual Studio and enter the following:

using System;
using System.Threading;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel;

namespace StackOverflow
{
    public class Countdown
    {
        public int CurrentValue { get; set; }
    }

    [Guid("EBD9B4A9-3E17-45F0-A1C9-E134043923D3")]
    [ProgId("StackOverflow.RtdServer.ProgId")]
    public class RtdServer : IRtdServer
    {
        private readonly Dictionary<int, Countdown> _topics = new Dictionary<int, Countdown>();
        private Timer _timer;

        public int ServerStart(IRTDUpdateEvent rtdUpdateEvent)
        {
            _timer = new Timer(delegate { rtdUpdateEvent.UpdateNotify(); }, null, TimeSpan.Zero, TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5));
            return 1;
        }

        public object ConnectData(int topicId, ref Array strings, ref bool getNewValues)
        {
            var start = Convert.ToInt32(strings.GetValue(0).ToString());
            getNewValues = true;

            _topics[topicId] = new Countdown { CurrentValue = start };

            return start;
        }

        public Array RefreshData(ref int topicCount)
        {
            var data = new object[2, _topics.Count];
            var index = 0;

            foreach (var entry in _topics)
            {
                --entry.Value.CurrentValue;
                data[0, index] = entry.Key;
                data[1, index] = entry.Value.CurrentValue;
                ++index;
            }

            topicCount = _topics.Count;

            return data;
        }

        public void DisconnectData(int topicId)
        {
            _topics.Remove(topicId);
        }

        public int Heartbeat() { return 1; }

        public void ServerTerminate() { _timer.Dispose(); }

        [ComRegisterFunctionAttribute]
        public static void RegisterFunction(Type t)
        {
            Microsoft.Win32.Registry.ClassesRoot.CreateSubKey(@"CLSID\{" + t.GUID.ToString().ToUpper() + @"}\Programmable");
            var key = Microsoft.Win32.Registry.ClassesRoot.OpenSubKey(@"CLSID\{" + t.GUID.ToString().ToUpper() + @"}\InprocServer32", true);
            if (key != null)
                key.SetValue("", System.Environment.SystemDirectory + @"\mscoree.dll", Microsoft.Win32.RegistryValueKind.String);
        }

        [ComUnregisterFunctionAttribute]
        public static void UnregisterFunction(Type t)
        {
            Microsoft.Win32.Registry.ClassesRoot.DeleteSubKey(@"CLSID\{" + t.GUID.ToString().ToUpper() + @"}\Programmable");
        }
    }
}

2) Right click on the project and Add > New Item... > Installer Class. Switch to code view and enter the following:

using System.Collections;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;

namespace StackOverflow
{
    [RunInstaller(true)]
    public partial class RtdServerInstaller : System.Configuration.Install.Installer
    {
        public RtdServerInstaller()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }

        [System.Security.Permissions.SecurityPermission(System.Security.Permissions.SecurityAction.Demand)]
        public override void Commit(IDictionary savedState)
        {
            base.Commit(savedState);

            var registrationServices = new RegistrationServices();
            if (registrationServices.RegisterAssembly(GetType().Assembly, AssemblyRegistrationFlags.SetCodeBase))
                Trace.TraceInformation("Types registered successfully");
            else
                Trace.TraceError("Unable to register types");
        }

        [System.Security.Permissions.SecurityPermission(System.Security.Permissions.SecurityAction.Demand)]
        public override void Install(IDictionary stateSaver)
        {
            base.Install(stateSaver);

            var registrationServices = new RegistrationServices();
            if (registrationServices.RegisterAssembly(GetType().Assembly, AssemblyRegistrationFlags.SetCodeBase))
                Trace.TraceInformation("Types registered successfully");
            else
                Trace.TraceError("Unable to register types");
        }

        public override void Uninstall(IDictionary savedState)
        {
            var registrationServices = new RegistrationServices();
            if (registrationServices.UnregisterAssembly(GetType().Assembly))
                Trace.TraceInformation("Types unregistered successfully");
            else
                Trace.TraceError("Unable to unregister types");

            base.Uninstall(savedState);
        }
    }
}

3) Right click on the project Properties and check off the following: Application > Assembly Information... > Make assembly COM-Visible and Build > Register for COM Interop

3.1) Right click on the project Add Reference... > .NET tab > Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel

4) Build Solution (F6)

5) Run Excel. Go to Excel Options > Add-Ins > Manage Excel Add-Ins > Automation and select "StackOverflow.RtdServer"

6) Enter "=RTD("StackOverflow.RtdServer.ProgId",,200)" into a cell.

7) Cross your fingers and hope that it works!

Answer 2

Calling UpdateNotify from the timer thread will eventually cause strange errors or disconnections from Excel.

The UpdateNotify() method must only be called from the same thread that calls ServerStart(). It's not documented in RTDServer help, but it is restriction of COM.

The fix is simple. Use DispatcherSynchronizationContext to capture the thread that calls ServerStart and use that to dispatch calls to UpdateNotify:

public class RtdServer : IRtdServer
{
    private IRTDUpdateEvent _rtdUpdateEvent;
    private SynchronizationContext synchronizationContext;

    public int ServerStart( IRTDUpdateEvent rtdUpdateEvent )
    {
        this._rtdUpdateEvent = rtdUpdateEvent;
        synchronizationContext = new DispatcherSynchronizationContext();
        _timer = new Timer(delegate { PostUpdateNotify(); }, null, TimeSpan.Zero, TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5));
        return 1;
    }


    // Notify Excel of updated results
    private void PostUpdateNotify()
    {
        // Must only call rtdUpdateEvent.UpdateNotify() from the thread that calls ServerStart.
        // Use synchronizationContext which captures the thread dispatcher.
        synchronizationContext.Post( delegate(object state) { _rtdUpdateEvent.UpdateNotify(); }, null);
    }

    // etc
} // end of class

Answer 3

Following the previous two answers for the RTD server worked for me. However I ran into an issue when on an x64 machine running Excel x64. In my case, until I switched the "target platform" of the project to x64, Excel always showed #N/A.