Com add-ins versus normal add-ins?

[c mateland]

I'm successfully using normal add-ins (ppa's) in PowerPoint, but I have
some users who notice the couple extra seconds PowerPoint takes to
open.

In concidering addressing this, I have to ask those with experience if
com add-ins typically load any faster? I know it depends on the code,
tasks, and such, but is there a general advantage in loading speed?

Thanks,
Chuck

 

[Austin Myers]

Nope, not really.


Austin Myers
MS PowerPoint MVP Team

Provider of PFCMedia http://www.pfcmedia.com

 

[c mateland]

Actually, I'm relieved to hear that. I didn't want to recreate this as
com add-ins.

In my testing, PowerPoint takes .8 of a second to open. With my add-ins
it can take 2.3 to 4.5 seconds for PowerPoint to open. On a slow dirty
computer it may take up to 7 seconds. I have found PowerPoint to be the
fastest opening program in the Office suite, and I think my users have
become used to it opening instantly. Word and Excel, OTOH, can take as
long to open as PowerPoint with my add-ins. I don't think the small
amount of extra start-up time is a real problem, it's just that they
aren't used to the delay, as small as it is. For the functionality the
add-ins provide, I think they just need to get used to it.

Thanks.

 

[Shyam Pillai]

Not much of a difference. Points to be considered is:
1. Which versions are you supporting, COM add-ins are supported only on
Office 2000 and onwards.
2. Do you want to protect your code? If yes, move to COM add-ins. PPA can
make it a little difficult but the source is hardly secure.
3. Is this going to be used in an enterprise environment with strict
policies/user restrictions in place? If yes, then I use a combination of the
two, the PPA as the loader for creating menu item etc and the rest of the
code in a COM dll.

PPA code will execute faster than from a COM add-in.


--
Regards.
Shyam Pillai

Handout Wizard
http://skp.mvps.org/how

 

[c mateland]

Thanks for detailed info, Shyam.

Tell me if I'm seeing this right...

A PPA add-in delays the start-up of PowerPoint about 2 seconds no
matter how little code it has. I just ran a test with a PPA add-in with
a blank procedure (not even an Autpen routine). I loaded it and then
restarted PowerPoint. It added about 2 seconds! So, regardless, an
add-in even in it's simplest most efficient form still adds a few
seconds, and nothing can be done about that, right?

 

[Shyam Pillai]

Yes. In most cases an anti-virus programs runs a check on the PPA as it is
loaded and hence PowerPoint takes a performance hit while loading.