The ORM Foundation

 I just installed NORMA (latest release) and I can't open a new file.  I'm using Visual Studio 2008 on an XP machine and when I try to open a new Object-Role Modeling File, I get the following error: 

Cannot load 'C:\DOCUME~1\rfarago\LOCALS~1\Temp\~vsCCF.orm': Could not load file or assembly 'Microsoft.VisualStudio.VirtualTreeGrid, Version=9.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a' or one of its dependencies.  The system cannot find the file specified.

 I get a similar error when I try to open an existing .orm file that I have saved.  Any help?

As far as I know, this dll (Microsoft.VisualStudio.VirtualTreeGrid.dll) installs with all settings of all Standard Edition and higher versions of VS. However, if you performed a custom installation and turned some components off, then there might be some combination of settings that would stop it from being installed. I would need to crack the VS installer to see what the full story is (something I'd rather not do if there is an easier way to track it).

• What version of VS2008 did you install?
• Did you select any custom options during installation?

-Matt

I have VS2008 Version 9.0.30729.1 SP

VS2008 was installed this morning as part of a SQL Server 2008/Business Intelligence Development Studio install.  The installation was basically default except that I didn't install the Integration Services when given the option.

Ruth

NORMA has never been tested on a VS shell platform other than the norma Visual Studio and .NET language derivatives (VS Standard, VS Pro, etc). If the installation does not include the VirtualTreeGrid dll, which is standard in the other systems, then I'm afraid I don't have an answer for you right now. You could crack the .msi file (use http://www.technipages.com/download-orca-msi-editor.html for a lightweight download of an .msi reader/editor) and see if the file is included for any options in the BIDS installation.

Note that we have considered alternatives to using the VS-installed dll because it is also the only dependency stopping us from creating a standalone shell version of NORMA, but it is not a dependency we can easily remove. The Model Browser, Sample Population Editor, Reading Editor, Reference Mode Editor, and many other dialogs and dropdowns make use of this control, so creating and/or integrating an alternative would be extremely development intensive.

-Matt

 I am in the same boat, VS 2008 installed from a sqlserver install (see info below).  Are there any ways to add the components needed to get Microsoft.Visualstudio.VirtualTreeGrid.dll?

I am really excited to try the tool, but am stuck. 

 --------

Microsoft Visual Studio 2008
Version 9.0.30729.1 SP
Microsoft .NET Framework
Version 3.5 SP1

Installed Edition: IDE Standard

Hotfix for Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Shell (integrated mode) - ENU (KB945282)   KB945282
This hotfix is for Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Shell (integrated mode) - ENU.
If you later install a more recent service pack, this hotfix will be uninstalled automatically.
For more information, visit http://support.microsoft.com/kb/945282.

Hotfix for Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Shell (integrated mode) - ENU (KB946040)   KB946040
This hotfix is for Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Shell (integrated mode) - ENU.
If you later install a more recent service pack, this hotfix will be uninstalled automatically.
For more information, visit http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946040.

Hotfix for Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Shell (integrated mode) - ENU (KB946308)   KB946308
This hotfix is for Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Shell (integrated mode) - ENU.
If you later install a more recent service pack, this hotfix will be uninstalled automatically.
For more information, visit http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946308.

Hotfix for Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Shell (integrated mode) - ENU (KB946344)   KB946344
This hotfix is for Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Shell (integrated mode) - ENU.
If you later install a more recent service pack, this hotfix will be uninstalled automatically.
For more information, visit http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946344.

Hotfix for Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Shell (integrated mode) - ENU (KB946581)   KB946581
This hotfix is for Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Shell (integrated mode) - ENU.
If you later install a more recent service pack, this hotfix will be uninstalled automatically.
For more information, visit http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946581.

Hotfix for Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Shell (integrated mode) - ENU (KB947173)   KB947173
This hotfix is for Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Shell (integrated mode) - ENU.
If you later install a more recent service pack, this hotfix will be uninstalled automatically.
For more information, visit http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947173.

Hotfix for Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Shell (integrated mode) - ENU (KB947540)   KB947540
This hotfix is for Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Shell (integrated mode) - ENU.
If you later install a more recent service pack, this hotfix will be uninstalled automatically.
For more information, visit http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947540.

Hotfix for Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Shell (integrated mode) - ENU (KB947789)   KB947789
This hotfix is for Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Shell (integrated mode) - ENU.
If you later install a more recent service pack, this hotfix will be uninstalled automatically.
For more information, visit http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947789.

Neumont PLiX Tools for Visual Studio   1.0.1012.6031 2010-12CTP
PLiX (Programming Language in XML) code generation tools.

ORM Solutions Natural ORM Architect   1.0.1012.6031 2010-12CTP
Natural Object-Role Modeling Architect (NORMA)
ORM Solutions, LLC
Portions copyright Neumont University

SQL Server Analysis Services  
Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services Designer
Version 10.0.2531.0

SQL Server Integration Services  
Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services Designer
Version 10.0.2531.0 ((Katmai_PCU_Main).090329-1015 )

SQL Server Reporting Services  
Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services Designers
Version 10.0.2531.0

I'm sorry, but nothing has changed on this front. I can't legally redistribute this Dll without VS. It will install with VS Standard if you choose either of the VB or C# language packages (probably others--the dll is used by the class view window).

If you have a licensed copy of Visual Studio 2008 on another machine, you can try this:

1. Find the Microsoft.VisualStudio.VirtualTreeGrid.dll file in the Global Assembly Cache. The dll can be found in C:\Windows\Assembly\GAC_MSIL\Microsoft.VisualStudio.VirtualTreeGrid\VERSIONDIR where the VERSIONDIR starts with either 8 or 9 (you'll want 9 for VS 2008, 8 for VS 2005). Note that the corresponding VS2010 dll is under C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\assembly\GAC_MSIL
• By default you can't see this directory in Windows Explorer. However, you can easily adjust this setting in regedit with the HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Fusion key. Select this key and add a DWORD value called DisableCacheViewer with a value of 1.
2. Make this dll available to the machine with your broken NORMA install
3. Make sure the 'DisableCacheViewer' registry attribute on the NORMA machine is missing or set to 0.
4. Open the C:\Windows\Assembly directory (you should see a special explorer view showing you assemblies).
5. Drop the VirtualTreeGrid dll onto this window to install it in the GAC
6. Relaunch your VS+NORMA app

I'd be interested to know how well the NORMA designer works in this environment, but I can't officially endorse it because of the licensing issues.

-Matt

Matt,

Thank you for the reply.  Yes it does work, with a caveat.  I can get in and create the model, but since I do not have visual C# or VB installed I cannot generate the Data Base schema(unless you think there is a work around for that).  I only did the tutorial Lab 1 so I do not know if there are other features that may not work.

 I was already in the process of getting a fully licensed copy (just waiting on our purchasing process to finish) so I can play around with the tool until I install the new copy.

 Thank you for all your help.

Cool, that's good to know that NORMA runs in a VS Shell install with the extra dll in place.

The code generation is heavily integrated with the VB/C# project (more specifically the MSBuild) build system. It would probably be easier to write a standalone bootstrapper by hand than try to share the code, although the registry settings--which provide the dependencies between different file formats--could easily be shared.

I could give you an XSLT script to run this from the command line, except that many of the generation transforms take multiple documents as input, and these are assumed to be live xml documents, not file names on disk. The design is intentional to avoid multiple reloads of the same large XML files, but makes it difficult to emulate the generation process without a bootstrapper app. Unless I hear a hue and cry asking for the standalone generator I think you'll get the full license before I would get this done.

-Matt