A future build will make this automated, but in the meantime, you can always do the following in order to enable the use of xlsgen in SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) right now.

We assume that the machine has SSIS already installed and xlsgen installed by running the regular installer available from our website.

First of all, you need the .NET Framework SDK (any version) because we will be using 3 tools that are part of it, namely : sn.exe, tlbimp.exe and gacutil.exe. The .NET Framework SDK (any version) is a free download on the Microsoft website.

In order to setup xlsgen for use in SSIS, we need to do the following : create a public/private key pair for signing the .NET assembly, create the .NET assembly with this public/private key pair and finally install the .NET assembly in the global assembly cache, which is a subfolder of /Windows where .NET stores any .NET assembly meant to be loaded on the system arbitrarily.

Open-up a command-line window, and make sure the .NET Framework tools are accessible from the command-line. The easiest way to achieve this is to open the command line window from the Visual Studio program group : there is a shortcut waiting for you there. Otherwise, just add the .NET Framework /bin folder in your PATH.

Next, create a public/private key pair :

sn.exe -k <xlsgen>\keyfile.snk

Next, create the .NET assembly (interop) :

tlbimp.exe <xlsgen>\xlsgen.dll /keyfile:<xlsgen>\keyfile.snk /out:<xlsgen>\Interop.xlsgen.dll

Then, install the .NET assembly in the global assembly cache :

gacutil.exe /i <xlsgen>\Interop.xlsgen.dll


When this completes, you can see the .NET assemply in /Windows/assembly.

Also worth noting, if you are integrating xlsgen as part of SSIS 2005, you will also need to make a copy of the .NET assembly in the following folder : c:\windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.xxxxx. The reason why is that the SSIS Business Intelligence script design mode will list the assemblies from that folder as external .NET assemblies that you can add as a reference in your code. There is no such need for any version of SSIS other than 2005.