FWIW, the Excel example doesn't work for me anymore. This might be due to the changes in the C++ code (and the upgrade to VS 2005), or due to the generic types patch, or due to something being different on my new laptop from how it used to be before, or something entirely different. I don't have enough time to look into this right now, but I'd be happy if someone else did.
I'm seeing the same thing, no solution yet.
I tried using 0.12.0 with the old (but patched) rdnzl.dll, with this excel.lisp worked, but not with the newest rdznl.dll. I was first guessing that this had something to do with the Interop stuff, as with http://blogs.msdn.com/ptorr/archive/2004/02/05/67872.aspx, but the problem doesn't actually occur until the code has retrieved a Workbooks-object; this object has no methods (not even GetType.) The object created just using 'new' on the ApplicationClass does have methods and can be made visible, quitted and so forth.
It *should* have nothing to do with the generic types, because all types named are simple non-generic types; and therefore the code should work exactly as before; and indeed as noted 0.12.0 does work with the older .dll.
When using both 0.12.0 and the new dll this happens: RDNZL-USER(7): (range-contents :file-name (namestring (translate-logical-pathname #P"rdnzl:examples;example.xls"))) Error: .NET error (System.Exception): Instance method not found: Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.Workbooks::Open(System.String,System.Reflection.Missing, (etc etc etc)
Other instance methods not found are GetType and so forth; basically Workbooks is null or something. But with the older dll, (("Last name" "First name" "Superhero") ("Kent" "Clark" "Superman") ("Wayne" "Bruce" "Batman") ("Parker" "Peter" "Spiderman")) is returned.
This older .dll is just the previous version, patched with the Unbox_Any thing, and compiled with VS2008 express.
Regards, Iver