Using a C++ library.

[Simon Jefferies]

Hello,

How do I use a C++ library in a C# project? Can it be done under 2005? Do I
need to anything special, I remember reading somewhere that they included
this feature in the latest .NET.

Cheers,
Simon.

[Carlos J. Quintero [.NET MVP]]

Re: Using a C++ library.

AFAIK, it if is a managed C++ library, you can use it as a .NET reference
and if it is a COM C++ library, you can use it as COM Reference. Also, you
can use its functions using DllImport if they are exposed directly. The
bottom line is that once compiled, the language used to create a library is
not important.

--

Best regards,

Carlos J. Quintero

MZ-Tools: Productivity add-ins for Visual Studio .NET, VB6, VB5 and VBA
You can code, design and document much faster.
Free resources for add-in developers:

http://www.mztools.com

"Simon Jefferies" <simon@cooltool sonline.co.uk> escribió en el mensaje
news:eu4wB9tVFH A.612@TK2MSFTNG P12.phx.gbl...[color=blue]
> Hello,
>
> How do I use a C++ library in a C# project? Can it be done under 2005? Do
> I need to anything special, I remember reading somewhere that they
> included this feature in the latest .NET.
>
> Cheers,
> Simon.
>[/color]

[Willy Denoyette [MVP]]

Re: Using a C++ library.


"Simon Jefferies" <simon@cooltool sonline.co.uk> wrote in message
news:eu4wB9tVFH A.612@TK2MSFTNG P12.phx.gbl...[color=blue]
> Hello,
>
> How do I use a C++ library in a C# project? Can it be done under 2005? Do
> I need to anything special, I remember reading somewhere that they
> included this feature in the latest .NET.
>
> Cheers,
> Simon.
>[/color]

Please be more explicit, what do you mean with library, if it's a dll then
you can call exported C style functions, anything else can't be used
directly.

Willy.

[XP 64 Exchange screen problems]

Re: Using a C++ library.

The issues of connecting .NET to a C++ library are many

1) C++ by default uses name mangling for its entry points

2) Do you have access to the C++ source?

3) Is the DLL a COM type object (COM, COM+, DCOM, etc.)?

The following .NET program is a sample caller of a C++ DLL.

using System;
using System.Runtime. InteropServices ;
namespace TestingDataProj ect
{
public class TestDataPassing
{
[DllImport("Test DataPassingDLL. dll")]
public static extern void TestDataPassing Entry(ref MyStruct TestData, int
iDataLength);
[StructLayout(La youtKind.Sequen tial)]
public struct MyStruct
{
[MarshalAs(Unman agedType.ByValA rray,SizeConst= 64)]
public byte [] abMyData;
public int iMyLength;
public MyStruct (int iDummy)
{
abMyData = new byte[64];
iMyLength = 64;
} // public MyStruct ()
} // public struct MyStruct
[STAThread]
static void Main(string[] args)
{
MyStruct MyTestData = new MyStruct(1);

TestDataPassing Entry(ref MyTestData, 64);
Console.WriteLi ne(MyTestData.a bMyData[0]);
Console.WriteLi ne("{0,8:X}",My TestData.iMyLen gth);
} // public static void Main ()
} // public class TestDataPassing
} // namespace TestingDataProj ect

The following is the C++ DLL

#include <stdio.h>

extern "C" __declspec(dlle xport) void TestDataPassing Entry

(unsigned char * pabData,
int iDataLength)

{
printf("Hello world\n");
for (int iNdx = 0; iNdx < 10; iNdx++)
*(pabData + iNdx) = 48 + iNdx;
*((unsigned int *) (pabData+64)) = 0xA1B2C3D4;
} // extern "C" __declspec(dlle xport) void TestDataPassing Entry ()

HIH,

Pat

"Willy Denoyette [MVP]" wrote:
[color=blue]
>
> "Simon Jefferies" <simon@cooltool sonline.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:eu4wB9tVFH A.612@TK2MSFTNG P12.phx.gbl...[color=green]
> > Hello,
> >
> > How do I use a C++ library in a C# project? Can it be done under 2005? Do
> > I need to anything special, I remember reading somewhere that they
> > included this feature in the latest .NET.
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Simon.
> >[/color]
>
> Please be more explicit, what do you mean with library, if it's a dll then
> you can call exported C style functions, anything else can't be used
> directly.
>
> Willy.
>
>
>[/color]

[Simon Jefferies]

Re: Using a C++ library.

Its a standard C++ library (.lib). The only way I have seen that I can do it
is to create a managed C++ project and link to the .lib this way. Is this
the only way with .lib as it is?

Cheers,
Simon.

"XP 64 Exchange screen problems"
<XP64Exchangesc reenproblems@di scussions.micro soft.com> wrote in message
news:D57463BA-25D4-43D1-9402-1B42501E77DC@mi crosoft.com...[color=blue]
> The issues of connecting .NET to a C++ library are many
>
> 1) C++ by default uses name mangling for its entry points
>
> 2) Do you have access to the C++ source?
>
> 3) Is the DLL a COM type object (COM, COM+, DCOM, etc.)?
>
> The following .NET program is a sample caller of a C++ DLL.
>
> using System;
> using System.Runtime. InteropServices ;
> namespace TestingDataProj ect
> {
> public class TestDataPassing
> {
> [DllImport("Test DataPassingDLL. dll")]
> public static extern void TestDataPassing Entry(ref MyStruct TestData, int
> iDataLength);
> [StructLayout(La youtKind.Sequen tial)]
> public struct MyStruct
> {
> [MarshalAs(Unman agedType.ByValA rray,SizeConst= 64)]
> public byte [] abMyData;
> public int iMyLength;
> public MyStruct (int iDummy)
> {
> abMyData = new byte[64];
> iMyLength = 64;
> } // public MyStruct ()
> } // public struct MyStruct
> [STAThread]
> static void Main(string[] args)
> {
> MyStruct MyTestData = new MyStruct(1);
>
> TestDataPassing Entry(ref MyTestData, 64);
> Console.WriteLi ne(MyTestData.a bMyData[0]);
> Console.WriteLi ne("{0,8:X}",My TestData.iMyLen gth);
> } // public static void Main ()
> } // public class TestDataPassing
> } // namespace TestingDataProj ect
>
> The following is the C++ DLL
>
> #include <stdio.h>
>
> extern "C" __declspec(dlle xport) void TestDataPassing Entry
>
> (unsigned char * pabData,
> int iDataLength)
>
> {
> printf("Hello world\n");
> for (int iNdx = 0; iNdx < 10; iNdx++)
> *(pabData + iNdx) = 48 + iNdx;
> *((unsigned int *) (pabData+64)) = 0xA1B2C3D4;
> } // extern "C" __declspec(dlle xport) void TestDataPassing Entry ()
>
> HIH,
>
> Pat
>
> "Willy Denoyette [MVP]" wrote:
>[color=green]
>>
>> "Simon Jefferies" <simon@cooltool sonline.co.uk> wrote in message
>> news:eu4wB9tVFH A.612@TK2MSFTNG P12.phx.gbl...[color=darkred]
>> > Hello,
>> >
>> > How do I use a C++ library in a C# project? Can it be done under 2005?
>> > Do
>> > I need to anything special, I remember reading somewhere that they
>> > included this feature in the latest .NET.
>> >
>> > Cheers,
>> > Simon.
>> >[/color]
>>
>> Please be more explicit, what do you mean with library, if it's a dll
>> then
>> you can call exported C style functions, anything else can't be used
>> directly.
>>
>> Willy.
>>
>>
>>[/color][/color]

[XP 64 Exchange screen problems]

Re: Using a C++ library.

Simon,

This is a C++ DLL built with Visual Studio 6.0, so the C++ code is NOT managed

HTH,

Pat

"Simon Jefferies" wrote:
[color=blue]
> Its a standard C++ library (.lib). The only way I have seen that I can do it
> is to create a managed C++ project and link to the .lib this way. Is this
> the only way with .lib as it is?
>
> Cheers,
> Simon.
>
> "XP 64 Exchange screen problems"
> <XP64Exchangesc reenproblems@di scussions.micro soft.com> wrote in message
> news:D57463BA-25D4-43D1-9402-1B42501E77DC@mi crosoft.com...[color=green]
> > The issues of connecting .NET to a C++ library are many
> >
> > 1) C++ by default uses name mangling for its entry points
> >
> > 2) Do you have access to the C++ source?
> >
> > 3) Is the DLL a COM type object (COM, COM+, DCOM, etc.)?
> >
> > The following .NET program is a sample caller of a C++ DLL.
> >
> > using System;
> > using System.Runtime. InteropServices ;
> > namespace TestingDataProj ect
> > {
> > public class TestDataPassing
> > {
> > [DllImport("Test DataPassingDLL. dll")]
> > public static extern void TestDataPassing Entry(ref MyStruct TestData, int
> > iDataLength);
> > [StructLayout(La youtKind.Sequen tial)]
> > public struct MyStruct
> > {
> > [MarshalAs(Unman agedType.ByValA rray,SizeConst= 64)]
> > public byte [] abMyData;
> > public int iMyLength;
> > public MyStruct (int iDummy)
> > {
> > abMyData = new byte[64];
> > iMyLength = 64;
> > } // public MyStruct ()
> > } // public struct MyStruct
> > [STAThread]
> > static void Main(string[] args)
> > {
> > MyStruct MyTestData = new MyStruct(1);
> >
> > TestDataPassing Entry(ref MyTestData, 64);
> > Console.WriteLi ne(MyTestData.a bMyData[0]);
> > Console.WriteLi ne("{0,8:X}",My TestData.iMyLen gth);
> > } // public static void Main ()
> > } // public class TestDataPassing
> > } // namespace TestingDataProj ect
> >
> > The following is the C++ DLL
> >
> > #include <stdio.h>
> >
> > extern "C" __declspec(dlle xport) void TestDataPassing Entry
> >
> > (unsigned char * pabData,
> > int iDataLength)
> >
> > {
> > printf("Hello world\n");
> > for (int iNdx = 0; iNdx < 10; iNdx++)
> > *(pabData + iNdx) = 48 + iNdx;
> > *((unsigned int *) (pabData+64)) = 0xA1B2C3D4;
> > } // extern "C" __declspec(dlle xport) void TestDataPassing Entry ()
> >
> > HIH,
> >
> > Pat
> >
> > "Willy Denoyette [MVP]" wrote:
> >[color=darkred]
> >>
> >> "Simon Jefferies" <simon@cooltool sonline.co.uk> wrote in message
> >> news:eu4wB9tVFH A.612@TK2MSFTNG P12.phx.gbl...
> >> > Hello,
> >> >
> >> > How do I use a C++ library in a C# project? Can it be done under 2005?
> >> > Do
> >> > I need to anything special, I remember reading somewhere that they
> >> > included this feature in the latest .NET.
> >> >
> >> > Cheers,
> >> > Simon.
> >> >
> >>
> >> Please be more explicit, what do you mean with library, if it's a dll
> >> then
> >> you can call exported C style functions, anything else can't be used
> >> directly.
> >>
> >> Willy.
> >>
> >>
> >>[/color][/color]
>
>
>[/color]

[Willy Denoyette [MVP]]

Re: Using a C++ library.


"Simon Jefferies" <simon@cooltool sonline.co.uk> wrote in message
news:uuwWY3vVFH A.1508@tk2msftn gp13.phx.gbl...[color=blue]
> Its a standard C++ library (.lib). The only way I have seen that I can do
> it is to create a managed C++ project and link to the .lib this way. Is
> this the only way with .lib as it is?
>
> Cheers,
> Simon.
>[/color]

Yes, you can only bind dynamically and call exported C style functions from
C#.
Static libraries can only be bound by using a linker.

Willy.

[Willy Denoyette [MVP]]

Re: Using a C++ library.


"XP 64 Exchange screen problems"
<XP64Exchangesc reenproblems@di scussions.micro soft.com> wrote in message
news:D57463BA-25D4-43D1-9402-1B42501E77DC@mi crosoft.com...[color=blue]
> The issues of connecting .NET to a C++ library are many
>
> 1) C++ by default uses name mangling for its entry points
>
> 2) Do you have access to the C++ source?
>
> 3) Is the DLL a COM type object (COM, COM+, DCOM, etc.)?
>[/color]

None of these are real issue's as long as you have a DLL that exports C
style functions or exposes a COM interface.

Willy.