How-To Part 1 Drive .NET with Aurora and some Managed C++

[demonsource]

It is possible to call into .NET assemblies from Aurora using dynamic linking and a Managed C++ "shim" or wrapper DLL.

//============================================
// aurora bit

declare import, LoadLibraryA(name as string), int;
declare import, GetProcAddress(hModule as uint, lpfnname as string), uint;
declare import, FreeLibrary(handle as uint), uint;

def pgnetlib    as unsigned int;

declare *pgnetlib_func();
declare *pgnetlib_sayhowdy();

global sub main() {
  pgnetlib = LoadLibraryA("pgnetlib.dll");
 
  if (pgnetlib)
  {
    pgnetlib_func = GetProcAddress(pgnetlib,"func");
    pgnetlib_func();
     pgnetlib_sayhowdy = GetProcAddress(pgnetlib,"sayhowdy");
   pgnetlib_sayhowdy();
   FreeLibrary(pgnetlib);
  }
  else
  {
    print( "!!! could not load my library..." );
  }

} // ends: main
//============================================

[demonsource]

# //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
# // [-pg-] 20050527 - pgnetlib build makefile
# //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

TARGETS=pgnetlib.dll
       
###CLEXE=cl /clr
###CLDLL=cl /clr /LD

all : $(TARGETS)

clean :
   -@del *.obj
   -@del *.exe
   -@del *.c
   -@del *.tlb
   -@del *.idl
   -@del *.h
   -@del *.dll
   -@del *.lib
   -@del *.exp

#// [-pg-] 20050527 make sure that this code IS compiled with /clr
pgnetlib.dll : pgnetlib.cpp
   cl /clr /LD /noentry

[demonsource]

'
' Created by SharpDevelop.
' User: pieter
' Date: 2005.05.27
' Time: 11:35 PM
'
' To change this template use Tools | Options | Coding | Edit Standard Headers.
'
imports system
imports system.Windows.forms
'''imports microsoft.visualbasic

namespace pgnetlib

  public class pgutil
 
    public shared sub sayhowdy()
      messagebox.show( "howdy..." )
    end sub
     
    public shared sub sayhowdy(say$)
      messagebox.show( say )
    end sub
 
  end class

end namespace '// pgnetlib

[demonsource]

// MC++ bit

#using <mscorlib.dll>
using namespace System;

//#using <pgnetlib.dll>
#using "pgnetlibvb.dll"     // vb.net server
using namespace pgnetlib;

extern "C" __declspec(dllexport) void func()
{
  System::Console::WriteLine(S">> [-pg-] 20030714 PGHACKED...");
  System::Console::WriteLine(S">> func() called - invoked CLR");
}

extern "C" __declspec(dllexport) void pghack_proc1(char* msg)
{
  System::Console::WriteLine(S">> [-pg-] 20030714 PGHACKED...");
  System::Console::WriteLine(new System::String(msg));
}

extern "C" __declspec(dllexport) void sayhowdy()
{
  pgutil::sayhowdy();
}

extern "C" __declspec(dllexport) void sayhowdy2(char* msg)
{
  pgutil::sayhowdy(msg);
}

[demonsource]

If anyone is interested I can provide pretty braindead zip'ed binaries that prove 3 programming language runtimes co-exist.

It would be better if you compile/nmake the bits yourself. (VC++7.1 (2003).) Let me know for help.

Thanks from me goes to Richard Grimes and his "Programming with Managed Extensions for Microsoft Visual C++ .NET" book.