I have a need to create a Tcl extension that calls a managed .NET DLL/Class Library. Currently, the structure of my application is Tcl > DLL Wrapper (C++ CLR) > .NET Class Library (VB.NET), where ">" represents a function call.
My VB.NET DLL just takes a value and returns it back, keeping it simple for now. In the end, this will do some more advanced stuff that makes use of some .NET functionality.
Public Class TestClass
Public Function TestFunction(ByVal param As Integer) As Integer
Return param
End Function
End Class
My Tcl Extension (C++ CLR) creates an object of the type above
int TestCmd(ClientData data, Tcl_Interp *interp, int objc, Tcl_Obj *CONST objv[])
{
// Check the number of arguments
if (objc != 2) {
Tcl_WrongNumArgs(interp, 0, objv, "arg");
return TCL_ERROR;
}
int param, result;
if (Tcl_GetIntFromObj(interp, objv[1], ¶m) != TCL_OK)
return TCL_ERROR;
SimpleLibrary::TestClass^ myclass = gcnew SimpleLibrary::TestClass(); //System.IO.FileNotFoundException
result = myclass->TestFunction(param);
Tcl_SetObjResult(interp, Tcl_NewIntObj(result));
return TCL_OK;
}
And finally, my Tcl script loads the extension and calls the function.
load SimpleTclExtension.dll
TestCmd 2
If my VB.NET DLL is in the same directory as my extension DLL, the extension crashes when it instantiates a TestClass object. I've noticed if the VB.NET DLL is relocated to C:\Tcl\bin, the extension will find it, and TestCmd can be called just fine. The problem is that this will eventually need to be deployed across a number of PCs, and it's preferred not to mingle my application's files with another application's.
It seems like there should be some configuration settings that will fix this problem, but I'm not sure where. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Firstly, depending on just what kind of Tcl application you are using you may want to look at Eagle which is a implementation of Tcl in CLR.
I think you are bumping into .Net's desire to only load assemblies from your application's directory or its immediate subdirectories. The application here is the tclsh/wish executable which is why moving the .Net assembly makes it load. This is something you can fix with suitable manifests or calls to the API to permit assembly loading from alternate locations. In this case I think you will need to run some initialization code in your Tcl extension when it gets loaded into the Tcl interpreter to init the CLR and add the extensions location as a suitable place to load assemblies from. It has been a while since I was looking at this so I forgot the details but I think you want to look at the AppDomain object and check the assembly loading path properties associated with that or its child objects. Try AppDomain.RelativeSearchPath
To be more specific, Eagle includes Garuda which is a Tcl extension built specifically to allow calling .Net from Tcl
Related
First of all happy new year to everyone, hope you're doing well!
I'm working on a C++ project in which I need to call a C# DLL I created following the first answer of this post. Once I have the DLL, I need to call it from Qt, so by using dumpcpp and the .tlb file generated by regasm, I managed to get the .cpp and .h files to use my classes. Just as a reference, the namespace of the classes is Wrapper, and the main class is Device with guid {DD4A4896-C105-4C60-839B-B18C99C8FE15}.
Once I have the generated files to use the DLL, if I try to create a Wrapper:: Device instance on Qt, I get the following error:
QAxBase::setControl: requested control {dd4a4896-c105-4c60-839b-b18c99c8fe15} could not be instantiated
QAxBase::qt_metacall: Object is not initialized, or initialization failed
It doesn't give any more information, so I tried to check if the guid was stored on the system registry (I used the regasm command explained on the previously quoted post, and It said that it was successful, but you never know). Opening Registry editor and searching for the Guid revealed that it's present at: Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\WOW6432Node\CLSID\{DD4A4896-C105-4C60-839B-B18C99C8FE15}, which, as far as I know, is the right route for these guids, and it points to the right DLL.
I though It may be due to some kind ActiveQt problem, and as the previously quoted post explained how to use that DLL from VS C++, I decided to give it a try, using this as an another reference. I've finished with this code, which is supposed to create an instance of my Device object
#include <iostream>
#include <atlstr.h>
#import "C:\Users\javie\Documents\Wrapper\Wrapper\bin\x86\Release\netstandard2.0\Wrapper.tlb" named_guids raw_interfaces_only
inline void TESTHR(HRESULT x) { if FAILED(x) _com_issue_error(x); };
int main()
{
try
{
TESTHR(CoInitialize(0));
Wrapper::IDevicePtr devPtr = nullptr;
TESTHR(devPtr.CreateInstance("{DD4A4896-C105-4c60-839B-B18C99C8FE15}"));
}
catch (const _com_error& e)
{
CStringW out;
out.Format(L"Exception occurred. HR = %lx, error = %s", e.Error(), e.ErrorMessage());
MessageBoxW(NULL, out, L"Error", MB_OK);
}
CoUninitialize();// Uninitialize COM
std::cout << "Hello World!\n";
}
However, this doesn't work either, the createInstance method throws an exception of Class not registered and HR=80040154. Again, according to Registry editor, the class is registered, so I don't understand the error. I've also tried with devPtr.CreateInstance("Wrapper.Device"), devPtr.CreateInstance("Wrapper::Device") or `devPtr.CreateInstance("Wrapper::CLSID_Device") as the links I posted suggest, but in those cases I get another exception with HR=800401f3 and message Invalid class string.
It doesn't matter whether VS or Qt Creator are opened as administrator or not, I get the exact same error.
I have run out of ideas, and I really need to be able to use that DLL from Qt using the files generated by dumpcpp.
Does any one know what could be happening? It feels quite strange to me.
If your C++ application is 64-bit, that's the answer right there, because your C# component is 32-bit (or MSIL but registered to the 32-bit hive). In situations like these, a simple test using VBScript is always useful.
Write a simple VB Script (test.vbs)
Dim obj
Set obj = CreateObject("Wrapper.Device") ' or whatever your ProgID is
MsgBox TypeName(obj)
Now, run this macro 2 ways: with 32-bit and 64-bit versions of VBScript:
32-bit > c:\windows\SysWow64\cscript.exe test.vbs
64-bit > c:\windows\system32\cscript.exe test.vbs
This is assuming your C# component is dispatch compatible. If it's not, then it will still give you differing results that you can use to debug.
Assuming automation/IDispatch compatible, one will work and one won't if you have registered your component correctly.
Have you registered correctly? When I use regasm, I always use the the switches /tlb /codebase when registering the C# component for COM.
Ok, in case someone find the same error, I'll explain the solution I found.
The problem was that in my case, the C# class I developed depended on another 32 bits dll which was not registered on my PC. Once I registered the other dll, everything worked fine.
I don't know why VS kept telling me that the class was not registered when my class itselft was registered, it was one of its dependencies that wasn't registered.
Anyway, I discovered this thanks to Joseph's comments, so thanks a lot for your help.
I was searching through stackoverflow questions but none of them answered my question. I have a game engine and I want to load player AI (written in c++) in runtime.
Click on button, file dialog appears
Choose file with AI (.dll or something?)
Click on 'start' button, game starts using AI's that I add.
AI could be a method or whole class, it doesn't matter. I think I should generate .dll but I not sure how to do that. This class should look like this:
class PlayerAI
{
void computeSomething(list of argument, Object& output)
{
// some logic
}
}
Assuming pure Windows platform since none specified -
If you want to inject DLL, first obtain a handle to it using LoadLibrary-function like so:
HINSTANCE handleLib;
handleLib = LoadLibrary(TEXT("YourDLL.dll"));
You may then obtain a function pointer to a specific function in the lib. Like this:
FUNC_PTR func;
func = (FUNC_PTR) GetProcAddress(handleLib, "yourFunc");
Then you can call the function like so:
(func) (L"TESTSTRING HERE");
When done, call FreeLibrary(libhandle)
How to declare a function as exported is in VS for instance like this (this is needed to mark your function in your DLL that you precompile:
__declspec(dllexport) int __cdecl yourFunc(LPWSTR someString)
{
//Code here...
}
Since you mention already compiled DLLs, you want to look at LoadLibrary and GetProcAddress. That's how you do runtime loads of DLLs and extract specific functions from them.
Examples can be found under Using Run-Time Dynamic Linking.
I'm looking for a simple example code for C++\IronPython integration, i.e. embedding python code inside a C++, or better yet, Visual C++ program.
The example code should include: how to share objects between the languages, how to call functions\methods back and forth etc...
Also, an explicit setup procedure would help too. (How to include the Python runtime dll in Visual Studio etc...)
I've found a nice example for C#\IronPython here, but couldn't find C++\IronPython example code.
UPDATE - I've written a more generic example (plus a link to a zip file containing the entire VS2008 project) as entry on my blog here.
Sorry, I am so late to the game, but here is how I have integrated IronPython into a C++/cli app in Visual Studio 2008 - .net 3.5. (actually mixed mode app with C/C++)
I write add-ons for a map making applicaiton written in Assembly. The API is exposed so that C/C++ add-ons can be written. I mix C/C++ with C++/cli. Some of the elements from this example are from the API (such as XPCALL and CmdEnd() - please just ignore them)
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
void XPCALL PythonCmd2(int Result, int Result1, int Result2)
{
if(Result==X_OK)
{
try
{
String^ filename = gcnew String(txtFileName);
String^ path = Assembly::GetExecutingAssembly()->Location;
ScriptEngine^ engine = Python::CreateEngine();
ScriptScope^ scope = engine->CreateScope();
ScriptSource^ source = engine->CreateScriptSourceFromFile(String::Concat(Path::GetDirectoryName(path), "\\scripts\\", filename + ".py"));
scope->SetVariable("DrawingList", DynamicHelpers::GetPythonTypeFromType(AddIn::DrawingList::typeid));
scope->SetVariable("DrawingElement", DynamicHelpers::GetPythonTypeFromType(AddIn::DrawingElement::typeid));
scope->SetVariable("DrawingPath", DynamicHelpers::GetPythonTypeFromType(AddIn::DrawingPath::typeid));
scope->SetVariable("Node", DynamicHelpers::GetPythonTypeFromType(AddIn::Node::typeid));
source->Execute(scope);
}
catch(Exception ^e)
{
Console::WriteLine(e->ToString());
CmdEnd();
}
}
else
{
CmdEnd();
}
}
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
As you can see, I expose to IronPython some objects (DrawingList, DrawingElement, DrawingPath & Node). These objects are C++/cli objects that I created to expose "things" to IronPython.
When the C++/cli source->Execute(scope) line is called, the only python line
to run is the DrawingList.RequestData.
RequestData takes a delegate and a data type.
When the C++/cli code is done, it calls the delegate pointing to the
function "diamond"
In the function diamond it retrieves the requested data with the call to
DrawingList.RequestedValue() The call to DrawingList.AddElement(dp) adds the
new element to the Applications visual Database.
And lastly the call to DrawingList.EndCommand() tells the FastCAD engine to
clean up and end the running of the plugin.
import clr
def diamond(Result1, Result2, Result3):
if(Result1 == 0):
dp = DrawingPath()
dp.drawingStuff.EntityColor = 2
dp.drawingStuff.SecondEntityColor = 2
n = DrawingList.RequestedValue()
dp.Nodes.Add(Node(n.X-50,n.Y+25))
dp.Nodes.Add(Node(n.X-25,n.Y+50))
dp.Nodes.Add(Node(n.X+25,n.Y+50))
dp.Nodes.Add(Node(n.X+50,n.Y+25))
dp.Nodes.Add(Node(n.X,n.Y-40))
DrawingList.AddElement(dp)
DrawingList.EndCommand()
DrawingList.RequestData(diamond, DrawingList.RequestType.PointType)
I hope this is what you were looking for.
If you don't need .NET functionality, you could rely on embedding Python instead of IronPython. See Python's documentation on Embedding Python in Another Application for more info and an example. If you don't mind being dependent on BOOST, you could try out its Python integration library.
HI I have a application developed in VC++6.0 ,now I want use some new features from .NET and developed a library, to develop this library I have to use the CLR-VC++ now I packaged this in a DLL.Now I need to call the routine of this DLL in my MFC application.
I tried to write a small MFC application to load this DLL, All the time the LoadLibrary() call is failing #err =126, module not found.I check the the dll with dependency walker everthig is fine there. Please Help me in this regard.
If possible provide me a sample code or link.
Thanks in advance
-Sachin
Use ClrCreateManagedInstance to create a COM-Callable-Wrapper for the object you want to call. Then use it like any other COM type.
you have to go to property page -> Common properties ->Add New reference and include you
CLR Address there .
I have a native C++ application which uses a managed C++ assembly and loads it with LoadLibrary() without problems. I had to do two things, however, before LoadLibrary() worked:
Make sure that the current directory is the one where the managed assembly resides (use chdir() to change directory)
In the managed assembly, the first function invoked by native code only defines the handler for AppDomain::CurrentDomain->AssemblyResolve event which explicitly loads assemblies from the folder of the managed application. It then invokes another managed function to do the rest of the initialization.
The reason for the last point is that CLR attempts to load an assembly dependency only if a function uses it. So I had to ensure that types in non-system assemblies are not referenced before the AssemblyResolve handler has been defined.
ref class AssemblyResolver
{
public:
/// The path where the assemblies are searched
property String^ Path
{
String^ get()
{ return path_; }
}
explicit AssemblyResolver(String^ path)
: path_(path)
{ /* Void */ }
Assembly^ ResolveHandler(Object^ sender, ResolveEventArgs^ args)
{
// The name passed here contains other information as well
String^ dll_name = args->Name->Substring(0, args->Name->IndexOf(','));
String^ path = System::IO::Path::Combine(path_, dll_name+".dll");
if ( File::Exists(path) )
return Assembly::LoadFile(path);
return nullptr;
}
private:
String^ path_;
};
extern "C" __declspec(dllexport) void Initialize()
{
String^ path = "The path where the managed code resides";
AssemblyResolver^ resolver = gcnew AssemblyResolver(path);
AppDomain::CurrentDomain->AssemblyResolve += gcnew ResolveEventHandler(
resolver,
&AssemblyResolver::ResolveHandler
);
FunctionWhichUsesOtherManagedTypes();
}
I am currently writing an application that will serve a similar purpose for multiple clients, but requires adaptations to how it will handle the data it is feed. In essence it will serve the same purpose, but hand out data totally differently.
So I decided to prodeed like this:
-Make common engine library that will hold the common functionalities of all ways and present the default interface ensuring that the different engines will respond the same way.
-Write a specific engine for each way of functioning....each one compiles into its own .dll.
So my project will end up with a bunch of libraries with some looking like this:
project_engine_base.dll
project_engine_way1.dll
project_engine_way2.dll
Now in the configuration file that we use for the user preferences there will an engine section so that we may decide which engine to use:
[ENGINE]
Way1
So somewhere in the code we will want to do:
If (this->M_ENGINE == "Way1")
//load dll for way1
Else If (this->M_ENGINE == "Way2")
//load dll for way2
Else
//no engines selected...tell user to modify settings and restart application
The question is...How will I import my dll(s) this way? Is it even possible? If not can I get some suggestions on how to achieve a similar way of functioning?
I am aware I could just import all of the dlls right at the start and just choose which engine to use, but the idea was that I didn't want to import too many engines for nothing and waste resources and we didn't want to have to ship all of those dlls to our customers. One customer will use one engine another will use a different one. Some of our customer will use more than one possibly hence the reason why I wanted to externalize this and allow our users to use a configuration file for engine switching.
Any ideas?
EDIT:
Just realized that even though each of my engine would present the same interface if they are loaded dynamically at runtime and not all referenced in the project, my project would not compile. So I don't have a choice but to include them all in my project don't I?
That also means they all have to be shipped to my customers. The settings in the configuration would only dictate with class I would use to initialize my engine member.
OR
I could have each of these engines be compiled to the same name. Only import one dll in my main project and that particular engine would be used all the time. That would render my customers unable to use our application for multiple clients of their own. Unless they were willing to manually switch dlls. Yuck
Any suggestions?
EDIT #2:
At this point seeing my options, I could also juste make one big dll containing the base engine as well as all the child ones and my configuration to let the user chose. Instead of referencing multiple dlls and shipping them all. Just have one huge one and ship/reference that one only. I am not too fond of this either as it means shipping one big dll to all of my customers instead of just one or two small ones that suit there needs. This is still the best solution that I've come up with though.
I am still looking for better suggestions or answers to my original question.
Thanks.
Use separate DLLs for each engine and use LoadLibrary in your main project to load the specific engine based on the configuration.
Have your engine interface in some common header file that all engines will derive from and this interface will be used in your main project aswell.
It might look like this:
// this should be an abstract class
class engine {
public:
virtual void func1() = 0;
virtual void func2() = 0;
...
};
In each different engine implementation export a function from the DLL, something like this:
// might aswell use auto_ptr here
engine* getEngine() { return new EngineImplementationNumberOne(); }
Now in your main project simply load the DLL you're interested in using LoadLibrary and then GetProcAddress the getEngine function.
string dllname;
if (this->M_ENGINE == "Way1")
dllname = "dllname1.dll";
else if (this->M_ENGINE == "Way2")
dllname = "dllname2.dll";
else
throw configuration_error();
HMODULE h = LoadLibraryA(dllname.c_str());
typedef engine* (*TCreateEngine)();
TCreateEngine func = (TCreateEngine)GetProcAddress(h, "getEngine");
engine* e = func();
The name of the exported function will probably get mangled, so you could either use DEF files or extern "C" in your DLLs, also don't forget to check for errors.
The solution I came to is the following:
Engine_Base^ engine_for_app;
Assembly^ SampleAssembly;
Type^ engineType;
if (this->M_ENGINE == "A")
{
SampleAssembly = Assembly::LoadFrom("path\\Engine_A.dll");
engineType = SampleAssembly->GetType("Engine_A");
engine_for_app = static_cast<Engine_Base^>(Activator::CreateInstance(engineType, param1, param2));
}
else
{
SampleAssembly = Assembly::LoadFrom("path\\Engine_B.dll");
engineType = SampleAssembly->GetType("Engine_B");
engine_for_app = static_cast<Engine_Base^>(Activator::CreateInstance(engineType, param1, param2, param3, param4));
}
I used the answer from Daniel and the comments that were made on his answer. After some extra research I came across the LoadFrom method.