Re: Issue on DLL Registration

From:
"Alexander Nickolov" <agnickolov@mvps.org>
Newsgroups:
microsoft.public.win32.programmer.ole,microsoft.public.vc.atl
Date:
Mon, 3 Jul 2006 12:22:28 -0700
Message-ID:
<ehRIHYtnGHA.3896@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl>
For starters, ole32.dll doesn't contain any type library.
AFAIK, oleaut32.dll doesn't either, instead the OS ships
with explicit type libraries (stdole2.tlb for example).
Second, by using importlib() you explicitly state not to
replicate definitions from the imported type library into
your own. You should always do so for interfaces that
aren't your own.

So I guess you are asking if anybody can hijack the marshaling
support for an interface or more precisely the type library
for an interface using the IDispatch marshaler. The answer
is - yes, anybody can do it. It won't do you any good with
a type library since it doesn't contain any code, however...
Note that there are no system OS level interfaces using
type library marshaling, though some add-ons that later
became part of the OS (e.g. IE) do. They don't use the
system DLLs (ole32, oleaut32) for marshaling.

--
=====================================
Alexander Nickolov
Microsoft MVP [VC], MCSD
email: agnickolov@mvps.org
MVP VC FAQ: http://www.mvps.org/vcfaq
=====================================

"KS" <wakeup@pmail.ntu.edu.sg> wrote in message
news:%23pdXF%23snGHA.2068@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

Hi,

Am I correct to say if someone import, say, ole32.dll and compile it to
get the tlb file, then register it together with his/her own DLL, then the
HKCR/interface entry for the interfaces defined in ole32.dll will be
overwritten to point to the new proxy dll instead?

If this won't happen, I would like to know more as to how the OS prevent
the proxy from being overwritten?

KS

"Alexander Nickolov" <agnickolov@mvps.org> wrote in message
news:eaYRntsnGHA.3772@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

Micrsoft ships marshaling support for its system interfaces
with the OS. ole32.dll and oleaut32.dll contain marshaling
code. For example the so called "universal" marshaler (e.g.
the IDispatch marshaler) resides in oleaut32.dll

--
=====================================
Alexander Nickolov
Microsoft MVP [VC], MCSD
email: agnickolov@mvps.org
MVP VC FAQ: http://www.mvps.org/vcfaq
=====================================

"Angela Yan" <yanyan9@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:evzyiDsnGHA.4572@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

Hi Kim,

Thanks for pointing out that I can cross-post messages across newsgroup.
I did not realised that I can do that.

Hi Igor,

Thanks for the prompt reply. If both my DLL are actually implemented as
In-proc servers, am I correct to say that I do not need to merge the
proxy/stub into my DLL since I do not need marshalling, other than
multi-threading issues?

Just curious. So how does the OS managed the interface registration for
the system defined IDLs or those provided by Visual Studio Include? I
would think that these IDLs would be considered as shared common IDL as
well. In many cases, I also import a system defined IDL into my DLL, but
I do not see the same issue occuring.

Angela

"Igor Tandetnik" <itandetnik@mvps.org> wrote in message
news:OrTI0NrnGHA.3896@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

"Angela Yan" <yanyan9@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:%236aJZhpnGHA.2364@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl

I have 2 different DLL files that shares a common IDL file. This
common IDL file contains some interfaces that is implemented by both
my DLL. When I register the 1st DLL file, it seems that some entries
are written into the HKCR/interface key.

When I register the 2nd DLL file, the same thing happens and the
entries are overwritten in the ProxyStubClsid32 to point to my 2nd
DLL.


Are these automation interfaces marshalled via TLB, or are they custom
interfaces marshalled via proxy/stub DLL, and you are merging
proxy/stub code into the main DLL?

The problem is that you define the same interface in two different TLBs
(or provide the same marshalling code in two different DLLs - for
simplicity I'm going to assume the former for the rest of the
discussion). This is bad, for reasons you've discovered the hard way.

Take this common IDL file, and compile it into its own TLB. The two
DLLs should share this TLB file. If they don't have their own
(non-shared) interfaces, simply use MIDL-generated header or #import
the shared TLB into both projects. If they do have such interfaces,
they would need separate IDLs to describe them. In this case, don't
forget to import the shared IDL outside library section, and importlib
the shared TLB inside.

When deploying either or both DLLs, don't forget to register the TLB
too. And be careful upon uninstall - you can only remove the TLB when
all the DLLs relying on it are removed. You may need some kind of
reference counting scheme.

Can anyone advise me on what might be wrong? I not sure why is there a
ProxyStubClsid32 key created for interface for my idea of interfaces
is that it is independent of the DLL that implements it


Interface is independent of the DLL that implements it. But it depends
on the DLL or TLB that provides marshalling support for it. This is why
it's a really good idea to have exactly one such DLL or TLB, ever.
--
With best wishes,
   Igor Tandetnik

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necessarily a good idea. It is hard to be sure where they are going to
land, and it could be dangerous sitting under them as they fly
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