Re: How to create dll in Visual Studio 2008 in Visual C++

"Abhijit D. Babar" <abhijitit94@gmail.com> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:a1269dbc-fbb7-41ba-8de3-b6935ee5f0b6@q27g2000prf.googlegroups.com...


If you want to create a "managed" (i.e. CLR-based) DLL to be used from C#, I
think that you should choose "Class Library" (under Visual C++ / CLR node in
the "Project types" tree). This class library will export "managed"
(CLR-based) classes, i.e. it will have an object-oriented structure (with
classes, methods, etc.)
You can create these classes using C++/CLI extensions to C++ language, and
you can use these classes in other .NET languages, including C# and VB.NET.

However, you can also create a "native" DLL, with a C interface [*], and
call that from a Windows Form Application. C# and VB.NET offer mechanisms to
call native DLLs.
In that case, yuo can select "Win32 Project" from Visual C++ / Win32 node
(in "Project types" tree).
Then you go to "Application Settings", and choose "Application type: DLL".

And it is also possible to develop a COM-based DLL in C++ (exporting an
object-oriented interface, using COM), and call that DLL from Windows Forms
Application.
In that case you can use ATL to build the COM DLL (so you can choose project
type: Visual C++ -> ATL -> ATL Project), or you can use MFC (so you can
choose project type: Visual C++ -> MFC -> MFC ActiveX Control).

There are several options... it depends on your needs...

If you want to build a DLL with an object-oriented interface using C++/CLI,
and call these managed classes (written in C++/CLI and exposed from the DLL)
from C# or VB.NET in Windows Form Applications, maybe the simplest solution
is the first one.

[*] Of course you can use C++ inside the DLL, what is important is that the
interface must be pure C.

HTH,
Giovanni