C# .Net project using VB .Net dll's

Question

Development Environment:  Visual Studio Pro 2008, C# .Net 3.5 Windows Mobile 6.5 project

I have a Windows Mobile 6.5 project created using VS Pro 2008 and C# .Net 3.5.  Because of iSafe requirements, the WM 6.5 device has 3rd party .DLL's to control the internal RFID Reader.

The 3rd party .DLL's are a mix of VB .Net (written in VS 2005) and C code.  I'm concentrating on the VB .Net, as I am unfamiliar with this language and it's data structures.

I know about using DLLImport and prototyping the functions in the VB .dll's, however this is very ugly and I can't imagine doing this for 30+ functions that I need to interact with for just one .dll.  FYI, there are 5 VB .dll's I need to use that have numerous functions I need to call.

Is there a cleaner way to doing this or am I simply stuck with doing it like this:

        [System.Runtime.InteropServices.DllImport("someVB.dll")]
        private static extern string GetVersion();
        private static extern string GetFunction2(.......);
        private static extern string GetFunction3(.......);

Thanks,

Steve

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Thanks, Steve

Answer 1

When it is VB.NET library then you simply use it like you would use a C# library. There is no difference as it is .NET. Otherwise when it is an unmaged VB6 library then you can use some tools. I prefer PInvoke from redgate.

Answer 2

If it is a VB6 dll, then you can reference it as any COM dll. In fact, it's not an easy task creating a VB6 dll you can p/invoke.

Answer 3

You are absolutely correct!  I must've had a case of cranio-rectal infusion.  I pulled in the VB .Net .dll as a reference, double-clicked and it came up in the Object viewer -- like magic.

FYI, I installed PInvoke and it never showed up in my VS Pro 2008 toolbar.  Would that have something to do with the fact that I have 2008 and 2010 installed?  Perhaps the installer got confused.

Thanks for the help!

Steve

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Thanks, Steve