How to do CreateFileMapping in a C++ DLL and access it in C#, VB and C++

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Introduction

This is a sample of how to use a shared memory in SetData/GetData pattern like a map.

void SetData(TCHAR* key, TCHAR* value)
TCHAR* GetData(TCHAR* key)

This pattern can be used to store and retrieve binary data of variable lengths (like those of images) with slight improvement to the code.

Background

For basic tutorial on CreateFileMapping, please refer here.

Using the code

The code and the samples explain how to use this shared memory from VB.NET, C#, and C++.

In the code attached, a C++ DLL (named SharedMem.DLL) mimics a map<T,T> (Dictionary/Hashtable) so that it can be used across processes. The data sharing is based on an MMF.

A C# sample will look as shown below:

[DllImport("sharedmem.dll")]
extern static int GetRecordCount();

[DllImport("sharedmem.dll")]
extern static void SetValue(
[MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)] string key,
[MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)] string value);

[DllImport("sharedmem.dll")]
extern static IntPtr GetValue([MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)]string key);

private void OnSetClick(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
     //Set Func
     SetValue(keyText, valueText);
}

private void OnGetClick(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
     //Get
     IntPtr intPtr = GetValue(keyText);
     textBox.Text = Marshal.PtrToStringUni(intPtr);
}

The code is very much self explanatory.

The MMF is created/opened in DLLMain.cpp.

// sharedmem.cpp : Defines the exported functions for the DLL application.
//
#include "stdafx.h"
#include "sharedmem.h"
#include "tchar.h"
#include "stdio.h"
 
extern HANDLE m_hFileMMF, m_pViewMMFFile, hMutex;
 
class CMutex
{
 
public:
    CMutex()
    {
        if(!hMutex){
            hMutex = CreateMutex(
                NULL,              // default security attributes
                FALSE,             // initially not owned
                L"Global\\MMFMutex");             // unnamed mutex
        }
 
        WaitForSingleObject(  hMutex, INFINITE);  
 
    }
 
    ~CMutex()
    {
        ReleaseMutex(hMutex);
    }
 
};
 
void SetRecordCount(int value)
{
    TCHAR* record = (TCHAR*)m_pViewMMFFile;
    swprintf_s(record, MAX_PATH, L"RECCNT=%d#", value);
}
 
extern "C" int GetRecordCount()
{
    TCHAR* record = (TCHAR*)m_pViewMMFFile;
    TCHAR temp[MAX_PATH];
 
    int recordCount = -1;
 
    TCHAR seps[]   = L"=#";
    TCHAR *token1 = NULL;
    TCHAR *next_token1 = NULL;
 
    _tcscpy_s(temp, MAX_PATH, record);
 
    token1 = _tcstok_s ( temp, seps, &next_token1);
 
    if(token1 && _tcscmp(token1, _T("RECCNT")) == 0)
    {
        token1 = _tcstok_s ( NULL, seps, &next_token1);
 
        recordCount = _ttoi(token1);
    }else
    {
        recordCount = 1;
        SetRecordCount(1);
    }
 
    return recordCount;
}
 
 
int nRecordCount = -1;
 
void RemoveValue(TCHAR* key)
{
    TCHAR* record = (TCHAR*)m_pViewMMFFile;
 
    TCHAR temp[MAX_PATH];
 
    nRecordCount = GetRecordCount();
 
    record+=MAX_PATH;
 
    //Try to look. If found, break out of for loop
    //Compact the memory immediately immediately
    //If you get time, strongly advice you to do a lazy compaction
    bool isRecordFound = false;
    int i;
    for(i= 1; i< nRecordCount; i++,record+=MAX_PATH)
    {
        TCHAR seps[]   = L"=#";
        TCHAR *token1 = NULL;
        TCHAR *next_token1 = NULL;
 
        _tcscpy_s(temp, MAX_PATH, record);
 
        token1 = _tcstok_s ( temp, seps, &next_token1);
 
 
        if(_tcscmp(token1, key) == 0)
        {
            isRecordFound = true;
            break;
        }
    }
 
    //start moving the records 
    for(; i< nRecordCount-1; i++, record+=MAX_PATH)
    {
        TCHAR* nextRecord = record + MAX_PATH;
        _tcscpy_s(record, MAX_PATH, nextRecord);
    }
}

TCHAR* IfExists(TCHAR* key, TCHAR** value = NULL)
{
    TCHAR* record = (TCHAR*)m_pViewMMFFile;
 
    TCHAR temp[MAX_PATH];
 
    nRecordCount = GetRecordCount();
 
    record+=MAX_PATH;
    for(int i=1; i< nRecordCount; i++,record+=MAX_PATH)
    {
        TCHAR seps[]   = L"=#";
        TCHAR *token1 = NULL;
        TCHAR *next_token1 = NULL;
 
        _tcscpy_s(temp, MAX_PATH, record);
 
        token1 = _tcstok_s ( temp, seps, &next_token1);
 
        if(_tcscmp(token1, key) == 0)
        {
            token1 = _tcstok_s ( NULL, seps, &next_token1);
 
            //return a copy of the value
            if(value!=NULL)
            {
                int len = _tcslen(token1)+1;
                *value = new TCHAR(len);
                _tcscpy_s(*value, len, token1);
            }
 
            return record;
        }
    }
 
    return NULL;
}
 
extern "C" TCHAR* GetValue(TCHAR* key)
{
    TCHAR* sRetVal = new TCHAR[MAX_PATH];
 
    CMutex mutex;
 
    TCHAR* data = NULL;
 
    if(m_pViewMMFFile)
    {
        IfExists(key, &data);
    }
 
    return data;
}
 
 
extern "C" void SetValue(TCHAR* key, TCHAR* value)
{
    CMutex mutex;
 
    if(m_pViewMMFFile )
    {
        if(value == NULL)
        {
            RemoveValue(key);
        }
        else
        {
            TCHAR* data = IfExists(key);
            if(data == NULL)
            {
                data = new TCHAR[MAX_PATH];
                swprintf_s(data, MAX_PATH, L"%s=%s#", key, value);
 
                //Add to end of the MMF
                TCHAR* record = (TCHAR*)m_pViewMMFFile;
                record += MAX_PATH*nRecordCount;
                nRecordCount++;
 
                SetRecordCount(nRecordCount);
 
                _tcscpy_s(record, MAX_PATH, data);
                delete data;
            }
            else
            {
                //Replace existing
                swprintf_s(data, MAX_PATH, L"%s=%s#", key, value);
            }
        }
    }
}

Points of interest

This code needs some update before it can be readily used in production code.

1. Deleting a key from the MMF (and the resultant memory compaction).
2. Variable lengths of data. (Hint: Set the size of the data in the MMF.)
3. Automatic resizing of MMF.

I intend to post the improvements over time.