Can i use, C++ made DLL files in .NET directly without using COM

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suppose, if i have a DLL file that i created in C++ WITHOUT using COM

Can i load it directly in .NET??

or COM is required???

if i can load it directly, then how??

Posted 14-May-12 8:29am

Harmanjeet Singh

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TinyDevices 15-May-12 9:49am

All those Win32 API that you (might) use in managed apps are NOT COM dlls. When there is way to use Win32 Dll, there is certainly a way for your DLL as well. The rest as explained in the other reply here.

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Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov · Accepted Answer · 2012-05-14T08:35:00

No, COM is not required. Yes, you can load exported native DLL functions in your .NET application and use them using Platform Invocation Services, P/Invoke.

Please see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P/Invoke[^],
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/Aa712982[^].

This CodeProject article can also be useful:
Essential P/Invoke[^].

An alternative approach is using C++/CLI. You can create a mixed-mode (managed+unmanaged) C++/CLI DLL. You can mix C++ with C++/CLI and wrap all native calls to your native DLL into .NET C++/CLI "ref" classes. The obtained executable can be used like a regular .NET assembly and referenced by your C# assembly.

About C++/CLI, please see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%2B%2B/CLI[^],
http://www.ecma-international.org/publications/standards/Ecma-372.htm[^],
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/xey702bw.aspx[^].

—SA