Question

LoadLibrary doesn't work for non-static built DLL

Asked by: rrooks

Having a problem with a DLL that has had static linking eliminated. Should LoadLibrary and GetPRocAddress still work or is there some other way that I should access the functions in the DLL?
The "abuild found" never prints. I don't think the DLL was built with .Net either.
Code below:

static void Main(string[] args)
    {
      IntPtr myDLL = NativeMethods.LoadLibrary("abuild.dll");
      if(IntPtr.Zero != myDLL)
      {
        // Successful load, read your data
        bool result = NativeMethods.FreeLibrary(myDLL);
        Console.WriteLine("abuild found");
      }
      NativeMethods.FreeLibrary(myDLL);
    }
  }
  static class NativeMethods
  {
    [DllImport("kernel32.dll")]
    public static extern IntPtr LoadLibrary(string dllToLoad);
 
    [DllImport("kernel32.dll")]
    public static extern IntPtr GetProcAddress(IntPtr hModule, string procedureName);
 
    [DllImport("kernel32.dll")]
    public static extern bool FreeLibrary(IntPtr hModule);
  }

                                  
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Asked On
2009-01-22 at 06:18:37ID24073984
Topics

C# Programming Language

,

C / C++ / C# Editors and IDEs

Participating Experts
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Points
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Comments
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Answers

 

by: rrooksPosted on 2009-01-22 at 09:03:51ID: 23441242

update:

I changed LoadLibrary to LoadLibraryEx so that standard DLL locations will be searched for those DLLs that are depended on in abuild.dll.

still myDLL is zero

 

by: TheLearnedOnePosted on 2009-01-22 at 19:09:09ID: 23446084

I am not sure what you are trying to achieve, but you should be able to use p/invoke calls to access DLLs methods in non-COM libraries.

 

by: rrooksPosted on 2009-01-23 at 03:46:12ID: 23448100

I am trying to call a function in abuild.dll. So far I can't even get LoadLibrary to point to the DLL.

 

by: TheLearnedOnePosted on 2009-01-23 at 03:47:49ID: 23448106

Did you try a p/invoke method?

 

by: rrooksPosted on 2009-01-23 at 03:48:58ID: 23448109

going to look at it right now.

 

by: rrooksPosted on 2009-01-23 at 04:01:11ID: 23448166

ok, P/Invoke uses DLLImport which means there needs to be an entry point exported from the DLL. For security reasons the DLL cannot be statically linked. which is what P/Invoke needs to use the functions inside the DLL.

I must use LoadLibrary and GetPRocAddress it seems.

 

by: TheLearnedOnePosted on 2009-01-23 at 10:12:07ID: 23451350

Can LoadLibrary find the DLL?

 

by: rrooksPosted on 2009-01-23 at 10:56:17ID: 23451810

that is what i am saying....it returns a null pointer

 

by: TheLearnedOnePosted on 2009-01-23 at 12:08:54ID: 23452499

I meant can it find it in the path, since you didn't specify a full-path name?

 

by: rrooksPosted on 2009-01-23 at 12:31:39ID: 23452721

that is what i am saying...it does not find it...i have tried full path, local path, fullname, no dll extension. I have put it in the project directory, in the same dir as the executable, it is just baffling me.

 

by: TheLearnedOnePosted on 2009-01-23 at 13:52:15ID: 23453403

Have you tried LoadLibraryEx?

 

by: rrooksPosted on 2009-01-23 at 13:52:52ID: 23453416

yes that is what i am using

 

by: TheLearnedOnePosted on 2009-01-23 at 13:56:39ID: 23453448

You are using LoadLibrary in the code shown above.

LoadLibraryEx
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms684179(VS.85).aspx

 

by: rrooksPosted on 2009-01-23 at 15:17:18ID: 23454012

sorry, yes i am. but i changed it to loadlibraryex shortly after posting the question.

 

by: rrooksPosted on 2009-01-29 at 08:22:06ID: 23499033

still have not found a solution. One thing I have learned is:

I rewrote it in C and if it is bilt through vs2008 IDE it does not work - same error; however, if I compile it from the command line (cl /Tc file.c) it works great.

puzzled to say the least....

 

by: TheLearnedOnePosted on 2009-01-29 at 10:53:00ID: 23500967

I am not sure that I have enough understanding of the concepts, in order to help you.

 

by: rrooksPosted on 2009-02-24 at 11:04:37ID: 31537672

loading the library in C# would not work....had to do it in C and even then had to use the command line compiler to get it to work...not sure what is going on wtih VS2008 that it wont work...

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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