asked on 7/20/2008

C# Project Reference Unmanaged C++ .LIB

I have an unmanaged C++ .LIB, built by VS2003. I would like to add a reference to it in my VS2005 C# project. I can't, of course.

I have full source and both development environments.

I could build the library with managed C++. I could write a project that builds a DLL instead of the .LIB. The field is wide open.

What is the best way to add this .LIB's functionality to my C# project?

C#C++

Last Comment

josgood

7/21/2008

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Jaime Olivares

7/20/2008

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josgood

7/20/2008

ASKER

jaime, thank you. These are good references. Each expects to be working with a .DLL, not a .LIB. At least, that's how I read them.

Since I have an unmanaged .LIB, not .DLL, it seems to me that my choices are
1) Write an unmanaged C++ project that creates an unmanaged .DLL, either directly from the sources or by linking with the .LIB, or
2) Write a managed C++ project that builds the sources, resulting in a class library.

I'd like to avoid making any source changes, to simplify acceptance by QA. I don't know that I'd encounter any of the managed/unmanaged differences in building these sources with managed C++, but I don't know that I won't, either.

For simplicity, it seems best to build an unmanaged DLL with a project that simply links in the .LIB. I'm comfortable with using PInvoke in C#.

Would you agree with me, or do you have a different view? Am I missing something?

Jaime Olivares

7/20/2008

you cannot use a .lib directly into your .net project, you have to build a dll so you can use interop marshalling.

josgood

7/21/2008

ASKER

Thank you, jaime. I have it working now.

Joe