I am normally using VB6 but this time I need to create a DLL from an
..h-file and I guess I can only do this in VC6/C++. Because of this I
would like to know what the current (if there is still one at all) VC6
newsgroup is. I don't want to use VC.NET. Thanks in advance. Have a nice
day! Karl

Free newsgroup servers:
  www.aioe.org
  www.eternal-september.org

On 9/2/2010 3:33 AM, Abhishek wrote:
reader80.eternal-september.org has these c++ groups (and a few others):

alt.ocmp.lang.learn.c-c++
comp.lang.c++
comp.lang.c++.leda
comp.lang.c++.misc
comp.lang.c++.moderated
comp.std.c++
microsoft.public.cn.vc++
sybase.public.watcom_c_c++.general

On 02/09/2010 10:20, Karl Steffen wrote:
I tend to use comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.win32.
The microsoft.public groups I used to watch have now been shutdown (on
the original servers)

On Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:20:10 +0200, Karl Steffen <k.stef***@gmx.de> wrote:

¤ I am normally using VB6 but this time I need to create a DLL from an
¤ .h-file and I guess I can only do this in VC6/C++. Because of this I
¤ would like to know what the current (if there is still one at all) VC6
¤ newsgroup is. I don't want to use VC.NET. Thanks in advance. Have a nice
¤ day! Karl

You can find the MSDN forums at the below link:

http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/category/visualc


Paul
~~~~
Microsoft MVP (Visual Basic)

On Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:20:10 +0200, Karl Steffen <k.stef***@gmx.de>
wrote:

As you can not "create a DLL from an .h-file" no matter what language
or platform you use, I'm wondering if you mean instead that you need
to employ a DLL (written in C/C++) in a VB project, and all you have
is the header file?

If this is the case you can convert the header file to a Type Library
and include a reference to it in your VB Project.

If it is by chance a platform or language specific DLL then you can
also wrap the DLL as an ActiveX component and access it that way. But
we would need to know more about the DLL.

So what it is you are really trying to do?

-ralph

Yes, Ralph, that is exactely the problem.
I wanted to use a third party library that was written in C++.
They provided an h-file and a lib-file, but no dll.
I thought I had to make a dll file myself by making a wrapping dll,
written in C++ which resembles the methods and properties like an
ActiveX exe.
Since it's now already known that I don't really have a clue about it, I
can admit it.

If I could turn the header file into a tlb, it would help me indeed.
Could you give me a very short introduction how this would be done?

Thank you very much in advance.

Karl Steffen

Am 02.09.2010 15:56, schrieb ralph:
Show quoteHide quote

On Fri, 03 Sep 2010 06:28:04 +0200, Karl Steffen <k.stef***@gmx.de>
wrote:

First, need to make sure of what we are talking about here.
You said "They provided an h-file and a lib-file, but no dll".
If this is the case then it is a static link library and NOT a dll,
and unfortunately can not be used by VB. (*well maybe ...).
But you said it was a DLL? So where is it? Does it perhaps have a
different extension?

Quick definitions: (pedantic I know... but want to make sure we are on
the same page.)

..h files - headers contain declarations of interfaces, functions,
structs, constants, etc. They are meant to be included with C/C++
source code at compile time.

..lib files - Come in two basic flavors. They either declare the binary
interface to a DLL, or contain binary code to be statically linked
with a program at compile time.
The former if supplied with a DLL can be ignore for VB purposes.

..dll files - dynamically linked library file. Essentially the same as
a compiled .lib except it is linked at runtime. These can be used by
VB.

Second, since we really don't know for sure if you have a DLL or not
the rest of this may be worthless. <g>

There is lot's of information available on the web on type libraries.
Here are a few places to get you started.

IDL For VB Tutorial
<you have to register to read, but it is free>
http://www.devx.com/vb2themax/Article/19830

Bruce McKinney's Win32 API Type Library
http://vb.mvps.org/hardweb/mckinney2a.htm
<download the WinTlbU.zip file>

Some general notes:
1. A type library is nothing more that a compiled "header file".
So the steps are these:
    a) Convert the declarations in a header file to IDL (Interface
Description Language)
    b) Compile the IDL source into a Type Library
That is it.

2. The most common use for employing type libraries in VB is to skip
using Declare directives for WinApi libraries. I gave a link to
McKinney's type library for the WinAPI. The advantages to downloading
and examining this are ...
a) You get all the IDL source
    You can look at the C declarations in the MSDN and then compare to
how they look when converted to IDL.
b) you get a compiler and a general batch file for compiling your own.
c) Or put another way - you can steal like crazy. <g>

3. IDL on first look is daunting. And it can be quite complex for some
situations, but in general and for your needs it quite
straight-forward. If you get stuck - post here. Lots of ppl speak IDL
here. <g>

Third, which is something I really feel stupid about not mentioning in
my first post. If it is a DLL -  you can just turn the header file
into Declare directives. As well as declare any structs and constants,
etc.

I always automatically turn to using a Type Library, but if this is a
one-off situation, the library isn't that large or complex, and you're
not in the mood to learn a bunch of stuff <g>. Then Declare directives
is the way to go.

-ralph

If you don't have experience of using VC, then it's better let someone else
do it, or ask the author to make a DLL version. Basically, you need to
create a ".CPP" file with DllMain() function, then write wrapper functions.
The new project wizard can be used to make a skeleton DLL, and then you add
the .LIB file in project settings under Link tab. Your C file would look
like this:

#include "mydll.h"
#include <Windows.h>

BOOL WINAPI DllMain(HINSTANCE hinstDLL,  DWORD fdwReason, LPVOID
lpvReserved)
{
    // Some code here
}

int STDCALL vbGetInfo(int Index)
{
    return GetInfo(Index);
}


In the above, I am assuming that the DLL has a function called GetInfo(). So
vbGetInfo() is your version of the function. You will need to add a ".DEF"
file to export the functions in a way that VB can use them. The VC wizard
would use "dllexport" in the function declaration, but this is not suitable
for VB. You have to add a ".DEF" file to export the functions properly for
VB to use them. See ".DEF files" in MSDN. Here is what a DEF file looks
like, which is very simple:

LIBRARY MyDLL
DESCRIPTION 'My DLL'
EXPORTS
  vbGetInfo
  vbSetInfo

Some useful links:

http://www.learncpp.com/

http://www.cplusplus.com/

Show quote Hide quote Here's another link

How To Make C DLL More Accessible to VB with a Type Library
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/189133

But we better be careful. May get flamed for trolling VC. <g>

-ralph

Karl Steffen <k.stef***@gmx.de> schrieb im Beitrag
<OIQ56AoSLHA.5***@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl>...
Since you seem to be from Germany:
  de.comp.lang.misc
  de.comp.os.ms-windows.programmer
(Some people from microsoft.public.de.vc are to be found there...)

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