Can we use Active Reports 7.0 in C++/CLI? I have just started using active reports. I tried building a report in C# without any problem. I tried doing the same in C++/CLI, but I am unable to use the Active reports toolbox. And also when running the application, it is giving licensing errors.
The designer that generates code-based won't work with C++/CLI. You also won't be able to write "script" inside the reports with C++. However, you can design reports as the XML-based reports (rpx) instead and then you shouldn't have any problem instantiating and calling on those from C++ via the SectionReport class (for example). Something like the following:
GrapeCity::ActiveReports::SectionReport ^sectionReport = gcnew GrapeCity::ActiveReports::SectionReport();
System::Xml::XmlTextReader ^xtr = new System::Xml::XmlTextReader("..\\..\\rptScript.rpx");
sectionReport->LoadLayout(xtr);
xtr->Close();
viewer1->LoadDocument(sectionReport);
...
Keep in mind ActiveReports users are almost exclusively C# & VB.NET users so you won't find any C++ code samples, but it should be pretty trivial to translate the code from C# to C++/CLI.
The example is based on SectionReport not PageReport, but PageReport is entirely xml-based so it should work easily too.
So to clarify, if you want a C++ only solution, you need to do the following:
Create your reports as XML-based reports (*.rpx files) using the "Standalone" designer application that is installed in the start menu when you install ActiveReports. Since you can save your reports as a standalone, independent .rpx file, you will not need to use any C#/VB.NET DLL. As shown in the code example above, you can just load the .rpx files from a file directly from C++ (for example).
Although this technique does not require any C# or VB.NET DLL/EXE, if you use the scripting feature inside the standalone .rpx report file, the script will have to be either C# or VB script. However, you won't have to compile that yourself, ActiveReports deals with the script internally.
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I'm trying to interact with a .dll which will allow me to receive information from a variety of devices (Eye Gaze to be specific). The .dll is called ETUDriver and can be found at http://www.sis.uta.fi/~csolsp/projects.php however it does not come with an accompanying .h file.
I am struggling to actually load, interact and invoke functions from the .dll. A manual is supplied but it is of no help whatsoever with regards to actually setting up the code to start it off. There are three accompanying example apps (with source code) but only two of these work and one of which is in C# so is not helpful. The one that works however loads up the .dll via MFC and this is not a viable option with my code (which is intended to be used with many other projects and as such can't enforce MFC or any other libraries that are not as standard to projects).
Essentially, within the .dll is a series of classes which I need to create within my code and invoke the relevant functions of that class.
I've tried to use HRESULT hr = CoInitialize(NULL);
hr = CoCreateInstance(__uuidof(ETUDSink), NULL, CLSCTX_INPROC, __uuidof(IETUDSink), (LPVOID*)&pETUDSink);
if(pETUDSink)
{
pETUDSink->Start();
} however it always returns an error saying that the class is not registered. I can't use MFC to call the relevant .rgs file and am completely stuck on how to get this to work otherwise.
Is there a given format to doing this that I am unaware of and has anyone had experience in using the ETUDriver (or is able to get it working in C++ without use of MFC)?
Thank you for any help you can provide on this subject :)
I am not familiar with the specific DLL in question, but it sounds like you did not register the DLL on the target machine. You can do this by running regsvr32.exe or by calling the DLL's exported DllRegisterServer function or by using side-by-side assemblies. You need to do register the DLL on each machine that needs to leverage the COM functionality within it, so when you distribute your application, make sure that your installer registers the DLL if you go the regsvr32.exe route.
You can use the #import directive in Microsoft Visual C++ to load the information contained within the DLL without using a header file or rewriting it yourself based on documentation.
I have to make a simple zip file using Visual Studio and VB.NET 2003.
After some googling I got to this page: http://www.digioz.com/tutorials/zip_unzip_vbNET/Zip_and_Unzip_VB_NET_1.html wich basically provides me 3 DLLs with classes that are ready to zip files.
When I try to create an instance of the class like the tutorial tells me to:
Dim zp As New CGZipLibrary.CGZipFiles
I get this error:
COM object with CLSID {293364BA-43F8-11D3-BC2D-4000000A2806} is either not valid or not registered.
Ideas?
If anybody got a better/easier approach to zip files using VB.NET 2003 it would be helpful too.
Thanks.
EDIT:
Thanks for all who answered, but I've used a different approach than the suggested ones to zip my files.
I used the Shell function of the Microsoft.VisualBasic.Interaction class like this:
Shell("zip -j " & fileName, AppWinStyle.Hide, True)
Thanks again for those who dedicated their time trying to help me!
It looks like that library you are trying to use is an old COM dll. That means you have to register the dll first using regsvr32.exe before you can use it. However, I would recommend using a native .NET (managed) library. Unless it doesn't meet your needs, I'd simply recommend looking at the GZipStream class which is part of the .NET framework.
Have you tried this one? This is pretty good: ionic.zip.reduced, a dotnetzip library.
Example:
Using zip As ZipFile = New ZipFile()
zip.AddFile("c:\photos\personal\7440-N49th.png")
zip.AddFile("c:\Desktop\2008_Annual_Report.pdf")
zip.AddFile("ReadMe.txt")
zip.Save("MyZipFile.zip")
End Using
More VB.NET examples of Ionic.ZIP
UPDATE:
Your problem is that VS2003 can't use the targeting of the dll which was created in a newer (eg. VS2005) version of VS. For many have tried to use that, a tool was created which you can download here. For more information, visit this site.
Another option that I use in most of my projects is #ZipLib (SharpZipLib), downloads available here:
http://www.icsharpcode.net/opensource/sharpziplib/Download.aspx
Documentation and samples for both VB and C# are available at the same site. It has specific binary assemblies (dll) for .NET framework 1.1, as well as later versions. It's likely that some of the other libraries that you're run across are compiled for .NET 2.0 or later, which won't work in VS2003.
Don't let the name fool you -- it's written in C# (hence the name) but the compiled assemblies work just fine in VB.NET. It supports Zip, GZip, tar, and BZip2 archives.
I've got an old legacy application for communicating via serial port to an embedded controller communications bus. that someone else developed.
The application is written in VB6, and is structured as two projects - a DLL to handle the connection and communications logic, with an application GUI project.
I was hoping to be able to write a new application GUI (in C++ ideally) to use the existing DLL as-is, but I'm having lots of problems working out how to import it.
So I'm wondering, is it even going to be possible to use this old DLL into a C++ project as is? or is it possible to import into a C# project? or a VB.NET project? (would prefer not to use VB, but can if I have to)
Where I am now:
I have the existing compiled executable and DLL, and these run on my system.
I also have the project files, and they're all readable in notepad++ but I don't have VB6, and importing the project into visual studio VB.NET 2008 express isn't at all straightforward. Especially not without a working example to dig through and play with first (DLL project may be importable, but has 50+ things indicated as needing changing in the upgrade report. It also seems to be ignoring three .cls files that look very important to my not particularly VB6-savvy eyes... The application project has a message in the upgrade report about something "missing a design time license" and the only project files that actually seem to come into the project explorer for imported project is the project file itself, and the assembly info file.)
Most examples of how to import a DLL into VS C++ assume you have a solution with the DLL project all compiling nicely alongside your project that will use it. Or at least a .DLL and .lib and .h file... I spoke with the original developer of the code (in another city, we don't work directly) and got a .lib to match my .dll, but still have no .h file.
I'm usually fine to bash through something new, but without a baseline working example of the project even in VB6 that I can get my understanding from, it makes this very hard. Also a lack of similar questions anywher google can find them on the net makes me wonder if this is something i should be even attempting.
I'm working on getting a non-express copy of visual studio if that will make any difference (express worked fine for everything up until now so I never needed anything more) but that will take a number of weeks, most likely.
Any suggestions would be very much appreciated.
thanks for reading!
I have to disclaim this as I have no experience doing it, but merely found that it should be possible given some reading of the docs on the subject.
I'm not sure you'll have much luck with the VB to .NET import/conversion process if there is a lot of low level stuff going on. The existing dll is likely a COM object, no?
It seems like there is some MSDN documentation to get you started from C++ using COM object dlls - and it looks like the #import directive will generate some .h (header) files as well.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/8etzzkb6.aspx
So I would try simply adding an #import directive for it.
#import "somelibrary.dll"
and see what visual studio generates.
Have a look at the following example as well, (copied shamelessly from another forum)
#import "F:\proj\VB6\ActiveXDLL\VBTestDLL.dll"
using namespace VBTestLib;
void CDialogTestDlg::OnButton1()
{
HRESULT hresult;
CLSID clsid;
_CTest *t; // a pointer to the CTest object
_bstr_t bstrA = L"hello";
_bstr_t bstrB = L" world";
_bstr_t bstrR;
::CoInitialize(NULL);
hresult=CLSIDFromProgID(OLESTR("VBTestLib.CTest"), &clsid);
hresult= CoCreateInstance(clsid,NULL,CLSCTX_INPROC_SERVER,
__uuidof(_CTest),(LPVOID*) &t);
if(hresult == S_OK)
{
bstrR = t->vbConcat(bstrA , bstrB);
AfxMessageBox((char*)bstrR);
}
}
I'm trying to create an D application which uses a (third party) COM .dll so I can scrape a text box of another application so I can sound an error when a certain string shows up.
However the third party doesn't provide .lib, .def or .h files that go with the dll (atleast with the free trial version). I can create the .lib file with the implib tool but I don't see any of the library's functions in the created .lib.
Their (visual c++) samples use the #import directive to link it in however that is of no use for me ...
On a side note how can I get the proper interfaces (in a .di with boilerplate that does the linking) of the dll automatically? I ask so the correctness of the linkage doesn't depend on my (likely to be incorrect) translation of the functions. They do have a webpage which gives all functions but the object model is a bit chaotic to say the least.
From what I know, COM libraries only expose a few functions, required to (un)register the library and to create objects.
You can however view the interfaces and functions in a COM .dll using the OLE/COM Object Viewer. It seems it might be able to output header files (.h). Afterwards, maybe you could use htod as a starting point to converting everything to D interfaces.
The DMD distribution seems to include a .COM sample (chello.d, dclient.d, dserver.d), and at first glance it doesn't look like it would require any LIBs explicitly.
Unfortunately, I've never actually used COM in D, so I can't advise any further. I hope this helps in some way.
While I have yet to actually do COM work myself, I am trying to revive Juno over on Github/he-the-great. Part of the project is tlbimpd which is what will output a D file from a DLL.
I've tested the examples and successfully run tlbimpd. Please do try things out for your use and submit any issues.
I want to open an existing VB class file, add a few properties and close it again.
Simple enough, I thought: Take the CodeDom, a VBCodeProvider, parse the code (using the Parse-method), then identify the location where I want my stuff added (doubtless using some nifty LINQ expressions), add a bit of code and then have it generated and here we go.
Now I see that Microsoft apparently added the Parse method only for the fun of it but never implemented it.
What's the story here? Can I only generate code from scratch? Is it not possible to load existing code?
Does anyone know of any solutions?
You say "class files" and then you say "parse". I think you meant "parse and modify".
Our DMS Software Reengineering Toolkit with its Visual Basic Front End can do what you need on VB.net source code files.
DMS provides general parsing, AST-building, generic analysis and AST transformations, and is able to regenerate source text in compilable form. The Visual Basic Front End enables DMS to process VB.net, VBScript or VB6 and carry out any of these activities.
DMS's Source-to-Source transformations can be used to make changes using "if-you-see-this, replace-it-by-that" patterns.