Managed C++/CLI

Issue Reading and Writing to Serial Port

18-Dec-09 15:38

As others said, you can use binary serialization to send data over the wire. But take a look at projects like Protocol Buffers[^] also. There is a .NET port available and it makes data transmission easy and it does serialization and deserialization for you.

Best wishes,
Navaneeth

BubbaGeeNH17-Dec-09 5:38

BubbaGeeNH

17-Dec-09 5:38

I've written a managed class that handles the serial communication to a laser using ascii text. My problem is if my GUI makes too many calls to the functions in the laser communication class I get the wrong responses back from the laser. They are valid responses but it appears as if the response from the first call is being replaced by the response from the second call. I've attempted to control the usage of the serial port by using 'Mutex.WaitOne' but that doesn't seem to have an affect. All the calls to the laser are being generated by Windows' messages within the GUI. Does anyone know of a way to control the flow of calls to the laser class? I'm using Visual Studio 2008 and Managed C++.

Thanks,
George

George

Re: Issue Reading and Writing to Serial Port

Rick Shaub18-Dec-09 9:05

Rick Shaub

18-Dec-09 9:05

Why don't you try sending one command and waiting for the response before sending the next command?

Re: Issue Reading and Writing to Serial Port

BubbaGeeNH22-Dec-09 3:59

BubbaGeeNH

22-Dec-09 3:59

If I run my class as part of a Console application I have no problems with it communicating correctly and getting the correct responses. My problem is when I try to run it as part of a Windows GUI application. It seems as though the compiler is making my application a multi-threaded application and it is putting the writing and reading of portions of the class into different threads.

George

Re: Issue Reading and Writing to Serial Port

Luc Pattyn22-Dec-09 6:38

Luc Pattyn

22-Dec-09 6:38

Hi,

you can use synchronous calls such as SerialPort.Read() and SP.Write() any way you like; the thread executing the call will process the data, obviously. However some event handlers, such as DataReceived, will fire on another thread (what else could they do?). You may want to read this article[^].

And that is exactly the same for Console and WinForms applications.

Smile | :)

Luc Pattyn [Forum Guidelines] [Why QA sucks] [My Articles]

I only read code that is properly indented, and rendered in a non-proportional font; hint: use PRE tags in forum messages

Extension Methods feature over mixed solution (managed c++ to C#) [solved]

Martin#17-Dec-09 2:12

Re: Extension Methods feature over mixed solution (managed c++ to C#)

17-Dec-09 2:12

Hello everyone.

I'm doing some research about the extension methods[^]!

I was very critical as I heard about that feature and after some research my doubt, if there is a need for it, is even higher. (But that was discussed so often now, I will not waste your time and leave it open ...)

Now my question (proplem)!
I did a test, with a solution including:
1) C# project "Provider", which contains a class Foo and a parameterless method DoFoo (all public)
2) C# project "Extensions"(which references "Provider"), containing the extension method

public static void DoFoo(this Foo fo, int inValue) { ...}

3 a) C# project "UserCs" (which reference "Provider and "User")
3 b) managed C++ project "UserCpp" (which reference "Provider and "User")

Also another test, with a solution including:
1) managed C++ project "Provider", ...
2) C# project "Extensions"(which references "Provider"), ...
3 a) C# project "UserCs" (which reference "Provider and "User")
3 b) managed C++ project "UserCpp" (which reference "Provider and "User")

What happens in both tests now is, that in "3a" I have access to the extensions Method but not in "3b".

I know that managed c++ does not provide the syntactic features (ofter heard as "syntactic sugar"), but is aware of the attribute "ExtensionAttribute", which in fact is the base technology of the extention methods.

So for me, it seems that the managed c++ compiler can not deal with the build in C# feature, where the extension method is "turned" into a static method which is placed in a static class, all "surrounded" by the "ExtensionAttribute".

I know that I'm lacking at the basic knowledge in manage c++, so I'm really looking forwared reading some expert statement pointing out the parts I have missed so far!

All the best,

Martin

modified on Wednesday, January 13, 2010 6:57 AM

N a v a n e e t h17-Dec-09 16:56

Re: Extension Methods feature over mixed solution (managed c++ to C#)

17-Dec-09 16:56

Not sure I got your question correctly. Are you saying that from C++/CLI you are unable to use the extension method like the way you used it in C#? If yes, C++/CLI won't support extension method and you can't use it like in C#. You need to specify the class name and call the method. Just to explain, I have the following C# classes on a project.

namespace ClassLibrary1
{
    public class Foo
    {
        public void NormalMethod()
        {
        }
    }
}

namespace ClassLibrary1
{
    public static class FooExtensions
    {
        public static void ExtensionMethod(this Foo foo)
        {
        }
    }
}

Here is how I used it in C++/CLI.

C++

using namespace System;
using namespace ClassLibrary1;

int main(array<System::String ^> ^args)
{
	Foo^ f = gcnew Foo;
	f->NormalMethod(); // Extension method will not be available to call like this
	FooExtensions::ExtensionMethod(f); // Calling extension method by specifying the class name
    return 0;
}

C++ doesn't require extension methods. It supports free functions and that is much superior than extension methods. IMO, Extension method is introduced to give something similar to C++'s free functions.

Smile | :)

Best wishes,
Navaneeth

Martin#17-Dec-09 19:36

Re: Extension Methods feature over mixed solution (managed c++ to C#)

17-Dec-09 19:36

Hello and thank you for taking time!

N a v a n e e t h wrote:
Are you saying that from C++/CLI you are unable to use the extension method like the way you used it in C#?

That's correct!

N a v a n e e t h wrote:
C++/CLI won't support extension method and you can't use it like in C#

I'd like to trust you, but is there a documentation which confirmes your statement?

I'm a little confused because of the supportage of the "ExtensionAttribute", which is nicely descriped in tis cp article[^]!
Maybe have a short look and tell me what you think about it.

Thanks again!

All the best,

Martin

N a v a n e e t h17-Dec-09 20:51

Re: Extension Methods feature over mixed solution (managed c++ to C#)

17-Dec-09 20:51

Martin# wrote:
I'd like to trust you, but is there a documentation which confirmes your statement?

You can trust me Smile | :)

.

BTW, I am not aware of any document that says it is not supported in C++/CLI. But if you take a look at C++/CLI's standard, you will not find anything related to extension method. And a search on the web also tells the same.

Martin# wrote:
I'm a little confused because of the supportage of the "ExtensionAttribute

There is no confusion here. ExtensionAttribute is a class which is part of .NET framework. C++/CLI can use any classes in the framework and it understands attribute classes. What it doesn't understand is to look for this specific attribute and show the method as an extension. This is simply because it is not implemented in the compiler.

C# compiler can look for this attribute and show the method as extension. So as the article says, if you apply extension attribute to the class and method from C++/CLI and used in a C# project, C# compiler reads the extension attribute and display it as extension method.

Martin# wrote:
which is nicely descriped in tis cp article[^]!

It was a good read. Thanks for the link.

Smile | :)

Best wishes,
Navaneeth

Martin#17-Dec-09 21:26

Re: Extension Methods feature over mixed solution (managed c++ to C#)

17-Dec-09 21:26

N a v a n e e t h wrote:
You can trust me

N a v a n e e t h wrote:
But if you take a look at C++/CLI's standard, you will not find anything related to extension method. And a search on the web also tells the same.

So true!

N a v a n e e t h wrote:
What it doesn't understand is to look for this specific attribute and show the method as an extension. This is simply because it is not implemented in the compiler.

You know what.
I just wanted to ask you rereading the article, but as I was looking over it once again I found out that I completely missunderstood a sentence in the section "Making an Extension Method in C++/CLI".

About "ExtensionAttribute":
"Applying the attributes to the proper place in the C++/CLI project, I was able to get the extension method to show up"
Yes, but only with the C# compiler, and not with the C++/CLI compiler. D'Oh! | :doh:

N a v a n e e t h wrote:
It was a good read. Thanks for the link.

It seems, that I learned more new stuff from providing that article, than you reading it! Smile | :)

With your help, I think I got it now! Thank you!

My conclusion about the .Net implementation of extension methods:
Confused | :confused:

All the best,

Martin

tonyt24-Jan-10 15:09

tonyt

24-Jan-10 15:09

I was a little confused by your original question, but if are are trying find out if it is possible to <b>implement</b> extension methods in C++/CLI (that can be consumed from VB and C# as extension methods), the answer is yes.

You just declare a C++/CLI class that is both abstract and sealed, and you apply the [Extension] attribute to both the class and the extension methods you add to it, which must be public and static. The extension methods themselves do not use the 'this' keyword like they do in C#, but they're seen as extension methods by the VB and C# compilers. The example below implements a "Matches()" method for System.String:

<pre>
#pragma once

using namespace System;
using namespace System::Runtime::CompilerServices;
using namespace System::Text::RegularExpressions;

namespace System
{
   [System::Runtime::CompilerServices::Extension]
   public ref class StringExtensionMethods abstract sealed
   {
   public:
         [System::Runtime::CompilerServices::Extension]
         static bool Matches( System::String^ string, System::String^ pattern )
         {
            return Regex::IsMatch( string, pattern );
         }
   };
}
</pre>

Re: Extension Methods feature over mixed solution (managed c++ to C#)

Martin#24-Jan-10 22:42

“An unhandled exception of type 'System.IO.FileLoadException' occurred in

24-Jan-10 22:42

tonyt wrote:
I was a little confused by your original question

Me too!

Thanks for the summary, but I finally understood all that!

You get my 5 for careing that much.

All the best,

Martin

vibindia16-Dec-09 15:21

vibindia

16-Dec-09 15:21

I have a “NativeToManaged.dll”, which is full of native code (no managed code, it generated LIB file for exported native class).

I used it in a test application, which is managed (C++\CLI). I could use the exported class form “NativeToManaged.dll” and works fine in RunTime.

Now I added some managed code (C++\CLI) in “NativeToManaged.dll” and made the project settings to “Common Language Runtime Support (/clr)”. I didn’t modify anything in test application. It compiled fine. But while in RT it throws an exception

“An unhandled exception of type 'System.IO.FileLoadException' occurred in testInt.exe”
“Additional information: Could not load file or assembly NativeToManaged, Version=0.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null' or one of its dependencies. Could not find or load a type. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80131522)”

Help me to fix this problem

VIBIN

"Fool's run away,where angle's fear to tread"

managed c++ app refuses to run

Jason Henderson16-Dec-09 8:10

Jason Henderson

16-Dec-09 8:10

We're having a problem on a few client machines where our managed C++ MFC app will not start. Its a managed c++ app linked to some C# dlls. It won't even hit the constructor or OnInitApp.

Its almost identical to this: http://www.eggheadcafe.com/community/aspnet/36/10076902/mixed-c-managed-c-c.aspx[^] but of course there was no solution posted.

I have one of the offending machines and it starts in safe mode, but not when starting windows normally. I have also shutdown nearly every service, including anti-virus apps. It seems like something is blocking it but everything that possibly would be blocking it has been turned off.

Tried running the CLR Profiler with the app but the clr doesn't start.

Any clue's as to what is causing this would be appreciated.
Thanks

"Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler." - Albert Einstein

Jason Henderson

N a v a n e e t h16-Dec-09 14:47

16-Dec-09 14:47

Jason Henderson wrote:
Tried running the CLR Profiler with the app but the clr doesn't start.

Can you run any other .NET application on this machine? If not, I guess the problem will be with the setup of .NET framework.

Best wishes,
Navaneeth

Jason Henderson17-Dec-09 2:52

Jason Henderson

17-Dec-09 2:52

While looking for some tool to help I installed PerfMon which I believe is a .net app and it ran fine. All of our other native apps run fine as well.

"Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler." - Albert Einstein

Jason Henderson

teejayem17-Dec-09 4:43

teejayem

17-Dec-09 4:43

Sounds like you should install Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable Package (x86)[^]

Don't be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good

Jason Henderson17-Dec-09 4:59

Jason Henderson

17-Dec-09 4:59

It gets installed in our software's installation script, but I reinstalled it anyway. Didn't help.

"Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler." - Albert Einstein

Jason Henderson