invoking the compiler from my own code - C# Discussion Boards

22-Nov-02 9:33

Okay, I am unable to find all the info on this.

We are creating dynamic C# code with the assembly files and project file.
I want to pass the project to the C# compiler programmatically.

What are the steps I need to take to accomplish this?

I am at a loss as to even where to start! I'd be happy if someone can even just point me to a tutorial on this!

Thanks much fellow CP'ers.

_____________________________________________
_{The world is a dangerous place.
Not because of those that do evil,
but because of those who look on and do nothing.}

leppie22-Nov-02 12:20

22-Nov-02 12:20

System.CodeDom.Compiler & System.Reflection.Emit

Its hard, very hard to understand, but once u grasp it, its pretty easy. Look on dotnet247 Smile | :)

"I dont have a life, I have a program." Also, I won't support any software without the LeppieRules variable.

LongRange.Shooter25-Nov-02 3:37

25-Nov-02 3:37

Thanks for the input.

Once I get it all figured out....it sounds like a good article to publish!

Gee...I might actually get published here. Smile | :)

_____________________________________________
_{The world is a dangerous place.
Not because of those that do evil,
but because of those who look on and do nothing.}

leppie23-Nov-02 2:31

23-Nov-02 2:31

C# also has a managed compiler, but I havent used that yet.

Microsoft.CSharp.Compiler class Smile | :)

"I dont have a life, I have a program." Also, I won't support any software without the LeppieRules variable.

LongRange.Shooter26-Nov-02 4:56

26-Nov-02 4:56

Leppie,

First of all: I have implemented LeppieRules in all of my own system variables, so I feel fine in asking this. Smile | :)

I have the managed compiler functioning and I am 90% of the way there. It seems like you know more about reflection than I do at the moment so I was hoping you can help with this.

What I want to do is build a collection of each DLL that is to be included as references for my compiled code. I also want to make it version independant. So I thought that I could use Reflection to say "Here is the name space System" -or- "Here is the dll System.dll" then have Reflection give me that path construct to get to the System.dll location. I think this is possible via Reflection, but I keep getting lost in it when I try to find the component that can give me this answer. Confused | :confused:

Any suggestions on where to begin my easter egg hunt?

Thanks a heap,

Condor

_____________________________________________
_{The world is a dangerous place.
Not because of those that do evil,
but because of those who look on and do nothing.}

leppie26-Nov-02 6:11

26-Nov-02 6:11

theRealCondor wrote:
First of all: I have implemented LeppieRules in all of my own system variables, so I feel fine in asking this.

You are using it wrong! Poke tongue | ;-P

OK, over to the series stuff!

theRealCondor wrote:
What I want to do is build a collection of each DLL that is to be included as references for my compiled code. I also want to make it version independant. So I thought that I could use Reflection to say "Here is the name space System" -or- "Here is the dll System.dll" then have Reflection give me that path construct to get to the System.dll location. I think this is possible via Reflection, but I keep getting lost in it when I try to find the component that can give me this answer.

Any suggestions on where to begin my easter egg hunt?

Start looking for an egg and not a bunny! What on earth are you trying to do? Reflection can only be used on compiled assemblies. Need more info, BUFFERUNDERUN EXCEPTION HALT!

Smile | :)

PS: give me a code snippet of what you are trying to get

DBHelper - SQL Stored Procedure Wrapper & Typed DataSet Generator for .NET low popularity, please visit Smile | :)

LongRange.Shooter26-Nov-02 8:49

26-Nov-02 8:49

leppie wrote:
What on earth are you trying to do?

Michael wryly smiles as he slowly types out the answer:
Okay...what I am trying to do is build a list of project references to make my code compile correctly from the instance of the managed C# compiler. The references are to system.dll, system.data.dll, and system.xml.dll. (Maybe you begin to see a hint of potential problems here)

Now I can take the obviously simplistic approach which is to build a string array with hard coded directory locations for each dll. Dead | X|

But that thought makes me want to stick my finger down my throat. Dead | X|

It also locks my code into version 1.0.3705 of the framework. (part of the directory structure name) It would also lock me into either a machine with C:\WINNT or C:\WINDOWS as the system directory name for locating system.dll.

So the obvious next step is to get very generic by having my code say " Where is the assembly for System? " " Where is the assembly for System.XML?" or even " Where is the assembly for system.dll?". That way if my wizard runs on a machine with 1.0.3705 it will find the current version of system.dll compile the code correctly, AND when someone runs my wizard on a machine with 1.1.0000 then it too will find the current version of system.dll and compile correctly as well!!!!!

Eek! | :eek:

whew --- so that is the off-the-wall thing I am trying to do. End result is so cool you would not believe it.

Cool | :cool:

We take a complex XML file, build a compressed schema of the file, run that through a SchemaToXML transform (our developed transform) that expresses all parts of the XML file as objects, then we do three transforms to create object.cs, reader.cs, and writer.cs. The final step is those three files get compiled into a dll and VOILA --- you now have an object model representation of that complex XML file for locating data, reading data, and updating data. In our case, that complex XML file is a fully externalized set of business rules that control parts of our application code. From a coders' viewpoint, accessing that xml file is no different that doing a "SELECT where TYPE = 'funky'" and getting back a collection of entries from the XML file that matches that type.

I'm writing the wizard that makes that whole build process an automated generation for any XML file fed to it, complete to the compiled DLL. Cool | :cool:

That is as long as I can systematically get the path name of the three system DLL's. I also tried exploring the File object to see if it exposed a FindFile method but that did not pan out either. I keep coming back to reflection, since it is dealing with known DLL's and it should be able to provide me with the assembly information that includes pathname. (After all, the assembly info when you Create Reference includes the full pathname!!!)

<publicnameexposed> Michael
Thanks for ANY help you can provide!

Condor

_____________________________________________
_{The world is a dangerous place.
Not because of those that do evil,
but because of those who look on and do nothing.}

leppie26-Nov-02 9:29

26-Nov-02 9:29

theRealCondor wrote:
That is as long as I can systematically get the path name of the three system DLL's. I also tried exploring the File object to see if it exposed a FindFile method but that did not pan out either. I keep coming back to reflection, since it is dealing with known DLL's and it should be able to provide me with the assembly information that includes pathname. (After all, the assembly info when you Create Reference includes the full pathname!!!)

I would suggest using CodeDom 's compilers instead. Like this:

CompilerParameters pars = new CompilerParameters();
pars.ReferencedAssemblies.Add("System.dll");
pars.ReferencedAssemblies.Add("System.Data.dll");
pars.ReferencedAssemblies.Add("System.Xml.dll");
CompilerResults res = new Microsoft.CSharp.CSharpCodeProvider().CreateCompiler().CompileAssemblyFromFileBatch(
   pars, new String[]{"one.cs","two.cs","three.cs"});

Now you have a ReferencedAssemblies collection, also I STILL dont understand why you wanna do this. AFAIK your assembly can ONLY use the framework version its been built on or newer (why would you ever want to use something older if you have something newer? Answer: dont install newer framework then!).

theRealCondor wrote:
That way if my wizard runs on a machine with 1.0.3705 it will find the current version of system.dll compile the code correctly, AND when someone runs my wizard on a machine with 1.1.0000 then it too will find the current version of system.dll and compile correctly as well!!!!!

As above, this will be (AFAIK) the default behaviour. I have used my above method without having to specify a path to it....with NO problems.

Hope this helps Smile | :)

DBHelper - SQL Stored Procedure Wrapper & Typed DataSet Generator for .NET popularity better now, thank you Smile | :)

LongRange.Shooter26-Nov-02 10:07

26-Nov-02 10:07

Thanks. I am using the CodeDOM compiler....in my version of the Framework it is called the C# Managed Compiler.

So close and so far. I was looking at the ReferencedAssemblies but it shows it taking a string[] value that I assumed I had to build by hand. I never looked beyond it to see that it had an Add method. OMG | :OMG:

I put it together as you suggested and it works just great.

I think you misunderstood me, I DO want to most current version...I did not want an older version and I do not want to be locked into any given version. I also was unaware of the fact that providing just a dll name like that would actually find the dll.

Thanks much it helped tremendously. I now have a dll in my bin directory!!!

_____________________________________________
_{The world is a dangerous place.
Not because of those that do evil,
but because of those who look on and do nothing.}

leppie26-Nov-02 12:39

26-Nov-02 12:39

Quote from above:Thanks. I am using the CodeDOM compiler....in my version of the Framework it is called the C# Managed Compiler.

There are to 2 different ways to compile. Either like you have done, or the way I have shown above. I prefer my way as you can emit generated code as well.

Smile | :)

DBHelper - SQL Stored Procedure Wrapper & Typed DataSet Generator for .NET popularity better now, thank you Smile | :)

LongRange.Shooter26-Nov-02 10:18