C++/CLI in Action (Paperback)

preface xv
acknowledgments xvii
about this book xix

Part 1  The C++/CLI Language   1

1  Introduction to C++/CLI   3

1.1 The role of C++/CLI 4

What C++/CLI can do for you 6

The rationale behind the new syntax 8

1.2 Hello World in C++/CLI 13

The /clr compiler option 15

Using VC++ 2005 to create a /clr application 16

1.3 Declaring CLR types 18

Class modifiers 20

CLI types and inheritance 22

1.4 Handles: the CLI equivalent to pointers 24

Syntax for using handles 24

Tracking references 26

1.5 Instantiating CLI classes 28

The gcnew operator 28

Constructors 31

Copy constructors 33

Assignment operators 36

1.6 Boxing and unboxing 38

Implicit boxing in the new syntax 38

Boxing and type-safety 40

Implementation at the MSIL level 41

Assigning null to a boxed value type 43

1.7 Summary 45

2  Getting into the CLI: properties, delegates and arrays   46

2.1 Properties 47

Scalar Properties 48

Indexed properties 55

2.2 Delegates and events 58

Delegates 59

Events 64

2.3 CLI Arrays 68

Basic CLI array concepts 69

Single-dimensional arrays 70

Multidimensional arrays 71

Jagged arrays 72

Arrays as function arguments 74

Returning arrays from functions 75

Parameter arrays 76

Using System::Array methods 77

Array covariance 80

Arrays of non-CLI objects 81

Directly accessing CLI arrays using native pointers 83

2.4 Summary 84

3  More C++/CLI: stack semantics, function overriding, and generic programming   86

3.1 Stack semantics and deterministic destruction 87

The new destructor and finalizer syntaxes 88

Stack semantics 96

Guidelines for using destructors and stack semantics 101

3.2 Function overriding 102

Explicit overriding 103

Renamed overriding 104

Multiple overriding 105

Sealed and abstract functions 106

3.3 Generics and managed templates 108

Why have parameterized types? 108

Generics syntax for classes and functions 110

Constraint mechanism 113

Issues with the constraint mechanism and simple types 116

Comparison with templates 120

Managed templates 124

3.4 Summary 129

Part 2  Mixing managed and native code   131

4  Introduction to mixed-mode programming   133

4.1 Using interior and pinning pointers 135

Interior pointers 136

Pinning pointers 141

4.2 Working with interop mechanisms 147

Accessing a managed library from native code 148

Accessing a native library from managed code 156

4.3 Using mixed types 162

Native types with managed members 162

Managed types with native members 166

4.4 Function pointers and delegates: bridging the gap 173

Using GetFunctionPointerForDelegate 173

Using GetDelegateForFunctionPointer 175

4.5 Summary 177

5  Interoping with native libraries from managed applications   179

5.1 Converting between managed and native types 181

Marshalling native strings 181

Marshalling arrays 184

Simulating a native static array with managed code 185

5.2 Double thunking in mixed-mode function calls 186

5.3 Wrapping a native API and exposing a CLI interface 190

Overview of the native API 191

Writing the CLI wrapper 193

5.4 Exposing an MFC extension DLL to .NET 206

Overview of the MFC extension DLL 207

Writing the managed regular MFC DLL wrapper 208

5.5 Accessing a COM object via a custom RCW 212

The COM object to interop with 212

Writing the custom RCW 215

Using the custom RCW 218

5.6 Writing a single mixed-mode DLL for both managed and native clients 218

Wrapping the System::Object class 220

Writing derived class wrappers 223

5.7 Summary 227

Part 3  Using managed frameworks from native applications   229

6  Interoping Windows Forms with MFC   231

6.1 A simple Windows Forms application 233

6.2 Hosting a Windows Forms control in an MFC dialog 235

6.3 Hosting a Windows Forms control as an MFC view 239

6.4 Giving your MFC apps an Office 2003 style UI 249

6.5 Using a Windows Forms control as an MFC dialog 261

6.6 Using an MFC control in a Windows Forms form 267

The custom MFC control 268

Hosting the MFC control from WinForms 271

Using the wrapped control from a WinForms app 273

6.7 Summary 274

7  Using C++/CLI to target Windows Presentation Foundation applications   276

7.1 What is WPF? 278

Overview of XAML 280

Anatomy of a simple WPF application 283

7.2 Using C++/CLI to write a WPF application 288

Creating a new C++/CLI Avalon project 289

Using procedural code 289

Dynamically loading XAML 294

Deriving from a class in a C# DLL 297

7.3 A brief look at some WPF Graphics features 300

Using brushes and shapes 300

Transformations 304

7.4 Hosting a WPF control in a native C++ application 310

Using a mixed-mode extension DLL 310

Using a mixed-mode application 319

7.5 Hosting a native control in a WPF application 326

7.6 Summary 331

8  Accessing the Windows Communication Foundation with C++/CLI   332

8.1 Hello World with the Windows Communication Foundation 334

8.2 Duplex communication in WCF 338

Creating the service 340

Creating the client 342

8.3 Migrating a native DCOM application to WCF 344

The example DCOM server 346

The native MFC client 348

Writing a WCF proxy service 351

Modifying the MFC client to use WCF 356

Writing a pure WCF service 359

Comparison of the two migration methods 362

8.4 Hosting a WCF service in an IIS server 362

8.5 Summary 366

Appendix   A concise introduction to the .NET Framework   368

index 385