How to declare the function?

[Alin]

I have this function exported by a DLL written in C.

PvcsGetRevisionInfo2(
ARCHIVEHANDLE hArchive, /* Input */
unsigned char * fileName, /* Input */
unsigned char * revision, /* Input */
unsigned char ** author, /* Output */
unsigned char ** versions, /* Output */
unsigned char ** promoGroups, /* Output */
unsigned char ** lockers, /* Output */
unsigned char ** descr, /* Output */
unsigned char * resultBuf, /* Input */
unsigned bufLen, /* Input */
void * reserved) /* Reserved */

Now, I want to be able to use this function in my code, but i can't seem to be able to declare it right.
Below is how the function prototype is currently looking:

[DllImport("Vmwfdtk.dll", CallingConvention=CallingConvention.Cdecl)]
		public static extern int PvcsGetRevisionInfo2(int hArchive,
			string fileName, /* Input */
			string revision, /* Input */
			StringBuilder author, /* Output */
			StringBuilder versions, /* Output */
			StringBuilder promoGroups, /* Output */
			StringBuilder lockers, /* Output */
			StringBuilder descr, /* Output */
			StringBuilder resultBuf, /* Input */
			int bufLen, /* Input */
			string reserved /* Reserved */
			);

If i call the function above i have nothing in author, versions, promoGroups, lockers, descr.


Can you help?thanks

[Alin]

i can't believe that i'm the only one that has tried this...really noone can help?!

[Alin]

I posted this yesterday in C Sharp forum, but it seems that no one was able to respond. Can you help?

I have this function exported by a DLL written in C.

PvcsGetRevisionInfo2(
ARCHIVEHANDLE hArchive, /* Input */
unsigned char * fileName, /* Input */
unsigned char * revision, /* Input */
unsigned char ** author, /* Output */
unsigned char ** versions, /* Output */
unsigned char ** promoGroups, /* Output */
unsigned char ** lockers, /* Output */
unsigned char ** descr, /* Output */
unsigned char * resultBuf, /* Input */
unsigned bufLen, /* Input */
void * reserved) /* Reserved */

Now, I want to be able to use this function in my C Sharp code, but i can't seem to be able to declare it right.
Below is how the function prototype is currently looking:

[DllImport("Vmwfdtk.dll", CallingConvention=CallingConvention.Cdecl)]
		public static extern int PvcsGetRevisionInfo2(int hArchive,
			string fileName, /* Input */
			string revision, /* Input */
			StringBuilder author, /* Output */
			StringBuilder versions, /* Output */
			StringBuilder promoGroups, /* Output */
			StringBuilder lockers, /* Output */
			StringBuilder descr, /* Output */
			StringBuilder resultBuf, /* Input */
			int bufLen, /* Input */
			string reserved /* Reserved */
			);

If i call the function above i have nothing in author, versions, promoGroups, lockers, descr.

[Ajay Vijay]

First of all declare your function (in C) with __stdcall declaration. Secondly, not all data types can be imported this way - i am not sure about this thing but try using char* instead of unsigned char*.
Hint: Do some tricks with simple functions like int arguments and returns and then move forward...

[Andy Tacker]

i think instead of string builder, you should opt for "ref string", give it a try.

[Alin]

the function is declared like this:

PVCS_APIENTRY PvcsGetRevisionInfo2(
	ARCHIVEHANDLE logHandle,		/* I: Archive handle */
	PVCS_PUCHAR fileName,			/* I: Name of logfile or workfile */
	PVCS_PUCHAR revision,			/* I: Revision to retrieve */
	PVCS_PUCHAR *author,			/* O: Userid that created revision */
	PVCS_PUCHAR *versions,			/* O: Version labels assigned to revision */
	PVCS_PUCHAR *promoGroups,		/* O: Promotion groups assigned to revision */
	PVCS_PUCHAR *lockers,			/* O: Userids that own a lock on revision */
	PVCS_PUCHAR *descr,				/* O: Change description for revision */
	PVCS_PUCHAR resultBuf,			/* I: Buffer to contain results */
	unsigned bufLen,				/* I: Length of buffer */
	void *reserved);

where:

#ifndef PVCS_APIENTRY
#define PVCS_APIENTRY __declspec(dllexport) int
#endif

#ifndef PVCS_PUCHAR
#define PVCS_PUCHAR  char *
#endif

The second thing is that after the function call I have a good data for 1 dimension array PVCS_PUCHAR resultBuf, for example, but not for 2 dimensions array PVCS_PUCHAR *promoGroups...

[Ajay Vijay]

Sorry guy.. I have no idea...

[Alin]

nevermind, thanks anyway.

[Viperius]

If Andy's suggestion doesn't work, try this. Don't know if it will work however. But it seems to me when you set an object as "out" it will need to give a pointer to the object pointer to the requested function.

[DllImport("Vmwfdtk.dll", CallingConvention=CallingConvention.Cdecl)]
public static extern int PvcsGetRevisionInfo2(int hArchive,
	[in] string fileName, /* Input */
	[in] string revision, /* Input */
	[out] string author, /* Output */
	[out] string versions, /* Output */
	[out] string promoGroups, /* Output */
	[out] string lockers, /* Output */
	[out] string descr, /* Output */
	[in] string resultBuf, /* Input */
	int bufLen, /* Input */
	string reserved /* Reserved */
	);

[Andy Tacker]

[moved & Merged]

Alin, keep patience. guru's dont sit here all the time. in a day or two, you will get the answer.

look at the answers in the C# forum, may be they would help you.

[Alin]

already (yesterday) tried both [out] and [ref]. no luck .
As I said, if i have a char *ch1Dim, then it's fine if I use StringBuilder, but if I have char **ch2Dim it doesn't return anything in the StringBuilder, neither it does in string, nor in char [], or string [].

should i try something like:

[MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPArray)] String [] ar
[MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPArray, ArraySubType= UnmanagedType.LPStr)] String [] ar

thanks

[Alin]

look at the answers in the C# forum, may be they would help you.

already did. there's nothing about 2 dimensions arrays that helps.

[Andy Tacker]

try StringCollection class.