C++ and SDK's

[BuckeyeJane]

Hello -

I have a situation where I need to include and tap into a vendor's SDK and am not familiar with how to tie the SDK into the application.

Is anyone out there able to walk me through this process and/or provide a good link for resource?

The SDK is written in C++ and I am using Visual Studio 2008. The SDK is referencing MFC application.

Thanks!

[MrViggy]

Get documentation from the vendor. Typically, a "development kit" provides some kind of interface for you to call from your code.

Viggy

[Alex F]

Typical using of third-party SDK contains the following steps:
1. Include third-party h-files to your source files.
2. Add third-party libraries (.lib) to the linker dependency list.
3. Call SDK functions from your code.
4. Ensure that third-party Dll are available at runtime.

When your program is installed on client computer, third-party SDK runtime installation becomes prerequisite for this program. In the case SDK runtime supports merged modules redistribution, it can be included to your program installation package.

[Igor Vartanov]

I have a situation where I need to include and tap into a vendor's SDK and am not familiar with how to tie the SDK into the application.

As MrViggy already said, typically this must be explained in SDK documentation a decent vendor should provide as a part of the SDK. Sometimes, sample projects serve to the purpose instead, again been provided as a part of the SDK.

Is anyone out there able to walk me through this process and/or provide a good link for resource?

Well, this point is really vague. I wonder how could anybody say something useful about an abstract thing like "a vendor's SDK"? There's no standard for SDKs, or even something close to this. What Alex F described is only a possible use case, a possible variant of SDK structure.

So, to get some practical advice you really need to be more specific.

The SDK is written in C++ ... The SDK is referencing MFC application.

This helps in no way...

...and I am using Visual Studio 2008

...and this may or may not matter in your case.

[BuckeyeJane]

Thanks Alex and Viggy!

I do have the vendor documentation and feel like I'm very close. I'm very very new to C++ (more of a .net developer) and the documentation is stating the following:

Include the header file (VWCLient.h) after you modify the the following path to point to where the .dll is located:

#import "C:\PROGRAM fILES\vIEWWISE 6.2 sdk\ClientExt\Bin\VWClient.dll"

I am assuming that the import statement would be in the stdafx.h header. Is that correct?

[Igor Vartanov]

#import "C:\PROGRAM fILES\vIEWWISE 6.2 sdk\ClientExt\Bin\VWClient.dll"

This is what I suspected, it's a COM server. Are you familiar with COM basics?

[BuckeyeJane]

Also, I updated the the include for the header file in the project options under Linker/General Configuration Area in Visual Studio 2008.. I'm assuming that is the only place that would need the path to point to the library Directories and the the C/C++/ General Area to define the path for the include folders. Is there any other areas that would need this information for the following instruction:

Include the header file (VWCLient.h) after you modify the the following path to point to where the .dll is located:

#import "C:\PROGRAM fILES\vIEWWISE 6.2 sdk\ClientExt\Bin\VWClient.dll"

[BuckeyeJane]

Igor - I am not too familiar with Com basics... Any help you can provide?

[BuckeyeJane]

I googled the com basics and found the following links for references. Are any of these good tools?

http://www.codeproject.com/KB/COM/comintro.aspx
http://www.codeguru.com/cpp/com-tech...icle.php/c5567

[Igor Vartanov]

Component Object Model (COM)
COM Clients and Servers
The #import Directive
Compiler COM Support Classes

The trick with COM is: it's not possible to make friends with the technology just by reading a couple of articles. I would say, a couple of years would do.

Another trick with COM: to be efficient in programming COM client side (your case) you make use of wrapper classes (your case - #import) which just add some level of indirection and obscure little details which might appear important. But to identify the situation you need to understand COM really good.