I am developing a GUI based application in MS Visual Studio 2005, I just want to
know if it is possible to use both VB.NET and C# in the same project. Or can I include a module written in C# in my VB.NET project?
I have a class written in C# which I want to use in my VB.NET based project, so if I can include and call functions from that project than I won't have to write the class again in VB.NET.
So please help me as I am new to .NET programming.
I just want to know that is it possible to use both VB and C# in the same project.
No, not in the same project. On the other hand, you can use them in the same solution.
Or can i include a module written in C# in my VB.net project.
I propose that you create a solution containing two projects: one in C# which forms a library that you use from your VB project. This is straightforward, easy to maintain and easy to extend.
I've never done it myself, but I know you can compile the C# code into a dll and then load and reference the dll in your VB project.
From "Calling C# class in VB.net":
I think the C# code that you want to
use must be compiled as a DLL. Once
that is done, simple add a reference
to that project to your VB.Net
project, import the namespace you
need, and then you can use the C#
code.
Also see How To: Create and Use C# DLLs (from MSDN, for VS2005)
You also want to ensure that you C# code is CLS compliant. This means that it won't publicly expose any functionality which other .NET languages won't understand (for example unsigned ints - which don't exist in VB, or differing classes only by case - since VB is not case-sensitive). To do this you need to add an attribute so that the compiler will raise errors if you have broken any of the guidelines. This article shows you how to do this:
The CLSCompliantAttribute can be applied to assemblies, modules,
types, and members.
For marking an entire assembly as CLS compliant the following syntax
is used
using System;
[assembly:CLSCompliant(true)]
For marking a particular method as CLS compliant the following syntax
is used
[CLSCompliant(true)]
public void MyMethod()`
Put VB.NET and C# code in separate projects. (I am using both VB.NET and C# in my open source project, http://msquant.sourceforge.net/, and it works great).
You don't need to worry about DLLs, just reference the project (use tab "Project" in the "Add Reference" dialog box). E.g. if you need to use a function in the C# code/project add a reference in the VB.NET project to the C# project.
You can't use a C# file and VB file in the same project. You can, however, have VB and C# projects in the same solution and reference them.
In your code you can use:
Imports namespace
or
using namespace
Once the reference has been added to the appropriate project build the solution and you are good to go.
You can also create a VB.NET Library in a separate solution, compile it and import the DLL into the C# Project or vice versa.
You must also know that if you have a VB.NET project with a C# project in the same solution with one of them having a reference to the other, changes apply in the referencing project will just be available to the other after rebuilding the solution. It's like having binary reference, but with the capability to change code on the same solution.
Personally, I don't like this, but I'm always in the situation where I modify the code in the referencing project and don't know why my changes are not in the code where I use it and I figure it out, oohhhh, I must rebuild.
For temporary help, it could be acceptable but not for programming every day.
If you were only planning on using the module in Visual Basic projects, then you should consider just converting the code to Visual Basic. If you need to use the module in both C# and VB.NET programs I would use one of the solutions posted above
You might try something like *Convert C# to VB.NET. It converts C# to VB.NET code. I use this page exclusively when I have to convert something I find on the net that was written in C#.
Related
I've been using VB.Net for the last couple of years and am now switching over to C#. I have a few DLLs of projects which have been written in VB.Net that I'd like to import to my new C# solution. I've referenced the DLLs but when I import with the 'using' keyword some features don't work as expected. I can use functions as I normally would but extension methods are not recognised.
I have read that in C# you can only import namespaces whereas in VB.Net you can import classes so I wonder if this is the issue as the VB.Net code is not namespaced.
Is there any way around this without having to go through and namespace the VB.Net class library (not really viable currently).
EDIT: My extensions methods are in a VB.Net Public Module.
Thanks,
Andy
Make sure your VB modules are Public.
Reference the VB class library's namespace (there is one even you haven't set it manually) from the C#'s code module with using.
I’m not sure if what I am trying to do is possible, but surprisingly VS2008 seems to let me copy a .cs file directly into my VB.NET project. I then thought that I may be able to use the class in this file directly from VB.NET. However, it doesn’t see it when I try to reference it in. Is what I'm trying to do possible, or is VS2008 simply treating the C# file as a resource file or something?
You should reference CS project that contains your class written in C# from your VB project. This class should be public. After doing it, you will be able to use this class in your VB project.
You'll need to add a C# project to the solution, rather than just copying the source file. Just create a new project making sure you select it as a C# class library or similar and make sure you add it to the current solution and then copy the source file into that.
Maybe you want the c# code translated into vb, then be sure to have a look at
http://converter.telerik.com/
there are many code converter but is the best I know.
Can i make obejct of a VB class from C# class, if possible then what i'll have to do?
Yes. You'll have to compile the VB class using the VB compiler first. The easiest way to do this is to have the C# code and the VB code in separate assemblies, in separate projects. You can then include the VB project as a reference in the C# project and use it that way.
You can certainly use a class in a dll created in vb.net in a C# project. However you won't be able to do that natively inside Visual Studio for the same project.
1) Add reference to VB library you want to use.
2) Add namespace in your code.
3) Create your object and use it.
I am working on C# for a few mounths. Mainly I am working on C++.
On C++ using the visual studio if I wanted to add a a static library I could add it using the configuration of the project add the header and lib and path.
When using C#, I think it is something like DLL, all those assemblies are complied on late binding ?
In addition using the visual studio for the C# I can add a reference. Is this the equel thing as I wrote in the beginning of the question ? only for something like DLL ?
If your want use a Win32 DLL in C#, you must write a C# wrapper for it.
C# is managed, and everything you reference as an assembly gets linked at runtime, as with DLL's in C++. The compiler will check at compile time that you are using your assemblies properly, but it wont link them yet. You can use http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/people/mbarnett/ILMerge.aspx to merge assemblies together, as a post-build step.
I am maintaining .net 1.1 and .net 3.5 c# code at once. For this purpose I created two csproject files, one for .net 1.1 and another for .net 3.5.
Now, in my source code I am adding new features that are only available in .net 3.5 version, but I also want the code to compile in VS 2003, without the new features. Is there anyway to do a conditional compile based on the compiler version?
In C++ I can do this by checking the value for the macro _MSC _VER, but I am looking for an C# equivalent.
You can define a different symbols in each CSPROJ file and refer to those in the C# source.
If you can keep the 3.5 specific code in separate files, you could simply split the file allocation between your two .csproj files (or use 2 different build targets in NAnt) - too bad partial classes only came around in 2.0, or that would make it easier to spread the code around...
If you need to mix the code at the file level, the [Conditional()] attribute can filter out entire methods, but I'm not sure if the compiler will still try to process the code in the method. MSDN says the code won't be compiled into IL but parameters will be type checked, but I haven't tried it out. More info here: http://bartdesmet.net/blogs/bart/archive/2006/08/30/4368.aspx and the MSDN link is here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.diagnostics.conditionalattribute.aspx
If that's possible, since you've got 2 project files already, you can specify a different define in each one to set the version - no need to look for a macro when you can make it yourself.