DllExport

Unmanaged Exports ( .NET DllExport )

Copyright (c) 2009-2015  Robert Giesecke
Copyright (c) 2016-2017  Denis Kuzmin <[email protected]>

[DllExport("Init", CallingConvention.Cdecl)]
public static int entrypoint(IntPtr L)
{
    // ... it will be called from Lua script

    lua_pushcclosure(L, onProc, 0);
    lua_setglobal(L, "onKeyDown");

    return 0;
}

• For work with Unmanaged code/libraries (binding between .NET and C/C++ etc.), see Conari
• If you need convenient work with Lua (5.1, 5.2, 5.3, ...), see LunaRoad

[DllExport("Init", CallingConvention.Cdecl)]
// __cdecl is the default calling convention for our library as and for C and C++ programs
[DllExport(CallingConvention.StdCall)]
[DllExport("MyFunc")]
[DllExport]

Support of Modules: Library (.dll) and Executable (.exe) [?]

Where to look ? v1.2+ provides dynamic definitions of namespaces (ddNS feature), thus you can use what you want - details here

    Via Cecil or direct modification:

    Offset(h) 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 0A 0B 0C 0D 0E 0F

    000005B0                 00 C4 7B 01 00 00 00 2F 00 12 05       .Ä{..../...
    000005C0  00 00 02 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 26 00  ..............&.
    000005D0  20 02 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 49 2E 77 61 6E 74 2E   ........I.want.   <<<-
    000005E0  74 6F 2E 66 6C 79 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  to.fly..........  <<<-

Initially the original tool UnmanagedExports was distributed by Robert Giesecke as an closed-source tool under the MIT License:

• Official page - posted Jul 9, 2009 [ updated Dec 19, 2012 ]
• Official NuGet Packages

Now, we will be more open ! all details here

License

It still under the MIT License (MIT) - be a free and open

&

How it works

Current features has been implemented through ILDasm & ILAsm that does the all required steps via .export directive.

What inside ? or how works the .export directive ?

Read about format PE32/PE32+, start with grammar from asmparse and move to writer:

...
if(PASM->m_pCurMethod->m_dwExportOrdinal == 0xFFFFFFFF)
{
  PASM->m_pCurMethod->m_dwExportOrdinal = $3;
  PASM->m_pCurMethod->m_szExportAlias = $6;
  if(PASM->m_pCurMethod->m_wVTEntry == 0) PASM->m_pCurMethod->m_wVTEntry = 1;
  if(PASM->m_pCurMethod->m_wVTSlot  == 0) PASM->m_pCurMethod->m_wVTSlot = $3 + 0x8000;
}
...
EATEntry*   pEATE = new EATEntry;
pEATE->dwOrdinal = pMD->m_dwExportOrdinal;
pEATE->szAlias = pMD->m_szExportAlias ? pMD->m_szExportAlias : pMD->m_szName;
pEATE->dwStubRVA = EmitExportStub(pGlobalLabel->m_GlobalOffset+dwDelta);
m_EATList.PUSH(pEATE);
...
// logic of definition of records into EXPORT_DIRECTORY (see details from PE format)
HRESULT Assembler::CreateExportDirectory()  
{
...
    IMAGE_EXPORT_DIRECTORY  exportDirIDD;
    DWORD                   exportDirDataSize;
    BYTE                   *exportDirData;
    EATEntry               *pEATE;
    unsigned                i, L, ordBase = 0xFFFFFFFF, Ldllname;
    ...
    ~ now we're ready to miracles ~

or read my short explanations from here: DllMain & the export-table; DllExport.dll; .exp & .lib; ordinals ...

How to get DllExport

Available variants:

• NuGet PM: Install-Package DllExport
• GetNuTool: msbuild gnt.core /p:ngpackages="DllExport" or gnt /p:ngpackages="DllExport"
• NuGet Commandline: nuget install DllExport
• /releases ( latest )
• Nightly builds (/artifacts page). But remember: It can be unstable or not work at all. Use this for tests of latest changes.

How to Build

No requires additional steps for you, just build as you need.

Use build.bat if you need final NuGet package as a DllExport.<version>.nupkg etc.

• You do not need to do anything inside IDE if you have installed this plugin.

How to Debug

For example, find the DllExport.MSBuild project in solution:

• Properties > Debug:
  • Start Action: set as Start External program
    • Add full path to msbuild.exe, for example: C:\Program Files (x86)\MSBuild\14.0\Bin\MSBuild.exe
  • Start Options > Command line arguments write for example:

"<path_to_SolutionFile_for_debugging>.sln" /t:Build /p:Configuration=<Configuration>

use additional Diagnostic key to msbuild if you need details from .targets

"<path_to_SolutionFile_for_debugging>.sln" /verbosity:Diagnostic /t:Rebuild /p:Configuration=<Configuration>

Go to Start Debugging. Now you can debug at runtime.

coreclr - ILAsm / ILDasm

We use our custom versions of coreclr, special for DllExport project - https://github.com/3F/coreclr

This helps to avoid some problems (like this) and more...

To build minimal version (means that it does not include all components as for original coreclr repo):

• Restore git submodule or use repo: https://github.com/3F/coreclr.git

git submodule update --init --recursive

Make sure that you have installed CMake, then build simply:

build_s all x86 x64 Release
build_s x86 Release

or use

build_coreclr_x86.cmd
build_coreclr_x86_x64.cmd

You can also use our binaries of coreclr separately if needed:

• 
• Look also here

Support ?

just a note again... I mentioned earlier that DllExport is not priority for me (current impl.) "- I will do something from current tasks, but guys, please support it with me" and... why so many support from me o_o