CALLdotNET

The CALLdotNET command allows BASIC to call any .NET assembly and is useful when using third party applications.

NOTE: This command is only available in jBASE 4.1 and later

CALLdotNET NameSpaceAndClassName, methodName, param SETTING ret [ON ERROR errStatment]

In order to use CALLdotNET, you need:

The .NET Framework

The dotNETWrapper.dll installed somewhere to where your PATH points.

The dotNETWrapper is loaded dynamically at runtime; therefore, a compiled basic application has no dependencies on the .NET Framework. Loading the framework takes between (~5 –7 sec.). However, this only occurs when calling the .NET method for the first time.

NameSpaceAndClassName The “full” NameSpace (e.g., myNameSpace.myClass)

methodName The name of the .NET in this class (e.g., “myMethod”)

Param Any parameter (eg DynArray)

In C#:

using System;

using System.Windows.Forms;

namespace myNameSpace

{

    public class Class1

    {

          public string sayHello(string str)

          {

               return “Thank you, I received : “ + str;

          }

          public Class1(){}

    }

}

In VB.NET:

Namespace myNameSpace

  Public Class Class1

    Public Function sayHello(ByVal str As String) As String

      Dim sAnswer As String

      sAnswer = InputBox(str)

      sayHello = sAnswer

    End Function

  End Class

End Namespace

Note: Create the .NET project as a ‘Class Library’.

If using the visual studio IDE, this option is on selected when creating a new project:

If using .NET SDK (instead of the IDE) to compile class libraries into a ‘DLL’ file, the ‘csc’ (C# Compiler) or ‘vbc’ (Visual Basic .NET compiler) command can be used from the command line:

csc /out:myNameSpace.dll /target:library

sourcefile.cs

The name of the ‘.DLL’ created must be the same as the ‘namespace’ as used in the class library t locate the ‘dotNetWrapper.dll’ library:

After creating the library, place it in the same private directory as the application. (i.e. the same directory as the jBASE BASIC executable that will call the class) This is a requirement of the .NET paradigm and not jBASE. The directory should also be in the PATH environment variable.

CALLdotNET "myNameSpace.Class1","mymethod", p SETTING ret

CRT ret

You can manage any errors, which occur during the call, at the BASIC level by getting the SYSTEM(0) variable.

This variable can have the following values:

1. Not a Windows platform.

2. Cannot load the dotNETWrapper

3. Cannot get assembly

4. Cannot get Class

5. Cannot get Method

6. Cannot Create Instance

7. Unhandled Error in the .NET library

BASIC code using the ON ERROR would look like this: