Pure C loading dll with unknown interface

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If I want to use LoadLibrary I must know the interface before and AfxLoadLibrary needs C++. Is there some way to use pure C?

And so what's than differemce between loadtime static imported dll and runtime imported any other than that on loadtime one can't handle versions?

It is plugin system onload I don't know which plugins will be loaded?

Posted 1-Mar-13 12:21pm

Timotej Tomandl

Updated 1-Mar-13 23:18pm

v2

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Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 1-Mar-13 18:53pm

Not clear. Could you show these two cases in code?
In principle, you can use C. If this is an exported C++ class, it can be pretty difficult, but such use is not very usual.
If "you don't know the interface before", what could you do with a library after you load it? You need to know it. Next step would be GetProcAddress.
—SA

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Richard MacCutchan · Answer 1 · 2013-03-02T00:33:00

Solution 1

LoadLibrary[^] works fine in C or C++.

As to the rest of your question, I am not really sure what your problem is.

Posted 2-Mar-13 0:33am

Richard MacCutchan

nv3 · Answer 2 · 2013-03-12T11:16:00

The difference between statically loading a DLL and LoadLibrary is that in the first case the DLL must be present at the time your executable is started. So you must know at the time of programming that it exists.

In case of LoadLibrary, your program may learn about a DLL at runtime, for example by reading a configuration file with your plugins. It can then load the DLL via LoadLibrary. Nevertheless, your program must at least know tne name or ordnial numbers and calling convention of some procedures of the loaded DLL to get access to them via GetProcAddress.

Timotej Tomandl · Answer 3 · 2013-03-12T08:43:00

Solution 2

Maybe my question is unclear, but I can use

C#

typedef void* (*unknown)(
#ifdef __cplusplus
...
#endif
);

and retype load with unknown everithings works fine then.

Posted 12-Mar-13 8:43am