Using C functions in *.a library from .NET

Question

I have an API which is comprised of a header (.h) and the library (.a) files.

I've never touched C and i need to access this API from C# and interact with it's functions.

Most questions regarding this topic say i need to do something like [DllImport("insert_the_dll_name_here")] this to invoke the DLL methods. But i only have the .h and .a files.

What should i do?

Should i compile these files into the DLL and then use pInvoke? If so, How?

Or should i write a wrapper class? If so how?

Any help is appreciated.

What OS? .a files are usually compiled for Linux, while .NET is on Windows. — Ben Voigt
– Ben Voigt, Commented Jan 27, 2012 at 21:42
I use Windows. But i can also fire-up my virtualbox with linux if i have to. Are you saying i need to fire that up to compile the .a files? — capdragon
– capdragon, Commented Jan 30, 2012 at 13:55
If they're linux binaries (making calls to glibc), then you could link them inside a linux VM, but the resulting .so file wouldn't be any use on Windows (Windows DLLs can be used under Linux with the help of Wine, I know of no way to do the reverse). — Ben Voigt
– Ben Voigt, Commented Jan 30, 2012 at 15:35

Ben Voigt · Accepted Answer · 2012-01-27 21:44:58Z

5

If your .a files contain Windows-format object files, then you can extract the archive (use the cygwin ar tool for that) and link those into a C++/CLI project. C++/CLI can use your header files, call C functions directly, and create .NET classes which C# can use just as easily as any Microsoft-provided library class.

If your .a files contain Linux-format object files, you'll need to go back to whoever provided them and ask the code to be recompiled for Windows.

answered Jan 27, 2012 at 21:44

Ben Voigt

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2 Comments

capdragon Over a year ago

Thanks for your answer Ben (+1). How can i tell if the .a files contain Windows-format object files?

Ben Voigt Over a year ago

If the objdump program that comes with Visual C++ (or Windows SDK) gives reasonable output, they're Windows-format. (The roughly equivalent Linux tool is nm, but I wouldn't bet against it understanding Windows format also). I think you have to extract the objects first.

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