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How to: Reference .NET Types from COM 

  • Article

From the point of view of client and server code, the differences between COM and the .NET Framework are largely invisible. Microsoft Visual Basic clients can view a .NET object in the object browser, which exposes the object methods and syntax, properties, and fields exactly as if it were any other COM object.

The process for importing a type library is slightly more complicated for C++ clients, although you use the same tools to export metadata to a COM type library. To reference .NET object members from an unmanaged C++ client, reference the TLB file (produced with Tlbexp.exe) with the #import directive. When referencing a type library from C++, you must either specify the raw_interfaces_only option or import the definitions in the base class library, Mscorlib.tlb.

To import a library without Mscorlib.tlb

  • Specify the raw_interfaces_only option in the #import directive. For example:

    #import "..\LoanLib\LoanLib.tlb" raw_interfaces_only

See Also

Concepts

Exposing .NET Framework Components to COM
Registering Assemblies with COM
Calling a .NET Object
Deploying an Application for COM Access