Creating A DLL Of An Application Using wxWidgets

From WxWiki

Creating a wxWidgets DLL application

Basically you need to define:

• dllmain()

wxInitialize()(instead of wxEntry)

• wxTheApp->OnExit()

wxUninitialize()

These functions may be found in app.cpp. There are 2 definitions based on the _WINDLL ifdef. Information may also be found by reading:

• wx2/src/makefile.vc
• wx2/src/makevc.env
• wx2/src/msw/makefile.vc

Remember to use a .def-file or WXEXPORT with the classes/functions you need to export.

This did not work for me (mimo_at_gn.apc.org). Maybe you can add some more. I am trying to get hold of this guy -> Slavek who seems to have found a work around and planned to write a HOWTO. An example in this place would be very helpful.

Examples

wxjs is said to be a good example of how to make a wxWidgets DLL

A simple example is available here: fromdll.zip

The fromdll.zip example above is compatible with wxWidgets versions up to and excluding 2.5.4, follow the link below for an example of a DLL application which links to more recent versions of wxWidgets:

http://wxforum.shadonet.com/viewtopic.php?p=5964#5964

Problems

Problems are reported with wxThread internal initialisation.

Also the 2.5.2 release has wxEntry decleration issues. Get the fixed app.h files from CVS for now.

This appear to be broken in 2.5.3, could someone do a update with the proper way to do this now.

Creating a wxWidgets DLL application with wxWidgets 2.6.2, with GUI support

Here is a simple example which allows you to store some dialogs in a wxWidgets DLL application the 2.6.2 way, and use that DLL in any other language. That code is directly insipired from fromdll.zip example above.

Header file : wxWidgetsDLL.h

 #ifndef wxWidgetsDLLH
 #define wxWidgetsDLLH
 
 #pragma once
 
 /*This is the method i use to link the libs to my DLL project in c++ builder 6, not used with eg. mingw32/dev-cpp
   if anybody has a hint on c++ builder 6 linking, just tell me 
 */
 #ifdef CBUILDER
 #pragma link "wxzlib.lib" 
 #pragma link "wxmsw26.lib"
 #endif
 
 #include "wx/wx.h"
 
 #include <windows.h>
 #include <process.h>
 
 HANDLE ThreadId;
 
 class wxDLLApp : public wxApp
 {
 	bool OnInit();
 };
 
 #endif wxWidgetsDLLH 
 

Source file : wxWidgetsDLL.cpp

  

   

    Creating A DLL Of An Application
From WxWiki
Jump to: navigation, search
Contents [hide]

    1
     Creating a wxWidgets DLL application 

    2
     Examples 

    3
     Problems 

    4
     Creating a wxWidgets DLL application with wxWidgets 
    2.6
    .
    2
    , with GUI support 
 
[edit]Creating a wxWidgets DLL application 
Basically you need to define: 

dllmain() 
wxInitialize()(instead of wxEntry) 

wxTheApp
    ->
    OnExit() 
wxUninitialize() 




These functions may be found 
    in
     app.cpp. There are 
    2
     definitions based on the _WINDLL ifdef. Information may also be found by reading: 

wx2
    /
    src
    /
    makefile.vc 
wx2
    /
    src
    /
    makevc.env 
wx2
    /
    src
    /
    msw
    /
    makefile.vc 
Remember to use a .def
    -
    file or WXEXPORT with the classes
    /
    functions you need to export. 

This did not work 
    for
     me (mimo_at_gn.apc.org). Maybe you can add some more. I am trying to 
    get
     hold of 
    this
     guy 
    ->
     Slavek who seems to have found a work around and planned to write a HOWTO. An example 
    in
     
    this
     place would be very helpful. 

[edit]Examples 
wxjs 
    is
     said to be a good example of how to make a wxWidgets DLL 

A simple example 
    is
     available here: fromdll.zip 

The fromdll.zip example above 
    is
     compatible with wxWidgets versions up to and excluding 
    2.5
    .
    4
    , follow the link below 
    for
     an example of a DLL application which links to more recent versions of wxWidgets: 

http:
    //
    wxforum.shadonet.com/viewtopic.php?p=5964#5964 
    

    
[edit]Problems 
Problems are reported with wxThread 
    internal
     initialisation. 

Also the 
    2.5
    .
    2
     release has wxEntry decleration issues. Get the 
    fixed
     app.h files from CVS 
    for
     now. 

This appear to be broken 
    in
     
    2.5
    .
    3
    , could someone 
    do
     a update with the proper way to 
    do
     
    this
     now. 

[edit]Creating a wxWidgets DLL application with wxWidgets 
    2.6
    .
    2
    , with GUI support 
Here 
    is
     a simple example which allows you to store some dialogs 
    in
     a wxWidgets DLL application the 
    2.6
    .
    2
     way, and use that DLL 
    in
     any other language. That code 
    is
     directly insipired from fromdll.zip example above. 

Header file : wxWidgetsDLL.h 




 #ifndef wxWidgetsDLLH
 
    #define
     wxWidgetsDLLH
    
 
 
    #pragma
     once
    
 
 
    /*
    This is the method i use to link the libs to my DLL project in c++ builder 6, not used with eg. mingw32/dev-cpp
   if anybody has a hint on c++ builder 6 linking, just tell me 
 
    */
    
 #ifdef CBUILDER
 
    #pragma
     link "wxzlib.lib" 
    
 
    #pragma
     link "wxmsw26.lib"
    
 
    #endif
    
 
 #include 
    "
    wx/wx.h
    "
    
 
 #include 
    <
    windows.h
    >
    
 #include 
    <
    process.h
    >
    
 
 HANDLE ThreadId;
 
 
    class
     wxDLLApp : 
    public
     wxApp
 {
     
    bool
     OnInit();
 };
 
 
    #endif
     wxWidgetsDLLH 
    
 

Source file : wxWidgetsDLL.cpp 

 #include 
    "
    wx/wx.h
    "
    
 #include 
    <
    process.h
    >
     
 #include 
    "
    Unit1.h
    "
     
 
 IMPLEMENT_APP_NO_MAIN(wxDLLApp)
 
 DWORD WINAPI ThreadProc(LPVOID lpParameter)
 {
     wxApp::SetInstance(
    new
     wxDLLApp());
     wxEntry(GetModuleHandle(NULL),NULL,NULL,SW_SHOW);
     
    return
     
    true
    ;
 }
 
 BOOL APIENTRY DllMain(HANDLE hModule,
                       DWORD  ul_reason_for_call, 
                       LPVOID lpReserved
                       ) 
 {
     
    switch
     (ul_reason_for_call)
     { 
     
    case
     DLL_PROCESS_ATTACH:
         ThreadId 
    =
     CreateThread(NULL,
    0
    ,ThreadProc,NULL,
    0
    ,NULL);
         
    break
    ;
     
    case
     DLL_THREAD_ATTACH: 
    break
    ;
     
    case
     DLL_THREAD_DETACH: 
    break
    ;
     
    case
     DLL_PROCESS_DETACH:
         wxEntryCleanup();
         
    break
    ; 
     }
 
     
    return
     TRUE;
 }
 
 
    //
     I could have #define MYEXPORT __stdcall __declspec(dllexport) but it works that way too... 
    

     
    extern
     
    "
    C
    "
     __stdcall __declspec(dllexport) 
    void
     DLLFunction(HWND handle) 
 {
     wxDialog 
    *
     dlg 
    =
     
    new
     wxDialog(NULL,
    -
    1
    ,
    "
    Hello World From DLL
    "
    ,wxDefaultPosition,wxDefaultSize,wxDEFAULT_DIALOG_STYLE,wxDialogNameStr);
     dlg
    ->
    Show();
 }
 
 
    bool
     wxDLLApp::OnInit()
 {
     
    return
     
    true
    ;
 }
I hope 
    this
     helps, actually it worked 
    for
     me, i ran some tests with the dll linked with a Delphi application, and the dialog box shows up. But please note that there are some issues when linking your DLL statically with wxWidgets. What i did 
    is
     linking my DLL dynamically with wxWidgets, it seemed to solve all application initialization errors, so don
    '
    t forget to define WXUSINGDLL in your compiler
    '
    s settings, and compile your wxWidgets libs dynamically, at least 
    for
     making wxWidgets DLLs. 

Any feedback
    /
    comments : tomprod at wanadoo dot fr 

Retrieved from 
    "
    http://www.wxwidgets.org/wiki/index.php/Creating_A_DLL_Of_An_Application
    "
    

   
  

I hope this helps, actually it worked for me, i ran some tests with the dll linked with a Delphi application, and the dialog box shows up. But please note that there are some issues when linking your DLL statically with wxWidgets. What i did is linking my DLL dynamically with wxWidgets, it seemed to solve all application initialization errors, so don't forget to define WXUSINGDLL in your compiler's settings, and compile your wxWidgets libs dynamically, at least for making wxWidgets DLLs.

Any feedback/comments : tomprod at wanadoo dot fr