Linking error when referencing a C++/CLI .exe project

Question

Hello all. I'm using VS2010 and in my solution one of my C++/CLI projects references the other. But it can only link correctly when the project being referenced is compiled as a Static Lib.

I read all over that in managed .NET languages, .EXEs, libs and .dlls are the same thing, with a single flag or something like that as difference. Being like that, I can't figure out why I have all these linking errors, since it shouldn't matter how I compile my project.

Well, probably I'm assuming something wrong. If so, how can I reference a .exe project in an other .exe project so I can use the same classes and methods without having to recompile it.

Thanks in advance,

Theo

Answer 1

Right click on your project and choose "Add reference..." in the menu.

PS: can you show the linker error messages?

Answer 2

While referencing an EXE project and loading it at runtime as though it were a DLL is okay for pure managed code, that is not going to work out well for a C++/CLI project. The CRT won't be initialized correctly, there is no DllMain() entry point that will run.

You'll need to create a DLL, use the CLR Class Library project template.

What ever compile or link errors you'll get after that might be secondary. Make sure you quote them in your next question, error messages were designed to tell you what is wrong.