.NET Common Language Runtime Unleashed

Chapter 9. Using Managed Code as a COM/COM+ Component

In This Chapter

• Why Build a .NET Component to Look Like a COM Component?

• Unmanaged to Managed Interop Basics

The previous two chapters focused on how the .NET Framework can use and leverage existing code. They discussed how the .NET Framework can use either existing DLLs or existing COM components while still maintaining the .NET programming model. Maintaining model consistency seems to be a high priority goal when designing interoperation layers. This is particularly true for interop with legacy COM components.

This chapter switches gears a little and focuses on how existing components and programs are able to interoperate with .NET components. It is not possible to do the equivalent of P/Invoke ...