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1 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
2 %% Name: dllload.tex
3 %% Purpose: wxDllLoader documentation
4 %% Author: Vadim Zeitlin
5 %% Modified by:
6 %% Created: 02.04.00
7 %% RCS-ID: $Id$
8 %% Copyright: (c) Vadim Zeitlin
9 %% License: wxWidgets license
10 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
11
12 \section{\class{wxDllLoader}}\label{wxdllloader}
13
14 wxDllLoader is a class providing an interface similar to Unix's {\tt
15 dlopen()}. It is used by the wxLibrary framework and manages the actual
16 loading of shared libraries and the resolving of symbols in them. There are no
17 instances of this class, it simply serves as a namespace for its static member
18 functions.
19
20 Please note that class \helpref{wxDynamicLibrary}{wxdynamiclibrary} provides
21 alternative, friendlier interface to wxDllLoader.
22
23 The terms {\it DLL} and {\it shared library/object} will both be used in the
24 documentation to refer to the same thing: a {\tt .dll} file under Windows or
25 {\tt .so} or {\tt .sl} one under Unix.
26
27 Example of using this class to dynamically load the {\tt strlen()} function:
28
29 \begin{verbatim}
30 #if defined(__WXMSW__)
31 static const wxChar *LIB_NAME = _T("kernel32");
32 static const wxChar *FUNC_NAME = _T("lstrlenA");
33 #elif defined(__UNIX__)
34 static const wxChar *LIB_NAME = _T("/lib/libc-2.0.7.so");
35 static const wxChar *FUNC_NAME = _T("strlen");
36 #endif
37
38 wxDllType dllHandle = wxDllLoader::LoadLibrary(LIB_NAME);
39 if ( !dllHandle )
40 {
41 ... error ...
42 }
43 else
44 {
45 typedef int (*strlenType)(char *);
46 strlenType pfnStrlen = (strlenType)wxDllLoader::GetSymbol(dllHandle, FUNC_NAME);
47 if ( !pfnStrlen )
48 {
49 ... error ...
50 }
51 else
52 {
53 if ( pfnStrlen("foo") != 3 )
54 {
55 ... error ...
56 }
57 else
58 {
59 ... ok! ...
60 }
61 }
62
63 wxDllLoader::UnloadLibrary(dllHandle);
64 }
65 \end{verbatim}
66
67 \wxheading{Derived from}
68
69 No base class
70
71 \wxheading{Include files}
72
73 <wx/dynlib.h>
74
75 \wxheading{Data structures}
76
77 This header defines a platform-dependent {\tt wxDllType} typedef which stores
78 a handle to a loaded DLLs on the given platform.
79
80 \latexignore{\rtfignore{\wxheading{Members}}}
81
82 \membersection{wxDllLoader::GetDllExt}\label{wxdllloadergetdllext}
83
84 \func{static wxString}{GetDllExt}{\void}
85
86 Returns the string containing the usual extension for shared libraries for the
87 given systems (including the leading dot if not empty).
88
89 For example, this function will return {\tt ".dll"} under Windows or (usually)
90 {\tt ".so"} under Unix.
91
92 \membersection{wxDllLoader::GetProgramHandle}\label{wxdllloadergetprogramhandle}
93
94 \func{wxDllType}{GetProgramHandle}{\void}
95
96 This function returns a valid handle for the main program itself. Notice that
97 the {\tt NULL} return value is valid for some systems (i.e. doesn't mean that
98 the function failed).
99
100 {\bf NB:} This function is Unix specific. It will always fail under Windows
101 or OS/2.
102
103 \membersection{wxDllLoader::GetSymbol}\label{wxdllloadergetsymbol}
104
105 \func{void *}{GetSymbol}{\param{wxDllType }{dllHandle}, \param{const wxString\& }{name}}
106
107 This function resolves a symbol in a loaded DLL, such as a variable or
108 function name.
109
110 Returned value will be {\tt NULL} if the symbol was not found in the DLL or if
111 an error occured.
112
113 \wxheading{Parameters}
114
115 \docparam{dllHandle}{Valid handle previously returned by
116 \helpref{LoadLibrary}{wxdllloaderloadlibrary}}
117
118 \docparam{name}{Name of the symbol.}
119
120 \membersection{wxDllLoader::LoadLibrary}\label{wxdllloaderloadlibrary}
121
122 \func{wxDllType}{LoadLibrary}{\param{const wxString \& }{libname}, \param{bool* }{success = NULL}}
123
124 This function loads a shared library into memory, with {\it libname} being the
125 name of the library: it may be either the full name including path and
126 (platform-dependent) extension, just the basename (no path and no extension)
127 or a basename with extension. In the last two cases, the library will be
128 searched in all standard locations.
129
130 Returns a handle to the loaded DLL. Use {\it success} parameter to test if it
131 is valid. If the handle is valid, the library must be unloaded later with
132 \helpref{UnloadLibrary}{wxdllloaderunloadlibrary}.
133
134 \wxheading{Parameters}
135
136 \docparam{libname}{Name of the shared object to load.}
137
138 \docparam{success}{May point to a bool variable which will be set to true or
139 false; may also be {\tt NULL}.}
140
141 \membersection{wxDllLoader::UnloadLibrary}\label{wxdllloaderunloadlibrary}
142
143 \func{void}{UnloadLibrary}{\param{wxDllType }{dllhandle}}
144
145 This function unloads the shared library. The handle {\it dllhandle} must have
146 been returned by \helpref{LoadLibrary}{wxdllloaderloadlibrary} previously.
147