C/C++ Code Compiler in C#

Question

In C#, I am able to compile VB and C# Code, using the code below, but I have no way of compiling C/C++ code. Is there any way of doing this?

C# Compiler:

        public void Compile(string ToCompile)
        {
            string Result = null;
            string errors = null;
            Microsoft.CSharp.CSharpCodeProvider codeProvider = new Microsoft.CSharp.CSharpCodeProvider();
            System.CodeDom.Compiler.ICodeCompiler icc = codeProvider.CreateCompiler();
            string Output = @"mypath";
            System.CodeDom.Compiler.CompilerParameters parameters = new System.CodeDom.Compiler.CompilerParameters();
            parameters.GenerateExecutable = true;
            parameters.OutputAssembly = Output;
            System.CodeDom.Compiler.CompilerResults results = icc.CompileAssemblyFromSource(parameters, ToCompile);
            if (ReturnErrors == true)
            {
                if (results.Errors.Count > 0)
                {
                    foreach (System.CodeDom.Compiler.CompilerError CompErr in results.Errors)
                    {
                        errors +=
                                    "Line number " + CompErr.Line +
                                    ", Error Number: " + CompErr.ErrorNumber +
                                    ", '" + CompErr.ErrorText + ";" +
                                    Environment.NewLine + Environment.NewLine;
                    }
                    Result += "Errors have been found in your code: " + Environment.NewLine + errors;
                }
                else
                {
                    Result += "Success!";
                    System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(Output);
                }
            }

And to create a VB compiler, I simply replace Microsoft.CSharp.CSharpCodeProvider codeProvider = new Microsoft.CSharp.CSharpCodeProvider(); with Microsoft.VisualBasic.VBCodeProvider codeProvider = new Microsoft.VisualBasic.VBCodeProvider();

Are you asking if there is a way to compile C/C++ code from C#? — gooid, Nov 01 '13 at 16:05
c# and vb are managed codes means which runs under CLR.but C/C++ code is called unmanaged code, i think marshalling is what you are looking for. — Sudhakar Tillapudi, Nov 01 '13 at 16:06
@Sudhakar No that really isn't what he's after. Managed C++ can be compiled to run on the CLR. — David Arno, Nov 01 '13 at 16:11

score 8 · Accepted Answer · answered Nov 01 '13 at 16:11

8

You can compile c++/cli code, not native c++ as mentioned above. You can archive c++/cli compilation with CppCodeProvider (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/microsoft.visualc.cppcodeprovider(v=vs.85).aspx) class using it like in your example.

answered Nov 01 '13 at 16:11

Redwan

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9
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Nice, I didn't know about that. So deleted my answer as it's plain wrong. Here's an English link to that class BTW: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/microsoft.visualc.cppcodeprovider(v=vs.85).aspx – David Arno Nov 01 '13 at 16:14
@DavidArno My bad. Forgot about russian language of article. Updated my answer. – Redwan Nov 01 '13 at 16:16
@Redwan - My Copy of Visual Studio 2010 does not have Microsoft.VisualC - What should I do? – Joe Nov 01 '13 at 16:19
@Joe this class is shipped within Windows SDK as mentioned in this article http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.codedom.compiler.codedomprovider(v=vs.90).aspx – Redwan Nov 01 '13 at 16:20
@Redwan - I am going to download Windows SDK - Is this a good idea? – Joe Nov 01 '13 at 16:28
@Joe Why it can be a bad idea? It adds headers, libraries and tools to build apps which would run on Windows. You can simply ship needed dlls from sdk with your app. – Redwan Nov 01 '13 at 16:33

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Nov 01 '13 at 16:15

I'm assuming you've got a chunk of source, say containing a function with a known prototype, which you want to compile, and run within your currently running application.

In order to do this in native (not managed) C++, you'd need to do the following:

Dynamically store your code into a boilerplate dll source project (i.e. everything written with a gap for the function's code, which you'd insert)
Spawn a C++ compiler (which the end user would have to have pre-installed) to output a dll
Build up a C++/Cli wrapper that wraps the c++ dll that you built above, and compile that too (see Redwan's answer)
Dynamically load your wrapper Dll, and call the function.

If you can work with just managed c++/CLI, then Redwan's answer should be adequate on its own.

C/C++ Code Compiler in C#

2 Answers2

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