How can we export C# methods?
I have a dll and I want to use its methods in the Python language with the ctypes module. Because I need to use the ctypes module, I need to export the C# methods for them to be visible in Python.
So, how can I export the C# methods (like they do in C++)?
With the normal Python implementation ("CPython"), you can't, at least not directly.
You could write native C wrappers around our C# methods using C++/CLI, and call these wrappers from Python.
Or, you could try IronPython. This lets you run Python code and call code in any .Net language, including C#.
That's not possible. If you need DLL exports you'll need to use the C++/CLI language. For example:
public ref class Class1 { public: static int add(int a, int b) { return a + b; } }; extern "C" __declspec(dllexport) int add(int a, int b) { return Class1::add(a, b); } The class can be written in C# as well. The C++/CLI compiler emits a special thunk for the export that ensures that the CLR is loaded and execution switches to managed mode. This is not exactly fast.
Writing [ComVisible(true)] code in C# is another possibility.
The "normal" way of exposing .NET/C# objects to unmanaged code (like Python) is to create a COM-callable wrapper for the C# DLL (.NET assembly), and call that using Python's COM/OLE support. To create the COM-callable wrapper, use the tlbexp and/or regasm command-line utilities.
Obviously, however, this does not provide a C/DLL-style API.
