.NET Interop and version 8

[MikeGale]

I would like to see the ability to use the DLL from .NET.

(One approach might be to make the DLL COM compatible and let a developer run the tool that automatically creates an Interop assembly.)

Failing that one approach could be

Load up config and batch files
Start invisible CSE process
Use send-keys to run batch processor
"Screen scrape" resulting report

While this may work, it isn't attractive. (I've never seen a write up by anyone who's done it.)

[Albert Wiersch]

Making the DLL COM compatible sounds like a great idea, but I am unfamiliar with COM. I have added it to my to-do list but it is unlikely I will be able to get to it for CSE HTML Validator v8.0.

I would think that you could still use the DLL from .NET, only it might be a bit more difficult. We have documentation on how to use the DLL using the exported functions. We also have pseudo code that should help. Please have a look at these links:
http://www.htmlvalidator.com/htmlval/developer.html
http://www.htmlvalidator.com/htmlval/de ... ordll.html

[MikeGale]

Thanks Albert.

I've had a look at the material you mentioned. I'm impressed with it but not yet ready to jump in. I suspect it will take more time than I currently wish to spend.

(The easiest approach might be to try the VB code, load up it's dependencies (compiler, MSXML 2.6 and RegEx 5.5) and see what happens. If, as suspected, I need more, then I have a choice. Stick with VB6 or take it to .NET. With a possible choice of .NET. With tests, coverage and docs quite a lot of work. The .NET world is currently producing a lot of abysmal markup so, if enough people realise, I might be lucky and find others to maintain the code base after I get started!)

(I've also got away from the COM world in a lot of ways and am now more comfortable with .NET assemblies.)