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Wanderer Joined: 13 Jan 2002 Posts: 76 Location: USA

I know this isn't really the place to be posting this, but I really don't know where else to ask it and since the Zugg community is the nicest community on the internet, I feel safe asking it here. So here it goes:

I want to be able to create DLL files to work with Zeus, zMUD, other programs, etc. I want to know what languages you can create DLL files in OTHER than C/C++, Visual Basic, Delphi, and .NET. Are there any other languages that can create DLL files, than the ones listed above? Such as Python, Perl, Java, etc.?

Thanks for your help!

Magician Joined: 13 Oct 2000 Posts: 463

Almost any language can create DLLs, because it's primarily a compiler directive. It's just a different target 'platform' you might say. DLLs are just executables without an entry point... there's no 'main()'. Just a bunch of functions. Almost any comprehensive compiler set will allow you to compile to a DLL.

As far as my personal experience and knowledge on the subject... nil. I've never made a DLL, or used many languages or many platforms, so I can't tell you any nitty-gritty details of which languages I *know* that can create DLLs. I can only comment on the general theory of the subject, hehe.

Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2004 2:47 am

You need a *compiler*. If you have a compiler that can create a .EXE file, then there is probably an option for a DLL file.

Perl, Python, and Java are *interpreted* languages (or scripting languages) that do not produce an EXE file, so I don't think you can create any DLL file with these languages.

However, just creating a DLL file isn't really enough. It depends upon what you want to do with it. If you are trying to create a COM Object in a DLL file, then you need a compiler that supports this since there is a lot of different routines needed in the DLL to support a COM object, along with registration routines to set up the registry entries properly. Doing this "by hand" without direct support of the compiler is very hard.

If you are trying to create a DLL for a zMUD plugin (API based, not COM based) then you still need to create various entry points so that Windows knows that this is a proper DLL file. This is the type of DLL file that most compilers generate, so just following the instructions for the compiler should be good enough.

Basically, you need a compiler, and the compiler must be set up to specifically create DLL files. For example, older versions of Visual Basic could compile and produce an EXE file, but could not produce a DLL. Even the current version (not the .NET version) only creates ActiveX DLL files I believe, which are compatible with COM Object servers, but not for the DLL-based zMUD plugins.

Anyway, start with a compiled language, rather than a scripting language.

Magician Joined: 13 Oct 2000 Posts: 463

I was under the impression that there were compilers for many interpereted languages, even if those compilers created 'passthrough' executables. For example, I have a standalone .exe that was written in Perl. I know there are standalone executables that were written in Python... such as bittorrent. They both get decrypted and interpereted at runtime, but that doesn't prevent them from being decrypted and used as a DLL, if the compiler supports it.

In theory.

In practicality, you're likely right on all counts. :-)

Raven

Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2004 4:27 pm

No, the "passthrough" executables don't really count. As I mentioned, it's not just a matter of turning on a "DLL Flag" or something like that. The compiler needs to create the entry points into the DLL that would be needed for a COM object or API use. While it's theoretically possible for the compiler to create the API entry points for your functions, I don't know of any interpreted language like that which allows you to make COM object DLLs (ActiveX DLL). And I think the original poster was interested in reality rather than theory.

As an aside, I've looked into trying to allow people to create COM objects from within the Zeus/zApp scripting language and what I have found is that it's not too hard to create objects that could be re-used within Zeus internally, but it's not possible to create DLL files to make "real" COM objects from scripts.

Wizard Joined: 15 Jan 2002 Posts: 1644 Location: USA

Since I was looking for an easy way to do powerfull regular expressions in VB I did manage to come across this dll written in perl

http://jenda.krynicky.cz/VB/JendaRex.html

Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2004 9:08 pm

Cool! If you read towards the bottom of that link, you'll see:

Wanderer Joined: 13 Jan 2002 Posts: 76 Location: USA

You see this is why I post here, because I know I'm going to get expert advice and views (even theoretical ones Wink

)

I've been doing alot of searching and I haven't come up with much, which is sort of surprising since Windows based programming, I would THINK, would be a very popular thing. Apparently not so much in the DLL side of it however. It is very interesting that you can create a DLL in Perl.

I like the idea of creating objects like that within Zeus/zAPP Zugg, I think it's a good way to go. Thanks again for all your input, everyone.

Adept Joined: 12 Nov 2000 Posts: 268 Location: Canada

If only there was such a tool for java..i'd..i think i'd die of extacy