This is not exactly a hot topic, but I have a factory class that allows a dll to create an instance and return it as a DLL. It is what I came looking for but couldn't find exactly.
It is called like,
IHTTP_Server *server = SN::SN_Factory<IHTTP_Server>::CreateObject();
IHTTP_Server *server2 =
SN::SN_Factory<IHTTP_Server>::CreateObject(IHTTP_Server_special_entry);
where IHTTP_Server is the pure virtual interface for a class created either in another DLL, or the same one.
DEFINE_INTERFACE is used to give a class id an interface. Place inside interface;
An interface class looks like,
class IMyInterface
{
DEFINE_INTERFACE(IMyInterface);
public:
virtual ~IMyInterface() {};
virtual void MyMethod1() = 0;
...
};
The header file is like this
#if !defined(SN_FACTORY_H_INCLUDED)
#define SN_FACTORY_H_INCLUDED
#pragma once
The libraries are listed in this macro definition. One line per library/executable. It would be cool if we could call into another executable.
#define SN_APPLY_LIBRARIES(L, A) \
L(A, sn, "sn.dll") \
L(A, http_server_lib, "http_server_lib.dll") \
L(A, http_server, "")
Then for each dll/exe you define a macro and list its implementations. Def means that it is the default implementation for the interface. If it is not the default, you give a name for the interface used to identify it. Ie, special, and the name will be IHTTP_Server_special_entry.
#define SN_APPLY_ENTRYPOINTS_sn(M) \
M(IHTTP_Handler, SNI::SNI_HTTP_Handler, sn, def) \
M(IHTTP_Handler, SNI::SNI_HTTP_Handler, sn, special)
#define SN_APPLY_ENTRYPOINTS_http_server_lib(M) \
M(IHTTP_Server, HTTP::server::server, http_server_lib, def)
#define SN_APPLY_ENTRYPOINTS_http_server(M)
With the libraries all setup, the header file uses the macro definitions to define the needful.
#define APPLY_ENTRY(A, N, L) \
SN_APPLY_ENTRYPOINTS_##N(A)
#define DEFINE_INTERFACE(I) \
public: \
static const long Id = SN::I##_def_entry; \
private:
namespace SN
{
#define DEFINE_LIBRARY_ENUM(A, N, L) \
N##_library,
This creates an enum for the libraries.
enum LibraryValues
{
SN_APPLY_LIBRARIES(DEFINE_LIBRARY_ENUM, "")
LastLibrary
};
#define DEFINE_ENTRY_ENUM(I, C, L, D) \
I##_##D##_entry,
This creates an enum for interface implementations.
enum EntryValues
{
SN_APPLY_LIBRARIES(APPLY_ENTRY, DEFINE_ENTRY_ENUM)
LastEntry
};
long CallEntryPoint(long id, long interfaceId);
This defines the factory class. Not much to it here.
template <class I>
class SN_Factory
{
public:
SN_Factory()
{
}
static I *CreateObject(long id = I::Id )
{
return (I *)CallEntryPoint(id, I::Id);
}
};
}
#endif //SN_FACTORY_H_INCLUDED
Then the CPP is,
#include "sn_factory.h"
#include <windows.h>
Create the external entry point. You can check that it exists using depends.exe.
extern "C"
{
__declspec(dllexport) long entrypoint(long id)
{
#define CREATE_OBJECT(I, C, L, D) \
case SN::I##_##D##_entry: return (int) new C();
switch (id)
{
SN_APPLY_CURRENT_LIBRARY(APPLY_ENTRY, CREATE_OBJECT)
case -1:
default:
return 0;
}
}
}
The macros set up all the data needed.
namespace SN
{
bool loaded = false;
char * libraryPathArray[SN::LastLibrary];
#define DEFINE_LIBRARY_PATH(A, N, L) \
libraryPathArray[N##_library] = L;
static void LoadLibraryPaths()
{
SN_APPLY_LIBRARIES(DEFINE_LIBRARY_PATH, "")
}
typedef long(*f_entrypoint)(long id);
f_entrypoint libraryFunctionArray[LastLibrary - 1];
void InitlibraryFunctionArray()
{
for (long j = 0; j < LastLibrary; j++)
{
libraryFunctionArray[j] = 0;
}
#define DEFAULT_LIBRARY_ENTRY(A, N, L) \
libraryFunctionArray[N##_library] = &entrypoint;
SN_APPLY_CURRENT_LIBRARY(DEFAULT_LIBRARY_ENTRY, "")
}
enum SN::LibraryValues libraryForEntryPointArray[SN::LastEntry];
#define DEFINE_ENTRY_POINT_LIBRARY(I, C, L, D) \
libraryForEntryPointArray[I##_##D##_entry] = L##_library;
void LoadLibraryForEntryPointArray()
{
SN_APPLY_LIBRARIES(APPLY_ENTRY, DEFINE_ENTRY_POINT_LIBRARY)
}
enum SN::EntryValues defaultEntryArray[SN::LastEntry];
#define DEFINE_ENTRY_DEFAULT(I, C, L, D) \
defaultEntryArray[I##_##D##_entry] = I##_def_entry;
void LoadDefaultEntries()
{
SN_APPLY_LIBRARIES(APPLY_ENTRY, DEFINE_ENTRY_DEFAULT)
}
void Initialize()
{
if (!loaded)
{
loaded = true;
LoadLibraryPaths();
InitlibraryFunctionArray();
LoadLibraryForEntryPointArray();
LoadDefaultEntries();
}
}
long CallEntryPoint(long id, long interfaceId)
{
Initialize();
// assert(defaultEntryArray[id] == interfaceId, "Request to create an object for the wrong interface.")
enum SN::LibraryValues l = libraryForEntryPointArray[id];
f_entrypoint f = libraryFunctionArray[l];
if (!f)
{
HINSTANCE hGetProcIDDLL = LoadLibraryA(libraryPathArray[l]);
if (!hGetProcIDDLL) {
return NULL;
}
// resolve function address here
f = (f_entrypoint)GetProcAddress(hGetProcIDDLL, "entrypoint");
if (!f) {
return NULL;
}
libraryFunctionArray[l] = f;
}
return f(id);
}
}
Each library includes this "cpp" with a stub cpp for each library/executable. Any specific compiled header stuff.
#include "sn_pch.h"
Setup this library.
#define SN_APPLY_CURRENT_LIBRARY(L, A) \
L(A, sn, "sn.dll")
An include for the main cpp. I guess this cpp could be a .h. But there are different ways you could do this. This approach worked for me.
#include "../inc/sn_factory.cpp"