.Net question

[gorgonitz82]

Hi... anyone kind enough to enlighten me? What is the differences between a plugin, a dll, a COM? Eh I know the txtbook definitions for them but how are they related(or nt related) to each other? Thanks. By the way, I am speaking in the context of developing in studio .Net.

[ThePole]

Hi gorgonitz82

 

A plugin can be anything. It can be a dll, swf (shockwave), java classes etc.

 

A DLL (dynamic link library) is a set of functions "packed" together and is loaded by your OS as and when needed by some program. In fact, more than 1 program can use a dll at anytime, hence the word dynamic. They can be written in any language. .Net dlls are slightly different because no entry in your computer Registry, unlike the old dll created using the guidelines of COM.

 

COM is an old Microsoft guidelines for different pieces of software, regardless created in what language to work together. It is OLD because .Net is the New guidelines for the same reason.

 

Hope that helps.

[gorgonitz82]

Thanks ThePole

 

Thanks for the info. hmm. For the dll to qualify as a plugin in .net, I have to implement Iplugin. Am I right to say this?

 

Plugins are loaded with the application and if the plugin is removed, the functionalities in the plugin will not be available in the application as it is not loaded? For dll, it is also loaded with the application and if the dll is removed the application still runs but without the functionality provided by the dll? Anything wrong if I assume this paragragh? If this is true, then what is the use of Iplugin to convert dll to a plugin for a app in .net.

[ThePole]

Hi gorgonitz82

 

The name can be anything, but the example from MS website is using IPlugin, so this should be the norm.

 

You are right in the 2nd para.

 

For any extension to a software, some conditions must be fulfilled. This is to ensure no problems in integration. For a .net software, the conditions for a plug-in to fulfill is to implement the IPlugin interface. In fact, not only dll, if an exe or even a java class can fulfill those conditions, there is no reason why they cannot be a plug-in.

 

Checkout this article in MS website: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms972962.aspx