Interoperability with unmanaged code
Interoperability in programming refers to the ability of two or more languages to interact as part of the same system. This generally means passing data between systems that have potentially been developed with different languages. This can include applications or libraries written in languages such as C or C++, which interact directly with the operating system’s API. Since the integrated system does not run under the CLR’s supervision, it is considered unmanaged code.
Interoperability is essential when you need to do any of the following:
- Utilize existing unmanaged libraries (e.g., DLLs written in C or C++)
- Access system-level functionalities not available in .NET
- Integrate with legacy code bases without rewriting them in managed languages
The theory supporting the need for interoperability is straightforward. Since we already understand unmanaged code, let’s explore the first method of handling interoperability...
