[vb.net] How to use <DllImport> in VB.NET?

How should I DLLImport things in VB.NET? An example would be:

<DllImport("user32.dll", SetLastError:=True, CharSet:=CharSet.Auto)> _
Private Shared Function GetWindowText(ByVal hwnd As IntPtr, ByVal lpString As StringBuilder, ByVal cch As Integer) As Integer

End Function

If I put it inside a Class or somewhere else, I get "DLLimport is not defined" I am using Visual Studio 2008 Professional

This question is related to vb.net dllimport

The answer is


You can also try this

Private Declare Function GetWindowText Lib "user32.dll" (ByVal hwnd As IntPtr, ByVal lpString As StringBuilder, ByVal cch As Integer) As Integer

I always use Declare Function instead of DllImport... Its more simply, its shorter and does the same


I know this has already been answered, but here is an example for the people who are trying to use SQL Server Types in a vb project:

            Imports System
            Imports System.IO
            Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices

            Namespace SqlServerTypes
                Public Class Utilities



                    <DllImport("kernel32.dll", CharSet:=CharSet.Auto, SetLastError:=True)>
                    Public Shared Function LoadLibrary(ByVal libname As String) As IntPtr

                    End Function

                    Public Shared Sub LoadNativeAssemblies(ByVal rootApplicationPath As String)
                        Dim nativeBinaryPath = If(IntPtr.Size > 4, Path.Combine(rootApplicationPath, "SqlServerTypes\x64\"), Path.Combine(rootApplicationPath, "SqlServerTypes\x86\"))
                        LoadNativeAssembly(nativeBinaryPath, "msvcr120.dll")
                        LoadNativeAssembly(nativeBinaryPath, "SqlServerSpatial140.dll")
                    End Sub

                    Private Shared Sub LoadNativeAssembly(ByVal nativeBinaryPath As String, ByVal assemblyName As String)
                        Dim path = System.IO.Path.Combine(nativeBinaryPath, assemblyName)
                        Dim ptr = LoadLibrary(path)

                        If ptr = IntPtr.Zero Then
                            Throw New Exception(String.Format("Error loading {0} (ErrorCode: {1})", assemblyName, Marshal.GetLastWin32Error()))
                        End If
                    End Sub
                End Class
            End Namespace

I saw in getwindowtext (user32) on pinvoke.net that you can place a MarshalAs statement to state that the StringBuffer is equivalent to LPSTR.

<DllImport("user32.dll", SetLastError:=True, CharSet:=CharSet.Ansi)> _
Public Function GetWindowText(hwnd As IntPtr, <MarshalAs(UnManagedType.LPStr)>lpString As System.Text.StringBuilder, cch As Integer) As Integer
End Function

Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices