ComImportAttribute Class

Definition

Namespace:

System.Runtime.InteropServices

Assembly:

System.Runtime.InteropServices.dll

Indicates that the attributed type was previously defined in COM.

public ref class ComImportAttribute sealed : Attribute

[System.AttributeUsage(System.AttributeTargets.Class | System.AttributeTargets.Interface, Inherited=false)]
public sealed class ComImportAttribute : Attribute

[<System.AttributeUsage(System.AttributeTargets.Class | System.AttributeTargets.Interface, Inherited=false)>]
type ComImportAttribute = class
    inherit Attribute

Public NotInheritable Class ComImportAttribute
Inherits Attribute

Inheritance

Object

Attribute

ComImportAttribute

Attributes

AttributeUsageAttribute

Examples

The following example demonstrates how to apply the ComImportAttribute to a managed interface declaration. You apply this attribute only when generating an interop assembly manually in source code, and want to simulate the metadata produced by Tlbimp.exe.

using namespace System;
using namespace System::Runtime::InteropServices;

// If you do not have a type library for an interface
// you can redeclare it using ComImportAttribute.
// This is how the interface would look in an idl file.
//[
//object,
//uuid("73EB4AF8-BE9C-4b49-B3A4-24F4FF657B26"),
//dual, helpstring("IMyStorage Interface"),
//pointer_default(unique)
//]
//interface IMyStorage : IDispatch
//{
// [id(1)]
// HRESULT GetItem([in] BSTR bstrName, [out, retval] IDispatch ** ppItem);
// [id(2)]
// HRESULT GetItems([in] BSTR bstrLocation, [out] SAFEARRAY(VARIANT)* pItems);
// [id(3)]
// HRESULT GetItemDescriptions([in] BSTR bstrLocation, [out] SAFEARRAY(VARIANT) ** ppItems);
// [id(4), propget]
// HRESULT get_IsEmpty([out, retval] BOOL * pfEmpty);
//};
// This is the managed declaration.

[ComImport]
[Guid("73EB4AF8-BE9C-4b49-B3A4-24F4FF657B26")]
interface class IMyStorage
{
   [DispId(1)]
   Object^ GetItem( [In,MarshalAs(UnmanagedType::BStr)]String^ bstrName );

   //[return : MarshalAs(UnmanagedType::Interface)]

   [DispId(2)]
   void GetItems( [In,MarshalAs(UnmanagedType::BStr)]String^ bstrLocation, [Out,MarshalAs(UnmanagedType::SafeArray,
   SafeArraySubType=VarEnum::VT_VARIANT)]array<Object^>^Items );

   [DispId(3)]
   void GetItemDescriptions( [In]String^ bstrLocation, [In,Out,MarshalAs(UnmanagedType::SafeArray)]array<Object^>^varDescriptions );

   property bool IsEmpty 
   {
      [DispId(4)]
      [returnvalue:MarshalAs(UnmanagedType::VariantBool)]
      bool get();
   }
};

using System;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;

namespace MyModule
{
    // If you do not have a type library for an interface
    // you can redeclare it using ComImportAttribute.

    // This is how the interface would look in an idl file.

    //[
    //object,
    //uuid("73EB4AF8-BE9C-4b49-B3A4-24F4FF657B26"),
    //dual,	helpstring("IMyStorage Interface"),
    //pointer_default(unique)
    //]
    //interface IMyStorage : IDispatch
    //{
    //	[id(1)]
    //	HRESULT GetItem([in] BSTR bstrName, [out, retval] IDispatch ** ppItem);
    //	[id(2)]
    //	HRESULT GetItems([in] BSTR bstrLocation, [out] SAFEARRAY(VARIANT)* pItems);
    //	[id(3)]
    //	HRESULT GetItemDescriptions([in] BSTR bstrLocation, [out] SAFEARRAY(VARIANT) ** ppItems);
    //	[id(4), propget]
    //	HRESULT get_IsEmpty([out, retval] BOOL * pfEmpty);
    //};

    // This is the managed declaration.

    [ComImport]
    [Guid("73EB4AF8-BE9C-4b49-B3A4-24F4FF657B26")]
    public interface IMyStorage
    {
        [DispId(1)]
        [return: MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.Interface)]
        object GetItem([In, MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.BStr)] String bstrName);

        [DispId(2)]
        void GetItems([In, MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.BStr)] String bstrLocation,
            [Out, MarshalAs( UnmanagedType.SafeArray,
                      SafeArraySubType = VarEnum.VT_VARIANT )] out Object[] Items);

        [DispId(3)]
        void GetItemDescriptions([In] String bstrLocation,
            [In, Out, MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.SafeArray)] ref Object[] varDescriptions);

        bool IsEmpty
        {
            [DispId(4)]
            [return: MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.VariantBool)]
            get;
        }
    }
}

Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices

Module MyModule
    ' If you do not have a type library for an interface
    ' you can redeclare it using ComImportAttribute.

    ' This is how the interface would look in an idl file.

    '[
    'object,
    'uuid("73EB4AF8-BE9C-4b49-B3A4-24F4FF657B26"),
    'dual,	helpstring("IMyStorage Interface"),
    'pointer_default(unique)
    ']
    'interface IMyStorage : IDispatch
    '{
    '	[id(1)]
    '	HRESULT GetItem([in] BSTR bstrName, [out, retval] IDispatch ** ppItem);
    '	[id(2)]
    '	HRESULT GetItems([in] BSTR bstrLocation, [out] SAFEARRAY(VARIANT)* pItems);
    '	[id(3)]
    '	HRESULT GetItemDescriptions([in] BSTR bstrLocation, [out] SAFEARRAY(VARIANT) ** ppItems);
    '	[id(4), propget]
    '	HRESULT get_IsEmpty([out, retval] BOOL * pfEmpty);
    '};

    ' This is the managed declaration.

    <ComImport(), Guid("73EB4AF8-BE9C-4b49-B3A4-24F4FF657B26")> _
    Public Interface IMyStorage
        <DispId(1)> _
        Function GetItem(<InAttribute(), MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.BStr)> ByVal bstrName As String) _
           As <MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.Interface)> Object

        <DispId(2)> _
        Function GetItems(<InAttribute(), MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.BStr)> ByVal bstrLocation As String, _
           <OutAttribute(), MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.SafeArray, SafeArraySubType := VarEnum.VT_VARIANT)> _
                                      ByVal Items() As Object)

        <DispId(3)> _
        Function GetItemDescriptions(<InAttribute()> ByVal bstrLocation As String, _
           <InAttribute(), OutAttribute(), _
                      MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.SafeArray)> ByRef varDescriptions() As Object)

        <DispId(4)> _
        ReadOnly Property IsEmpty(<MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.VariantBool)> ByVal bEmpty As Boolean)

    End Interface
End Module

Remarks

You can apply this attribute to classes or interfaces, although the Tlbimp.exe (Type Library Importer) typically applies it for you when it imports a type library.

ComImportAttribute is a pseudo-custom attribute that indicates that a type has been defined in a previously published type library. The common language runtime treats these types differently when activating, exporting, coercing, and so on.

Note

All base COM types that are inherited by a managed object must aggregate the Free Threaded Marshaler (FTM). COM types that do not aggregate the FTM can't be inherited by managed objects.

Constructors

ComImportAttribute()

Initializes a new instance of the ComImportAttribute.

Properties

TypeId

When implemented in a derived class, gets a unique identifier for this Attribute. (Inherited from Attribute)

Methods

Equals(Object)	Returns a value that indicates whether this instance is equal to a specified object. (Inherited from Attribute)
GetHashCode()	Returns the hash code for this instance. (Inherited from Attribute)
GetType()	Gets the Type of the current instance. (Inherited from Object)
IsDefaultAttribute()	When overridden in a derived class, indicates whether the value of this instance is the default value for the derived class. (Inherited from Attribute)
Match(Object)	When overridden in a derived class, returns a value that indicates whether this instance equals a specified object. (Inherited from Attribute)
MemberwiseClone()	Creates a shallow copy of the current Object. (Inherited from Object)
ToString()	Returns a string that represents the current object. (Inherited from Object)

See also

• Tlbimp.exe (Type Library Importer)