.NET assemblies are .NET libraries that contain classes and their definitions. Using .NET assemblies from ATEasy is like using COM type libraries. You first insert the assembly using the Insert Library Below command. Then you activate the .NET Assemblies page - this page displays the .NET assemblies and their classes taken from assemblies that are stored in the following folders:
1. Private Assembly can be stored in your application folder or subfolders.
2. Global Assembly Cache (GAC). Located under Windows Assembly folder. This folder is used to store third party assemblies.
3. .NET Framework folder. Located under Windows Microsoft.NET\Framework folder.
ATEasy will also use these folders to locate the assembly at run-time if the assembly file name stored in the library sub-module contains no path (i.e. assemblyfilename.dll). After locating the assembly that you wish to use, check the assembly or individual classes from the assembly that you wish to use and click Insert. ATEasy will then create a library that contains the classes, methods, variables and properties as selected. Additional classes and assemblies that are referenced by the classes or assembly you selected are also loaded and displayed below the assembly in the Referenced Libraries sub module. ATEasy supports many programming language features that are supported by .NET including inheritance, multiple constructors, overloading of methods and properties, virtual members, static members, early and late bound objects and more. These features are shown in the DotNet example (see DotNet.prj in the ATEasy Examples and Examples\DotNet folders). The example contains a .NET assembly along with it’s C# (pronounced 'see sharp') source code that demonstrates some of the programming concepts used by .NET.
Using .NET classes is similar to using COM classes: you create a variable using the new operator and assign the result to an object of type Object or the class you created as shown here:
obCls1_1=new DotNetClass1()
obCls1_2=new DotNetClass1(True)
The first line creates an object from the DotNetClass1 and the second one creates another one but uses a different constructor that receives True as parameter.
Calling a method or a property or a variable of the class is similar to using COM classes (e.g. ob.Method(), or ob.Property or ob.Variable).
Destroying an object is also like COM. The following statement will destroy the object:
obCls1_2=Nothing
More information about creating and using .Net Objects See the User Guide and the DotNet Example.