[DavidZ]

I am just starting my first foray into C# and thought what better way than to begin using it with the API!

I know that this applies to VB.NET too so I thought I would put the question out there. The knowledgebase article giving an example of how to use C# with the API says that if you want the login prompt then you should:

call the win32 OleInitialize api first.

as in the following:

REAPI oRE7 = new REAPI();

//initialize with amServermode to avoid
//splash screen and login prompt.  If you want to use amStandalone
//mode with the login prompt then you must call the win32 OleInitialize api first.
oRE7.Init ("WRE11111","Supervisor","admin",50,"",AppMode.amServer);

Does anyone have any examples of doing this? I cannot find the correct namespace for calling this. It is needed as the COM graphical objects use a different threading model to .NET and this will prevent a serious crash from occurring.

Thanks

David

[JeffMon]

Hi David,
I haven't done it, but I believe that is an API call you have to register first, like so:

C#

[DllImport("ole32.dll")]
static extern int OleInitialize(IntPtr pvReserved);

VB.Net

Public Declare Function OLEInitialize Lib "ole32" Alias "OleInitialize" ()
As Integer

Also, when you call REAPI.Init, you'll need to leave the name/password blank, as well as the DB number if you want them to pick the DB to log into. Finally, you'll need to change the AppMode to Stand Alone... no point in a log-in form popping up on some remote server somewhere. ;-)

Jeff

PS - Good for you for picking up C#... I need to start doing the same.

[DavidZ]

Thanks for that. I will have to try it and let you know what happens.

I have done it loads before in VB6 but just never in C#.

David

[JeffMon]

'nother example:
Koders - Win32DnD.cs

[DavidZ]

I tried the example using VB.NET and it failed. I got an error message on the OLEInitialize function. I rewrote the code so that it matched the C#'s declaration and it worked fine.

Module Module1
   Public Declare Function OLEInitialize Lib "ole32" Alias "OleInitialize" (ByVal intp As IntPtr) As Integer
 
   Sub Main()
 
      OLEInitialize(Nothing)
 
      Dim oREAPI As New REDotNetAPI.REAPI
      Dim oConstit As REDotNetAPI.CRecord
 
      oREAPI.Init("WRE11111", , , 50, , REDotNetAPI.AppMode.amStandalone)
 
      oConstit = New REDotNetAPI.CRecord()
      oConstit.Init(oREAPI.SessionContext)
      oConstit.LoadByField(REDotNetAPI.bbRECORDUniqueFields.uf_Record_CONSTITUENT_ID, 3)
      System.Console.Write(oConstit.Fields(REDotNetAPI.ERECORDSFields.RECORDS_fld_FULL_NAME))
 
     oConstit.CloseDown()
     oConstit = Nothing
 
 
  End Sub
 
End Module

Note that this was written using a pre-7.80 version i.e. before RE included the interop assemblies so the namespace "REDotNetAPI" may be different on later versions.

David

[DavidZ]

And here is the C# version.

using System;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Text;
using Blackbaud.PIA.RE7.BBREAPI;
namespace MyProj
{
    class MyProj
    {

        [DllImport("ole32.dll")]
        static extern int OleInitialize(IntPtr pvReserved);
        [STAThread]
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            OleInitialize(IntPtr.Zero);
   
            REAPI oRE7 = new REAPI();
            //initialize with amServer mode to avoid
            //splash screen and login prompt.  If you want to use amStandalone
            //mode with the login prompt then you must call the win32 OleInitialize api first.
            oRE7.Init("WRE11111", string.Empty, string.Empty, 50, "", AppMode.amStandalone);

Hope this helps somebody else out there....

David