How could one create a COM to interface to systems using C++ or C#?

Do you mean that you want to call a .NET Component from COM? If thats the case you need a COM callable wrapper (CCW).  A CCW is generated by the CLR when a .NET component is called from a COM client.

[ COM client ]------IDispatch ---------------->{CCW}------------------>[ .NET ]

And to call a COM object from the .NET environment you need a Runtime Callable Wrapper (RCW).  Check out how to implement it on MSDN.

I am integrating Banking application with a DM (Document Manager). The Banking solution has API that it exposes to any DM ready for interface. I am using Hummingbird DM as a core solution for DM.

The DM also exposes API for integrating to any solution that will implement,

1. Attach
2. Scan
3. Delete
4. View
5. Deattach


To integrate this solution I will need to create a COM (Component Object Model) that the Banking application will interface with and call these API. Also the DM will interface with this COM.

My problem is how do I write a COM object using .NET, C++ or C#?

This page tells you how to start you off


http://www.csharphelp.com/archives/archive281.html

Do you mean that you want to call a .NET Component from COM? If thats the case you need a COM callable wrapper (CCW).  A CCW is generated by the CLR when a .NET component is called from a COM client.

[ COM client ]------IDispatch ---------------->{CCW}------------------>[ .NET ]

And to call a COM object from the .NET environment you need a Runtime Callable Wrapper (RCW).  Check out how to implement it on Codeproject.

http://www.codeproject.com/KB/COM/nettocom.aspx

@Poster, I remember posting this a couple of days ago


This page tells you how to start you off


http://www.csharphelp.com/archives/archive281.html

Thanks for everyone who contributed somehow to this thread. However, I am still struggling do this project. I am implementing TI Plus to interface a Opentext DM server

The user guide technical implementation says that to interface TI Plus and DM you will need to create a COM. The routine implementation is done on the DM side. TI Plus does not implement any code for

1. Scan
2. Attach
3. Detached
4. View

I need to create a COM to interface TI Plus and OpenText (document Imaging) such that via the web portal of the client user interface, the client can view documents, attach and detached document.

I have never created a COM object before. My problems are;

1. What IDE do I use?
2. I would like to use C#/J++
3. How do I register the COM so that TI Plus and OpenText DM can interface in a window environment?
4. Have anyone do similar project before?

webmonkey:

The user guide technical implementation says that to interface TI Plus and DM you will need to create a COM. The routine implementation is done on the DM side. TI Plus does not implement any code for

1. Scan
2. Attach
3. Detached
4. View

I need to create a COM to interface TI Plus and OpenText (document Imaging) such that via the web portal of the client user interface, the client can view documents, attach and detached document.

I have never created a COM object before. My problems are;

1. What IDE do I use?
2. I would like to use C#/J++
3. How do I register the COM so that TI Plus and OpenText DM can interface in a window environment?
4. Have anyone do similar project before?

1. You can use any IDE you want. I use Visual Studio and Eclipse depending on what I need to develop for ( Visual Studio can be used for all .NET Languages ( Python, Ruby, Perl) etc and Eclipse can be used for most all Java related coding ( Java)
2. I would not use J++ considering it is already been dropped by MS. C#, VB.NET, C++, Or even Java would do the trick
3. You need to read up on COM + to understand what they really are. If you read the article at the link I showed you, you would find the information you need
4. I have developed some COM/COM+ applications myself, so If you like, we can work on figuring this out together as I am in the mood to brush up my COM+ skills and discover the new tools out there now.

I have created an OCX file called DOCSERVERSHELL.DocServerShellCtrl and have registered it with regsvr32 \\192.168.1.7\DMInterface\release\DocServerShell.ocx

The signature of the file is give below


// DocServerShellCtl.cpp : Implementation of the CDocServerShellCtrl ActiveX Control class.

#include "stdafx.h"
#include "DocServerShell.h"
#include "DocServerShellCtl.h"
#include "DocServerShellPpg.h"


#ifdef _DEBUG
#define new DEBUG_NEW
#undef THIS_FILE
static char THIS_FILE[] = __FILE__;
#endif


IMPLEMENT_DYNCREATE(CDocServerShellCtrl, COleControl)


/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Message map

BEGIN_MESSAGE_MAP(CDocServerShellCtrl, COleControl)
//{{AFX_MSG_MAP(CDocServerShellCtrl)
// NOTE - ClassWizard will add and remove message map entries
//    DO NOT EDIT what you see in these blocks of generated code !
//}}AFX_MSG_MAP
ON_OLEVERB(AFX_IDS_VERB_PROPERTIES, OnProperties)
END_MESSAGE_MAP()


/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Dispatch map

BEGIN_DISPATCH_MAP(CDocServerShellCtrl, COleControl)
//{{AFX_DISPATCH_MAP(CDocServerShellCtrl)
DISP_FUNCTION(CDocServerShellCtrl, "View", View, VT_BOOL, VTS_BSTR VTS_BSTR VTS_BSTR VTS_PBSTR)
DISP_FUNCTION(CDocServerShellCtrl, "AttachTo", AttachTo, VT_BOOL, VTS_BSTR VTS_BSTR VTS_BSTR VTS_BSTR VTS_PBSTR)
DISP_FUNCTION(CDocServerShellCtrl, "AttachComplete", AttachComplete, VT_BOOL, VTS_BSTR VTS_PBSTR VTS_PI4)
DISP_FUNCTION(CDocServerShellCtrl, "IsAvailable", IsAvailable, VT_BOOL, VTS_NONE)
DISP_FUNCTION(CDocServerShellCtrl, "EnhancedAttachTo", EnhancedAttachTo, VT_BOOL, VTS_BSTR VTS_BSTR VTS_BSTR VTS_BSTR VTS_BSTR VTS_PBSTR)
DISP_FUNCTION(CDocServerShellCtrl, "AttachTimeout", AttachTimeout, VT_BOOL, VTS_BSTR)
DISP_FUNCTION(CDocServerShellCtrl, "Scan", Scan, VT_BOOL, VTS_BSTR VTS_BSTR VTS_BSTR VTS_BSTR VTS_PBSTR)
DISP_FUNCTION(CDocServerShellCtrl, "ScanComplete", ScanComplete, VT_BOOL, VTS_BSTR VTS_PBSTR VTS_PI4)
DISP_FUNCTION(CDocServerShellCtrl, "ScanTimeout", ScanTimeout, VT_BOOL, VTS_BSTR)
DISP_FUNCTION(CDocServerShellCtrl, "Print", Print, VT_BOOL, VTS_BSTR VTS_BSTR VTS_BSTR VTS_PBSTR)
DISP_FUNCTION(CDocServerShellCtrl, "Delete", Delete, VT_BOOL, VTS_BSTR)
DISP_FUNCTION(CDocServerShellCtrl, "Detach", Detach, VT_BOOL, VTS_BSTR)
DISP_FUNCTION(CDocServerShellCtrl, "SetName", SetName, VT_BOOL, VTS_BSTR VTS_BSTR)
DISP_FUNCTION(CDocServerShellCtrl, "SetDescription", SetDescription, VT_BOOL, VTS_BSTR VTS_BSTR)
DISP_FUNCTION(CDocServerShellCtrl, "GetName", GetName, VT_BOOL, VTS_BSTR VTS_PBSTR)
DISP_FUNCTION(CDocServerShellCtrl, "GetDescription", GetDescription, VT_BOOL, VTS_BSTR VTS_PBSTR)
//}}AFX_DISPATCH_MAP
DISP_FUNCTION_ID(CDocServerShellCtrl, "AboutBox", DISPID_ABOUTBOX, AboutBox, VT_EMPTY, VTS_NONE)
END_DISPATCH_MAP()


/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Event map

BEGIN_EVENT_MAP(CDocServerShellCtrl, COleControl)
//{{AFX_EVENT_MAP(CDocServerShellCtrl)
// NOTE - ClassWizard will add and remove event map entries
//    DO NOT EDIT what you see in these blocks of generated code !
//}}AFX_EVENT_MAP
END_EVENT_MAP()


/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Property pages

// TODO: Add more property pages as needed.  Remember to increase the count!
BEGIN_PROPPAGEIDS(CDocServerShellCtrl, 1)
PROPPAGEID(CDocServerShellPropPage::guid)
END_PROPPAGEIDS(CDocServerShellCtrl)


/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Initialize class factory and guid

IMPLEMENT_OLECREATE_EX(CDocServerShellCtrl, "DOCSERVERSHELL.DocServerShellCtrl",
0xa0d0e503, 0xa210, 0x4ea7, 0x88, 0xf1, 0xfd, 0x86, 0x53, 0xe1, 0xef, 0x6d)

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Type library ID and version

IMPLEMENT_OLETYPELIB(CDocServerShellCtrl, _tlid, _wVerMajor, _wVerMinor)


/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Interface IDs

const IID BASED_CODE IID_DDocServerShell =
{ 0xa3b41962, 0x8687, 0x4805, { 0x90, 0xff, 0x7c, 0xd8, 0x2b, 0xe9, 0x8, 0xa3 } };
const IID BASED_CODE IID_DDocServerShellEvents =
{ 0x3a99f6e1, 0xef93, 0x4221, { 0x91, 0xca, 0x57, 0xe5, 0x1a, 0xea, 0xf7, 0xf3 } };


/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Control type information

static const DWORD BASED_CODE _dwDocServerShellOleMisc =
OLEMISC_INVISIBLEATRUNTIME |
OLEMISC_SETCLIENTSITEFIRST |
OLEMISC_INSIDEOUT |
OLEMISC_CANTLINKINSIDE |
OLEMISC_RECOMPOSEONRESIZE;

IMPLEMENT_OLECTLTYPE(CDocServerShellCtrl, IDS_DOCSERVERSHELL, _dwDocServerShellOleMisc)


/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// CDocServerShellCtrl::CDocServerShellCtrlFactory::UpdateRegistry -
// Adds or removes system registry entries for CDocServerShellCtrl

BOOL CDocServerShellCtrl::CDocServerShellCtrlFactory::UpdateRegistry(BOOL bRegister)
{
// TODO: Verify that your control follows apartment-model threading rules.
// Refer to MFC TechNote 64 for more information.
// If your control does not conform to the apartment-model rules, then
// you must modify the code below, changing the 6th parameter from
// afxRegApartmentThreading to 0.

if (bRegister)
return AfxOleRegisterControlClass(
AfxGetInstanceHandle(),
m_clsid,
m_lpszProgID,
IDS_DOCSERVERSHELL,
IDB_DOCSERVERSHELL,
afxRegApartmentThreading,
_dwDocServerShellOleMisc,
_tlid,
_wVerMajor,
_wVerMinor);
else
return AfxOleUnregisterClass(m_clsid, m_lpszProgID);
}


/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// CDocServerShellCtrl::CDocServerShellCtrl - Constructor

CDocServerShellCtrl::CDocServerShellCtrl()
{
InitializeIIDs(&IID_DDocServerShell, &IID_DDocServerShellEvents);

// TODO: Initialize your control's instance data here.
}


/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// CDocServerShellCtrl::~CDocServerShellCtrl - Destructor

CDocServerShellCtrl::~CDocServerShellCtrl()
{
// TODO: Cleanup your control's instance data here.
}


/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// CDocServerShellCtrl::OnDraw - Drawing function

void CDocServerShellCtrl::OnDraw(
CDC* pdc, const CRect& rcBounds, const CRect& rcInvalid)
{
// TODO: Replace the following code with your own drawing code.
pdc->FillRect(rcBounds, CBrush::FromHandle((HBRUSH)GetStockObject(WHITE_BRUSH)));
pdc->Ellipse(rcBounds);
}


/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// CDocServerShellCtrl::DoPropExchange - Persistence support

void CDocServerShellCtrl::DoPropExchange(CPropExchange* pPX)
{
ExchangeVersion(pPX, MAKELONG(_wVerMinor, _wVerMajor));
COleControl::DoPropExchange(pPX);

// TODO: Call PX_ functions for each persistent custom property.

}


/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// CDocServerShellCtrl::OnResetState - Reset control to default state

void CDocServerShellCtrl::OnResetState()
{
COleControl::OnResetState();  // Resets defaults found in DoPropExchange

// TODO: Reset any other control state here.
}


/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// CDocServerShellCtrl::AboutBox - Display an "About" box to the user

void CDocServerShellCtrl::AboutBox()
{
CDialog dlgAbout(IDD_ABOUTBOX_DOCSERVERSHELL);
dlgAbout.DoModal();
}

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// CSayAsWordsITCtrl::GetControlFlags -
// Flags to customize MFC's implementation of ActiveX controls.
//
// For information on using these flags, please see MFC technical note
// #nnn, "Optimizing an ActiveX Control".
DWORD CDocServerShellCtrl::GetControlFlags()
{
DWORD dwFlags = COleControl::GetControlFlags();


// The control can activate without creating a window.
// TODO: when writing the control's message handlers, avoid using
// the m_hWnd member variable without first checking that its
// value is non-NULL.
dwFlags |= windowlessActivate;
return dwFlags;
}



/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// CDocServerShellCtrl message handlers

BOOL CDocServerShellCtrl::View(LPCTSTR docId, LPCTSTR windowTitle, LPCTSTR MisysSessionId, BSTR FAR* imageServerWebpageUrl)
{
//*imageServerWebpageUrl = ::SysAllocString(L"http://imageServer_View_url");
//pobject = _Server.CreateObject("PCDClient.PCDDocObject";
/*
PCDGetDoc objGetDoc = wew PCDGetDoc();
objGetDoc.SetDST strDST
objGetDoc.AddSearchCrriteria "TARGET_LIBRARY", strLib
objGetDoc.AddSearchCriteria "DOCUMENT_NUMBER", strDocNum
objGetDoc.AddSearchCriteria "VERSION_ID", strVersionID

objGetDoc.Excute
if objGetDoc.ErrNumber <> 0 Then= objGet
'Error occured
End if

Dim lngRowCount As Long
Dim strFileName As String

lngRowCount = objGetDoc.GetRowFound
if objGetDoc.ErrNumber <> 0
'Error occured
End if
if lngRowCount <> 1 Then
'Possible Error. Only 1 file expect.
Else
objGetDoc.SetRow(1)
strFilename = objGetDoc.GetPropertyValue(PATH)
MsgBox "The name of the document is: " strFilename
EndIf
*/
return TRUE;
}

BOOL CDocServerShellCtrl::AttachTo(LPCTSTR name, LPCTSTR description, LPCTSTR windowTitle, LPCTSTR MisysSessionId, BSTR FAR* imageServerWebpageUrl)
{
*imageServerWebpageUrl = ::SysAllocString(L"http://imageServer_AttachTo_url");

return TRUE;
}


BOOL CDocServerShellCtrl::AttachComplete(LPCTSTR MisysSessionId, BSTR FAR* docId, long FAR* attachStatus)
{
enum AttachStatus
{
  NotComplete = 0,
  Complete = 1,
  Error = 2,
};

*attachStatus = Complete;
    *docId = ::SysAllocString(L"returned_attached_docid_1234";
return TRUE;
}

BOOL CDocServerShellCtrl::IsAvailable()
{
return TRUE;
}

BOOL CDocServerShellCtrl::EnhancedAttachTo(LPCTSTR name, LPCTSTR description, LPCTSTR windowTitle, LPCTSTR MisysSessionId, LPCTSTR xmlSearchCriteria, BSTR FAR* imageServerWebpageUrl)
{
*imageServerWebpageUrl = ::SysAllocString(L"http://imageServer_EnhancedAttachTo_url");
return TRUE;
}


BOOL CDocServerShellCtrl::AttachTimeout(LPCTSTR MisysSessionId)
{
return TRUE;
}

BOOL CDocServerShellCtrl::Scan(LPCTSTR name, LPCTSTR description, LPCTSTR windowTitle, LPCTSTR MisysSessionId, BSTR FAR* imageServerWebpageUrl)
{
*imageServerWebpageUrl = ::SysAllocString(L"http://localhost.com");
return TRUE;
}

BOOL CDocServerShellCtrl::ScanComplete(LPCTSTR MisysSessoinId, BSTR FAR* docId, long FAR* scanStatus)
{
enum ScanStatus
{
  NotComplete = 0,
  Complete = 1,
  Error = 2,
};

*scanStatus = Complete;
    *docId = ::SysAllocString(L"returned_scanned_docid_1234";
return TRUE;
}

BOOL CDocServerShellCtrl::ScanTimeout(LPCTSTR MisysSessionId)
{
return TRUE;
}

BOOL CDocServerShellCtrl::Print(LPCTSTR docId, LPCTSTR windowTitle, LPCTSTR MisysSessionId, BSTR FAR* imageServerWebpageUrl)
{
*imageServerWebpageUrl = ::SysAllocString(L"http://localhost");
return TRUE;
}

BOOL CDocServerShellCtrl::Delete(LPCTSTR docId)
{
PCDDocObject.Delete();
return TRUE;
}

BOOL CDocServerShellCtrl::Detach(LPCTSTR docId)
{
return TRUE;
}

BOOL CDocServerShellCtrl::SetName(LPCTSTR docId, LPCTSTR name)
{
return TRUE;
}

BOOL CDocServerShellCtrl::SetDescription(LPCTSTR docId, LPCTSTR description)
{
return TRUE;
}

BOOL CDocServerShellCtrl::GetName(LPCTSTR docId, BSTR FAR* name)
{
*name = ::SysAllocString(L"name value for document";
return TRUE;
}

BOOL CDocServerShellCtrl::GetDescription(LPCTSTR docId, BSTR FAR* description)
{
*description = ::SysAllocString(L"description value for document";
return TRUE;
}


Now I need to implement the signature code using C++. I don't mind the VB on the View signature. Any similar solution out there?