[Solved] How to get the list of functions in a dll -Unit testing

[Sam]

Hi I am working on a plugin example and trying to open a .dll file. The .dll file contains some methods, I need to display these methods/functions as nodes in a treeView. So how can i get the list of methods/function from a .dll file.

[giesbert]

That depends on the platform and compiler you are using.
As you are talking of dlls, I assume you are on windows.

Which compiler do you use?
Do you look for C-exported methods?
You have to read the dll export table and show that, but there is no Qt way for that.

[MuldeR]

On the Windows platform Dependency Walker is your friend:
http://www.dependencywalker.com/

But why do you need to list the exports of your plug-in DLL in your program at all?

Wouldn't it be much easier (and more robust/portable) to make something like a "myApp_initPlugin" function with a fixed name that each plug-in DLL is required to export?

That function, which is known beforehand, would then be called by the application to "load" the individual plug-in. It would "register" the plug-in to the application, announcing what functions the plug-in does provide...

(All plug-in API's I am aware of, including Qt's own Plug-in system, work in that way)

[Sam]

Hi,

Thanks for your time and suggestions :)

@Gerolf
I am working on windows platform and using MSVC 2010 compiler.

@MuldeR
I have a requirement where i need to test my libraries, so I am developing an application like "NUnit":http://www.google.ae/imgres?q=nUnit&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1486&bih=753&tbm=isch&tbnid=TIXxxfMFrlbhEM:&imgrefurl=http://www.dotnetjohn.com/articles.aspx?articleid=146&docid=4U1gLAxG0dFd9M&imgurl=http://www.dotnetjohn.com/Images/nunit2.JPG&w=756&h=512&ei=HCu7T4C7FcyWhQf04bH-CA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=1057&vpy=365&dur=304&hovh=185&hovw=273&tx=108&ty=63&sig=113437160135027356483&page=2&tbnh=121&tbnw=179&start=28&ndsp=35&ved=1t:429,r:12,s:28,i:156 interface (for unit testing) where i use some plugin logic to create my dlls of my test classes and through the application/GUI we can load the dll file that displays the test functions in a tableView/treeView.

So now i am trying the same architecture proposed by you where each class will register itself to an interface/class and from the application i should be able to load the classes and its test functions.

So i need some idea about how to implement this. I got some information "here":http://qtcreator.blogspot.com/2009/10/running-multiple-unit-tests.html where the test classes register's itself.

Thanks for you time :)

[MuldeR]

Make a class like this whose only instance will live in the "main" application:

@class CPluginRegistry
{
/* ... */

public:
registerPlugin(CPluginBaseClass *plugin);

protected:
QMap<QString, CPluginBaseClass*> m_plugins;
}

void CPluginRegistry::registerPlugin(CPluginBaseClass plugin)
{
QString pluginName = plugin->getName();
plugin->getPluginCapabilities(); / application-specific, be creative here !!! */
m_plugins.insert(pluginName, plugin);
}@

The function that each plug-in DLL is required to export could look like:

@//The plug-in class
class CSomeConcretePluginClass : public CPluginBaseClass
{
/* all plug-in specific code goes here! */
}

//Public plug-in API
extern "C"
{
__decsplec(dllexport) void initPluginDLL(CPluginRegistry *registry)
{
CPluginBaseClass *myPlugin = new CSomeConcretePluginClass();
registry -> registerPlugin(myPlugin);
}
}@

The Code in the main app would look like this:
@CPluginRegistry g_registry = NULL;
QList<QLibraray> *g_libraries = NULL;

typedef void (*PluginInitFunc)(CPluginRegistry *registry);

void loadAllPlugins(void)
{
if(!g_registry) g_registry = new CPluginRegistry();
if(!g_libraries) g_libraries = new QList<QLibraray*>;

for(/* each .dll file in the "plugins" directory */)
{
    PluginInitFunc funcPtr = NULL;
    QLibraray *currentPlugin = new QLibraray(path_to_dll);
    
    if(funcPtr = (PluginInitFunc) currentPlugin->resolve("initPluginDLL"))
    {
        funcPtr(g_registry); //Call plugin "init" function to let plugin register itself!
        g_libraries << currentPlugin; //remember pointer for later clean-up!
    }
    else
    {
        delete currentPlugin; //Something went wrong :-(
    }
}

}@

[Sam]

Hi MulderR,
Thanks for the code. I'll have to try it and check.

As of now i am trying to register the test classes as provided "here":http://qtcreator.blogspot.com/2009/10/running-multiple-unit-tests.html

I have an interface

@class PluginInterface
{
public:
virtual QList<QObject*> LiTestList();
};

Q_DECLARE_INTERFACE(PluginInterface,"com.testing.PluginInterface 0.0.1")@

and another class that subclasses this interface class

@namespace AutoTest
{

typedef QList<QObject*> TestList;

inline TestList& testList()
{
    static TestList list;
    return list;
}

inline bool findObject(QObject* object)
{
    TestList& list = testList();
    if (list.contains(object))
    {
        return true;
    }
    foreach (QObject* test, list)
    {
        if (test->objectName() == object->objectName())
        {
            return true;
        }
    }
    return false;
}


inline void addTest(QObject* object)
{
    TestList& list = testList();
    if (!findObject(object))
    {
        list.append(object);
    }
}

}

template <class T>

class Test : public PluginInterface
{
Q_INTERFACES(PluginInterface)
public:
QList<QObject*> LiTestList()
{
return AutoTest::testList();
}

QSharedPointer<T> child;
Test(const QString& name) : child(new T)
{
    child->setObjectName(name);
    AutoTest::addTest(child.data());
}

};

Q_EXPORT_PLUGIN2(UnitTestingPlugin,Test) <-- This gives error!!!!!!!

#define DECLARE_TEST(className) static Test<className> t(#className);@

I want to create a .dll file so i use Q_EXPORT_PLUGIN2 macro, but this gives me the following error

@Error:
c:\testing\unittestingplugin\AutoTest.h:70: error: C2955: 'Test' : use of class template requires template argument list

c:\testing\unittestingplugin\AutoTest.h:70: error: C2512: 'Test' : no appropriate default constructor available

c:\testing\unittestingplugin\AutoTest.h:70: error: C2955: 'Test' : use of class template requires template argument list@

Please suggest what changes should i make.

[Sam]

Finally I got my code working with a different approach. I created a wrapper class that subclasses my interface and all my testClasses register's to the AutoTest. Also the interface class provided the list of testClasses.

Thanks for your time :)