I need to create a VB.NET application that takes the source code of a Windows Form Application and compiles it. I used this link as a reference.
Windows Form Application that I want to create
Public Class Form2
Private Sub Form2_Load(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
MsgBox("test")
End Sub
End Class
My VB.NET application that compiles the code
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Reflection
Imports System.CodeDom
Imports System.CodeDom.Compiler
Imports Microsoft.VisualBasic
Private Sub Button1_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
Dim codeProvider As New VBCodeProvider()
Dim icc As ICodeCompiler = codeProvider.CreateCompiler
Dim Output As String = "Out.exe"
Dim ButtonObject As Button = CType(sender, Button)
textBox2.Text = ""
Dim parameters As New CompilerParameters()
Dim results As CompilerResults
'Make sure we generate an EXE, not a DLL
parameters.GenerateExecutable = True
parameters.OutputAssembly = Output
results = icc.CompileAssemblyFromSource(parameters, textBox1.Text)
If results.Errors.Count > 0 Then
'There were compiler errors
textBox2.ForeColor = Color.Red
Dim CompErr As CompilerError
For Each CompErr In results.Errors
textBox2.Text = textBox2.Text &
"Line number " & CompErr.Line &
", Error Number: " & CompErr.ErrorNumber &
", '" & CompErr.ErrorText & ";" &
Environment.NewLine & Environment.NewLine
Next
Else
'Successful Compile
textBox2.ForeColor = Color.Blue
textBox2.Text = "Success!"
'If we clicked run then launch the EXE
If ButtonObject.Text = "Run" Then Process.Start(Output)
End If
End Sub
Textbox1.text
contains the first code i provided. When i run the program it gives me this errors
Line number 0, Error Number: BC30420, ''Sub Main' was not found in 'Out'.;
Line number 2, Error Number: BC30002, 'Type 'EventArgs' is not defined.;
Line number 3, Error Number: BC30451, ''MsgBox' is not declared. It may be inaccessible due to its protection level.;
Line number 3, Error Number: BC32017, 'Comma, ')', or a valid expression continuation expected.;
Well, you are missing a lot of things.
In the CompilerParameters
that you'll pass to your CodeDomProvider
you must specify the target exe-type, default is "/target:exe" which means Console Executable (then the compiler tries to find a Sub Main() for Entry Point), so you must specify "/target:winexe" for a WindowsForms project.
You also must specify the required Imports
in the source-code to compile... otherwise that will not be resolved, and the same for the required .NET assembly references for your source-code, you must specify all them in your CompilerParameters
.
And finally you should specify the name of the main class then you will be able to compile it.
I'll show a working example that you can adapt/replace for your current source-code:
Public Shared ReadOnly WinFormsTemplate As String =
<a>
Imports System
Imports System.Windows.Forms
Namespace MyNamespace
Public NotInheritable Class Form1 : Inherits Form
Public Sub New()
Me.StartPosition = FormStartPosition.CenterScreen
End Sub
Private Sub Form1_Shown(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs) _
Handles MyBase.Shown
MessageBox.Show("VisualBasic.NET WinForms Template.")
End Sub
End Class
End Namespace
</a>.Value
Private Sub CompileSourceCode()
Dim cProvider As CodeDomProvider = New VBCodeProvider
Dim cParams As New CompilerParameters
Dim cResult As CompilerResults
Dim sourceCode As String = WinFormsTemplate
With cParams
.GenerateInMemory = False
.GenerateExecutable = True
.OutputAssembly = Path.Combine(My.Application.Info.DirectoryPath, ".\test.exe")
.CompilerOptions = "/target:winexe"
.ReferencedAssemblies.AddRange({"System.dll", "System.Windows.Forms.dll", "Microsoft.VisualBasic.dll"})
.MainClass = "MyNamespace.Form1"
End With
cResult = cProvider.CompileAssemblyFromSource(cParams, sourceCode)
cProvider.Dispose()
End Sub