[Insight-users] ITK and managed c++ 2005 - The Solution

Mon Oct 2 08:57:56 EDT 2006

For those interested in the solution, I have eventually managed to
successfully compile and run C++ managed Windows Forms application with ITK
(without showing the console window and without errors popping out at the
runtime).

The trick is to place all ITK code in a separate C++ managed class library
and make your project dependent only on this library, not on the ITK.

Best, 
Tadeusz

________________________________

From: Dan Mueller [mailto:d.mueller at qut.edu.au] 
Sent: Sunday, October 01, 2006 11:15 PM
To: Tadeusz Dracz
Cc: insight-users at itk.org
Subject: Re: [Insight-users] ITK and managed c++ 2005

Hi Tadeusz,

I am indeed using System.Windows.Forms; however not from a C++ application,
but a C# application. So I think there is definitely some hope!

Okay, let's work this out. I have tried the minimal example you sent me and
can confirm that it does produce the 'System.TypeInitializationException'
you were reporting. I think the issue is with the vcproj file. Are you using
CMake to configure your project? I *highly* recommend using it - in the long
run it will save you heaps of time! CMake can be downloaded from
http://www.cmake.org.

Using CMake allows for all the myriad of compilation and linking options to
be taken care of automatically (almost). Because we are using C++/CLI (ie.
Managed C++ 2005) we need to set some of the options by hand (if anyone out
there knowns how to set the below options actually using CMake I would love
to here from you!). Please find attached a CMake script for configuring your
minimal example. To build the example, follow these steps:

    1. Open CMake and set the source and build paths (usually not the same
place to keep things neat ie. 'out-of-source-build' )
    2. Configure the project, making sure the ITK_DIR is automatically found
(if not you will need to browse to it by hand)
    3. Open the generated solution file
    4. Right-click on the project file and select "Properties".
    5. Navigate to "Configuration Properties > General" and set "Common
Language Runtime support" to on (ie. /clr).
        I have found that just adding the /clr switch as an additional
compilation option using CMake does not work...anyone out there have any
ideas?
        Instead you must change the "ManagedExtensions" property value in
the vcproj file from "0" to "1".
    6. Navigate to "Configuration Properties > C/C++ > Code Generation" and
change "Enable C++ Exceptions" to "Yes With SEH Exceptions" (ie. /EHa)
        We need to do this because the /EHsc switch is not compatiable with
the /clr switch.
        Again I have found that just adding to /EHa switch with CMake does
not work. It seems that /EHsc is deeply entrenched in CMake - I managed to
trace it back to
        CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_INIT in
share/CMake/Modules/Platform/Windows-cl.cmake...but I can't work out how to
override it with /EHa.
    7. Compile the project!

I have added some more complexity to the minimal example just to make sure
everything is working okay. Using this approach I can instantiate the
ImageFileReader object with no problems.

FYI:  I use a little custom program to 'fix' the output of the CMake project
files. It's not an ideal solution, but it does allow me to use CMake to
manage the compilation and linkage options. I can forward it to you if you
are interested. Again, if anyone on the mailing list knows how to set these
options using native CMake, I'd like to hear from them!

Anyway, hope this helps!

Cheers

Dan

Tadeusz Dracz wrote: 

	Hi Dan, 

	Do you use managed windows forms C++ application? Because my C++
managed console applications run ok with ITK. If you do, there would be at
least some hope for me that it is possible.

	I have attached the simplest managed windows forms C++ application.
I have removed all additional files and code, to keep it down to minimum.
>From the standard settings I have changed from /clr:pure to /clr
(Configuration Properties->General->Common Language Runtime Support),
otherwise ITK would not link.

	Before, I have compiled ITK using standard settings
(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS is OFF).

	There is a workaround that will make it run. This requires changing:
	Linker->System->Subsystem: Not Set
	Linker->Advanced->Entry Point: Empty

	But this trick causes a console window to appear and this is
supposed to be a Windows Forms application. 
	This will look all right in the attached sample, because I have
removed the form creation code, but it does not look pretty in the real
application where both the console window and the form show up.

	Best, 
	Tadeusz 

________________________________

	From: Dan Mueller [mailto:d.mueller at qut.edu.au] 
	Sent: Saturday, September 30, 2006 11:14 PM
	To: tdracz at o2.pl
	Cc: insight-users at itk.org
	Subject: Re: [Insight-users] ITK and managed c++ 2005

	Hi Tadeusz,

	I have been using ITK with C++/CLI with no problems... I have
experienced some "access violation exceptions" similar to yours below - but
only when using a SmartPointer which has gone out of scope and deleted
itself.

	Can you provide some more information, or perhaps a minimal example
which fails?

	Cheers

	Dan

	tdracz at o2.pl wrote: 

		Hello,

		I have created a sample C++ managed windows forms
application that is
		supposed to use ITK.
		I have added all includes as in a normal unmanaged c++
project. It compiles
		without errors and warnings. 
		But when executed, it throws an exception just at the start.
Here is the
		contents of the Output window:

		First-chance exception at 0x7c96cc82 in App.exe: 0xC0000005:
Access
		violation reading location 0x0d7cebd9.
		First-chance exception at 0x781389db (msvcr80.dll) in
App.exe: 0xC0000005:
		Access violation writing location 0x0d7cebda.
		A first chance exception of type
'System.AccessViolationException' occurred
		in App.exe
		A first chance exception of type
		'<CrtImplementationDetails>.ModuleLoadException' occurred in
msvcm80.dll
		First-chance exception at 0x7c812a5b in App.exe: Microsoft
C++ exception:
		[rethrow] at memory location 0x00000000..
		An unhandled exception of type
'System.TypeInitializationException' occurred
		in Unknown Module.
		Additional information: The type initializer for '<Module>'
threw an
		exception.
		System.TypeInitializationException' occurred in Unknown
Module.

		The application contains just these lines that use ITK:

		#include "itkImageFileReader.h"
		typedef unsigned short PixelType;
		const unsigned int Dimension = 3;
		typedef itk::Image< PixelType, Dimension > ImageType;

		Is there anybody that could help in this matter?

		Regards, 
		Tadeusz

		_______________________________________________
		Insight-users mailing list
		Insight-users at itk.org
		http://www.itk.org/mailman/listinfo/insight-users

	________________________________

	using namespace System;
	#include "itkImageFileReader.h"

	[STAThreadAttribute]
	int main(array<System::String ^> ^args)
	{
		return 0;
	}