Bridging the Gap Between Unmanaged C Clients and WCF Services

Unmanaged Windows C clients can seamlessly communicate with WCF services by utilizing a bridge DLL written in managed C . Here's a comprehensive guide to establish this connection:

1. Create Endpoint Interface and Class:

• Define a C# interface (IHelloService) and its corresponding implementation class (HelloService) for the WCF service.

2. Create Windows NT Service:

• Create a Windows NT service to host the WCF service.

3. Build Managed C Bridge DLL:

• Create a new managed C DLL project named "HelloServiceClientBridge".

4. Include Header Files:

• Include necessary header files in the "HelloServiceClientBridge" project (e.g., IHelloServiceClientBridge.h, vcclr.h).

5. Declare Bridge Interface:

• Define the bridge interface (IHelloServiceClientBridge) with a "SayHello" method in the "IHelloServiceClientBridge.h" header file.

6. Implement Bridge Class:

• Define the bridge class (HelloServiceClientBridge) in the "HelloServiceClientBridge.h" header file that inherits from the IHelloServiceClientBridge interface.

7. Implement SayHello Method:

• Implement the "SayHello" method in the "HelloServiceClientBridge.cpp" source file using managed C syntax.

8. Create MFC Application:

• Create an MFC application that interacts with the WCF service.

9. Add Managed C Bridge DLL to MFC Project:

• Add the "HelloServiceClientBridge" DLL to the MFC project's dependencies.

10. Add Service Reference:

• In the MFC application, add a service reference to the WCF Hello Service in a HelloServiceClient C# class library project.

11. Invoke WCF Service Call:

• In the MFC application, invoke the "SayHello" method on the managed C bridge to access the WCF Hello Service remotely.

This step-by-step approach allows unmanaged Windows C clients to use managed WCF services seamlessly.