Calling .NET assembly from Java: JVM crashes

Question

I have a third party .NET Assembly and a large Java application. I need to call mothods provided by the .NET class library from the Java application. The assembly is not COM-enabled. I have searched the net and so far i have the following:

C# code (cslib.cs):

using System;

namespace CSLib
{
    public class CSClass
    {
        public static void SayHi()
        {
            System.Console.WriteLine("Hi");
        }
    }
}

compiled with (using .net 3.5, but the same happens when 2.0 is used):

csc /target:library cslib.cs

C++ code (clib.cpp):

#include <jni.h>
#using <CSLib.dll>

using namespace CSLib;

extern "C" _declspec(dllexport) void Java_CallCS_callCS(JNIEnv* env, jclass cls) {
    CSLib::CSClass::SayHi();
}

compiled with (using VC 2008 tools, but the same happens when 2003 tools are used):

cl /clr /LD clib.cpp
mt -manifest clib.dll.manifest -outputresource:clib.dll;2

Java code (CallCS.java):

class CallCS {
    static {
       System.loadLibrary("clib");
    }
    private static native void callCS();
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        callCS();
    }
}

When I try to run the java class, the Java VM crashes while invoking the method (it is able to load the library):

#
# An unexpected error has been detected by Java Runtime Environment:
#
#  Internal Error (0xe0434f4d), pid=3144, tid=3484
#
# Java VM: Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (10.0-b19 mixed mode, sharing windows-x86)
# Problematic frame:
# C  [kernel32.dll+0x22366]
#
...
Java frames: (J=compiled Java code, j=interpreted, Vv=VM code)
j  CallCS.callCS()V+0
j  CallCS.main([Ljava/lang/String;)V+0
v  ~StubRoutines::call_stub

However, if I create a plain cpp application that loads clib.dll and calls the exported function Java_CallCS_callCS, everything is OK. I have tried this on both x86 and x64 environments and the result is the same. I have not tried other versions of Java, but I need the code to run on 1.5.0.

Moreover, if I modify clib.cpp to call only System methods everything works fine even from Java:

#include <jni.h>
#using <mscorlib.dll>

using namespace System;

extern "C" _declspec(dllexport) void Java_CallCS_callCS(JNIEnv* env, jclass cls) {
    System::Console::WriteLine("It works");
}

To wrap up:

1. I am ABLE to call System methods from Java -> clib.dll -> mscorlib.dll
2. I am ABLE to call any methods from CPPApp -> clib.dll -> cslib.dll
3. I am UNABLE to call any methods from Java -> clib.dll -> cslib.dll

I am aware of a workaround that uses 1. above - I can use reflection to load the assmebly and invoke desired methods using only System calls, but the code gets messy and I am hoping for a better solution.

I know about dotnetfromjava project, which uses the reflection method, but prefer not to add more complexity than needed. I'll use something like this if there is no other way, however.

I have looked at ikvm.net also, but my understanding is that it uses its own JVM (written in C#) to do the magic. However, running the entire Java application under its VM is no option for me.

Thanks.

Answer 1

OK, the mystery is solved.

The JVM crash is caused by unhandled System.IO.FileNotFoundException. The exception is thrown because the .NET assembly is searched in the folder where the calling exe file resides.

1. The mscorlib.dll is in the Global Assembly Cache, so it works.
2. The CPP application exe is in the same folder as the assembly, so it works also.
3. The cslib.dll assembly is NEITHER in the folder of java.exe, NOR in the GAC, so it doesn't work.

It seems my only option is to install the .NET assembly in GAC (the third-party dll does have a strong name).