How to use AutoItX in .NET (C#) without registering

Question

How do I use AutoitX (OCX/ActiveX library) in a .NET C# application without registering it? I would like to create an application with it without need to use administrator rights for installation.

I found some pages on MSDN like, Registration-Free Activation of COM Components: A Walkthrough about creating manifest files for DLL files. I tried it and did not succeed. So maybe it is possible and I created it wrongly. Unfortunately I lost the XML files so I can't post it here.

I also tried setting isolated and enable interop types in reference properties without success.

Is it possible to get AutoItX working in C# without need for registering? If so, how do I do it? I think it should be possible to use as a DLL and not an OCX, but I don't know how exactly to do it in C#.

Currently, I use it like:

AutoItX3Lib.AutoItX3 autoit = new AutoItX3Lib.AutoItX3();
autoit.AutoItSetOption("WinTitleMatchMode", 2);

etc. So if I would go for direct DLL calls, how would I do it then?

Jos van Egmond · Accepted Answer · 2011-08-17 11:49:27Z

8

In your C# project from Visual Studio, just go to Reference -> Add Reference -> Browse to your AutoIt dll and you're done. There's no need to register it seperately. But using this method you have to register.

A better way is to use the DLL directly, with [DllImport] statements. Here is a sample class that you can use: http://www.autoitscript.com/forum/topic/72905-c-use-of-the-dll-some-idears-for-you/

It defines functions like this:

[DllImport("AutoItX3.dll", SetLastError = true, CharSet = CharSet.Auto)]
static public extern int AU3_MouseUp([MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPStr)] string Button);

edited Aug 17, 2011 at 11:49

answered Jul 25, 2011 at 14:05

Jos van Egmond

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1 Comment

Derek W Over a year ago

Specifically if you are using AutoIt 3.3, then you want the class in this post - autoitscript.com/forum/topic/…

Dzmitry Lahoda · Accepted Answer · 2013-11-21 15:48:13Z

Via PInvoke

        var assemblies = new NRegFreeCom.AssemblySystem();
        var module = assemblies.LoadFrom(Path.Combine(Environment.CurrentDirectory, "AutoItX3.dll"));
        var createdDirectly = NRegFreeCom.ActivationContext.CreateInstanceDirectly(module, clsid) as IAutoItX3;
        createdDirectly.Run("Notepad");

Via manifests

AutoItX3.dll.manifest:


<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" standalone="yes"?>
<assembly manifestVersion="1.0" xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1">
    <assemblyIdentity type="win32" name="AutoItX3.dll" version="3.3.8.1" />
    <file name = "AutoItX3.dll">
       <comClass
           clsid="{1A671297-FA74-4422-80FA-6C5D8CE4DE04}"
           threadingModel = "Free" />
        <typelib tlbid="{F8937E53-D444-4E71-9725-35B64210CC3B}"
              version="1.0" helpdir=""/>
   </file>
  <comInterfaceExternalProxyStub
      name="IAutoItX3"
      iid="{3D54C6B8-D283-40E0-8FAB-C97F05947EE8}"
    proxyStubClsid32="{00020424-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"
    baseInterface="{00000000-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"
      tlbid = "{F8937E53-D444-4E71-9275-35B64210CC3B}" />
</assembly>

AutoItX3Dependency.manifest:


<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<asmv1:assembly manifestVersion="1.0" xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1" xmlns:asmv1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1" xmlns:asmv2="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v2" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
    <dependency>
      <dependentAssembly  asmv2:codebase="AutoItX3.dll.manifest">
        <assemblyIdentity name="AutoItX3.dll" version="3.3.8.1" type="win32" />
      </dependentAssembly>
    </dependency>
</asmv1:assembly>

Program.cs Main:


            var createdViaManifest = NRegFreeCom.ActivationContext.CreateInstanceWithManifest(new Guid("{1A671297-FA74-4422-80FA-6C5D8CE4DE04}"), "AutoItX3Dependency.manifest");
            var autoItWithManifest = (IAutoItX3)createdViaManifest;
            autoItWithManifest.Run("Notepad");

Code uses tool for reg free in C# (https://github.com/asd-and-Rizzo/NRegFreeCom). Code snipped from (https://github.com/asd-and-Rizzo/pyautoit)

user4157124 · Accepted Answer · 2017-11-14 15:49:17Z

Copy and paste the AutoItX3.dll file to /bin/Debug or /bin/Release folder. Or for Post-build event set the following command line:

copy /Y "$(SolutionDir)\packages\AutoItX.3.3.12.0\AutoItX3.dll" "$(ProjectDir)\bin\Debug"

copy /Y "$(SolutionDir)\packages\AutoItX.3.3.12.0\AutoItX3.dll" "$(ProjectDir)\bin\Release"

An example to upload a file through Windows system window using Firefox as browser. I use AutoItX v3.3.12.0.

    /// <summary>
    /// Method which allows you to upload a file through windows system window using firefox as browser
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="file">path file</param>
    /// <param name="winTitle">Window title</param>
    /// <param name="idEditBox">Text box identifier (es. [CLASS:Edit; INSTANCE:1])</param>
    /// <param name="idBtnLoad">Open button identifier (es. [CLASS:Button; INSTANCE:1])</param>
    /// <returns>void</returns>
    /// <author>Michele Delle Donne</author

    public static void UploadFileByWindowsFireFoxDialog(string file, string winTitle, string idEditBox, string idBtnLoad)
    {

        AutoItX.Init();

        AutoItX.WinWait(winTitle);
        AutoItX.WinActivate(winTitle);

        AutoItX.ControlSetText(winTitle, "", idEditBox, file);
        AutoItX.ControlClick(winTitle, "", idBtnLoad);            
    }

Catur Nugroho · Accepted Answer · 2013-04-13 12:05:44Z

-1

It's very easy. You just need add library from your project. Click right your reference project - Add reference - Browse - Go to location AutoitX3Lib.dll (C:\Program files\AutoitX3\AutoitX\AutoitX3.dll)

AutoItX3Lib.AutoItX3 autoit = new AutoItX3Lib.AutoItX3();

For more details visit here

answered Apr 13, 2013 at 12:05

Catur Nugroho

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1 Comment

Derek W Over a year ago

But this approach requires AutoItX to be registered on the computer that you are deploying the software on. It does nothing in the way of solving the registration issue.

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