ComVisibleAttribute Class

Definition

Namespace:

System.Runtime.InteropServices

Assembly:

System.Runtime.dll

Source:

ComVisibleAttribute.cs

Controls accessibility of an individual managed type or member, or of all types within an assembly, to COM.

public ref class ComVisibleAttribute sealed : Attribute

[System.AttributeUsage(System.AttributeTargets.Assembly | System.AttributeTargets.Class | System.AttributeTargets.Delegate | System.AttributeTargets.Enum | System.AttributeTargets.Field | System.AttributeTargets.Interface | System.AttributeTargets.Method | System.AttributeTargets.Property | System.AttributeTargets.Struct, Inherited=false)]
public sealed class ComVisibleAttribute : Attribute

[<System.AttributeUsage(System.AttributeTargets.Assembly | System.AttributeTargets.Class | System.AttributeTargets.Delegate | System.AttributeTargets.Enum | System.AttributeTargets.Field | System.AttributeTargets.Interface | System.AttributeTargets.Method | System.AttributeTargets.Property | System.AttributeTargets.Struct, Inherited=false)>]
type ComVisibleAttribute = class
    inherit Attribute

Public NotInheritable Class ComVisibleAttribute
Inherits Attribute

Inheritance

Object

Attribute

ComVisibleAttribute

Attributes

AttributeUsageAttribute

Examples

The following example shows how you can control the visibility to COM of a class so that its members are invisible. By setting ComVisibleAttribute to false on MyClass(SampleClass in the Visual Basic example), and false on MyMethod and MyProperty, you can avoid inadvertently exposing the members to COM through inheritance.

using namespace System::Runtime::InteropServices;

[ComVisible(false)]
ref class MyClass
{
private:
   int myProperty;

public:
   MyClass()
   {
      
      //Insert code here.
   }


   [ComVisible(false)]
   int MyMethod( String^ param )
   {
      return 0;
   }

   bool MyOtherMethod()
   {
      return true;
   }


   property int MyProperty 
   {

      [ComVisible(false)]
      int get()
      {
         return myProperty;
      }

   }

};

using System.Runtime.InteropServices;

[ComVisible(false)]
class MyClass
{
   public MyClass()
   {
      //Insert code here.
   }

   [ComVisible(false)]
   public int MyMethod(string param)
   {
      return 0;
   }

   public bool MyOtherMethod()
   {
      return true;
   }

   [ComVisible(false)]
   public int MyProperty
   {
      get
      {
         return MyProperty;
      }
   }
}

Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices

<ComVisible(False)> _
Class SampleClass
    
    Public Sub New()
        'Insert code here.
    End Sub
    
    <ComVisible(False)> _
    Public Function MyMethod(param As String) As Integer
        Return 0
    End Function    
    
    Public Function MyOtherMethod() As Boolean
        Return True
    End Function
    
    <ComVisible(False)> _
    Public ReadOnly Property MyProperty() As Integer
        Get
            Return MyProperty
        End Get
    End Property
    
End Class

Remarks

You can apply this attribute to assemblies, interfaces, classes, structures, delegates, enumerations, fields, methods, event accessors, or properties.

The default is true, which indicates that the managed type is visible to COM. This attribute is not needed to make public managed assemblies and types visible; they are visible to COM by default. Only public types can be made visible. The attribute cannot be used to make an otherwise internal or protected type visible to COM or to make members of a nonvisible type visible.

Setting the attribute to false on the assembly hides all public types within the assembly. You can selectively make types within the assembly visible by setting the individual types to true. Setting the attribute to false on a specific type hides that type and its members. However, you cannot make members of a type visible if the type is invisible. Setting the attribute to false on a type prevents that type from being exported to a type library; classes are not registered; interfaces are never responsive to unmanaged QueryInterface calls.

Unless you explicitly set a class and its members to false, inherited classes can expose to COM base class members that are invisible in the original class. For example, if you set ClassA to false and do not apply the attribute to its members, the class and its members are invisible to COM. However, if you derive ClassB from ClassA and export ClassB to COM, ClassA members become visible base class members of ClassB.

For a detailed description of the export process, see Assembly to Type Library Conversion Summary.

Constructors

ComVisibleAttribute(Boolean)

Initializes a new instance of the ComVisibleAttribute class.

Properties

TypeId	When implemented in a derived class, gets a unique identifier for this Attribute. (Inherited from Attribute)
Value	Gets a value that indicates whether the COM type is visible.

Methods

Equals(Object)	Returns a value that indicates whether this instance is equal to a specified object. (Inherited from Attribute)
GetHashCode()	Returns the hash code for this instance. (Inherited from Attribute)
GetType()	Gets the Type of the current instance. (Inherited from Object)
IsDefaultAttribute()	When overridden in a derived class, indicates whether the value of this instance is the default value for the derived class. (Inherited from Attribute)
Match(Object)	When overridden in a derived class, returns a value that indicates whether this instance equals a specified object. (Inherited from Attribute)
MemberwiseClone()	Creates a shallow copy of the current Object. (Inherited from Object)
ToString()	Returns a string that represents the current object. (Inherited from Object)

See also

• Tlbexp.exe (Type Library Exporter)