topic Re: Using the Esri Runtime in a Class Library in .NET Maps SDK Questions

Using the Esri Runtime in a Class Library

MichaelHamsa — Wed, 04 Dec 2019 15:54:15 GMT

Hello,

We have developed some .NET 4.7.2 Class Libraries and are using the Esri Runtime SDK in those class libraries. These class libraries get compiled into DLLs and those DLLs are used in other client applications. When the code in these class libraries attempts to open a mobile map package (MobileMapPackage.OpenAsync), it seems like something is happening in the Runtime, like an unhandled exception of some sort, and the mobile map packages do not load. We've wrapped the call in a try/catch but no exceptions are thrown. If I try to add another call before MobileMapPackage.OpenAsync, like MobileMapPackage.IsDirectReadSupportedAsync, we do get an exception - Unable to load runtimecore.dll - even though all of the ArcGISRuntime folders, assemblies and dependencies are in the correct location under the bin folder.

I'm really at a loss right now. I've tried the things I know and I'm not having any luck.

I've attached a simple Visual Studio 2019 solution that you can use to reproduce the problem. You may need to "Restore NuGet Packages", once you open the solution. Also, The file name for the mobile map package is hard-coded, so you will need to change that code before you run the app Otherwise, it should be all ready to go. You can step through the code and notice that once you get the MobileMapPackage OpenAsync or IsDirectReadSupportedAsync you will start running into problems.

Thanks,

Mike Hamsa

Re: Using the Esri Runtime in a Class Library

MichaelBranscomb — Wed, 04 Dec 2019 20:42:56 GMT

HI,

Thanks for attaching the repro. Have you already tried setting the ArcGISRuntimeEnvironment.InstallPath Property ?

Cheers

Mike

Re: Using the Esri Runtime in a Class Library

dotMorten_esri — Wed, 04 Dec 2019 21:36:43 GMT

Also calling ArcGISRuntimeEnvironment.Initialize() at app startup should give you a much better error.
When deploying the plugin make sure the native resources (ie the ArcGISRuntime100.x folder) is located next to the executable (ie not next to the Esri.ArcGISRuntime.dll assembly). Otherwise use the InstallPath Mike is proposing.

Re: Using the Esri Runtime in a Class Library

dotMorten_esri — Wed, 04 Dec 2019 21:44:33 GMT

...here's the error I get if I call Initialize() in your reproducer:

Error initializing ArcGISRuntimeEnvironment. Unable to find ArcGISRuntime deployment folder. Ensure there is a folder named "arcgisruntime100.6" in the same folder as your application executable, or set ArcGISRuntimeEnvironment.InstallPath to reference an alternative location. The deployment folder must contain sub-folders matching the process architecture of your application.

Then I realize it's not even deploying the native files. The quick fix is to migrate away from Packages.config:

Once you do that, your app should run just fine.

Re: Using the Esri Runtime in a Class Library

MichaelHamsa — Wed, 04 Dec 2019 21:51:46 GMT

Morten,

Yeah, just noticed that here as well. That’s a problem with the Post Build Event on the class library project in that Solution and it isn’t copying all of the runtime folders to the correct output directory. You can probably copy those folders over manually just to get that solution running and reproduce the runtime problem. Or I can upload a new solution with that Post Build Event fixed.

However, I just fixed the post build event here and tried to set the InstallPath AND call Initialize before doing anything else and I’m still having very similar problems.

Mike Hamsa

Chief Technology Officer - GeoSpatial Innovations, Inc.

P: 512-982-6735

Re: Using the Esri Runtime in a Class Library

MichaelHamsa — Wed, 04 Dec 2019 22:03:10 GMT

Morten,

I just wanted to follow up and make sure you understood that I’m still seeing the problem even if I set the InstallPath and call Initialize in that sample application – even with the native files deployed to the correct location.

Mike Hamsa

Chief Technology Officer - GeoSpatial Innovations, Inc.

P: 512-982-6735

Re: Using the Esri Runtime in a Class Library

MichaelHamsa — Wed, 04 Dec 2019 23:01:10 GMT

Morten,

Also, it looks like migrating away from Packages.config, as you suggested, did not resolve the problem.

Re: Using the Esri Runtime in a Class Library

MichaelHamsa — Thu, 05 Dec 2019 15:03:02 GMT

Morten,

Here's the debug output - you can see that RuntimeCoreNet.dll and runtimecore.dll are both getting loaded, however execution still stops unexpectable when the call to MobileMapPackage.OpenAsync is made from the class library - as if something is going on the ArcGIS Runtime that isn't expected.

I hope you will take another look at it and see if you can figure out what's going on.

Re: Using the Esri Runtime in a Class Library

dotMorten_esri — Thu, 05 Dec 2019 17:47:22 GMT

If initialize succeeds and you see the assemblies load, that isn't the issue any longer. What exception is .NET throwing in this case?
Also does it work if you do a "normal" .NET application and execute the same code?

Re: Using the Esri Runtime in a Class Library

MichaelHamsa — Thu, 05 Dec 2019 20:57:14 GMT

Morten,

That’s kind of the issue – it really doesn’t throw an exception. I’ve got the call to MobileMapPackage.OpenAsync wrapped in a try/catch but when you step over that line with the debugger, execution jumps completely out of the method. It’s a very strange issue; that’s why I wanted to try to put that little app together so you can try it for yourself.

As for your other question, yes it does work in a more conventional setting. I have a WFP app that makes the same the call to MobileMapPackage.OpenAsync and it is successful. In that WPF app I’ve even referenced the same class library and when I make the call to MobileMapPackage.OpenAsync in the WFP app it works, then on the next line I call into the OpenMap function in that class library, which call also MobileMapPackage.OpenAsync, and it fails the same way.

I really think it you ran the app I attached and stepped though the code you’d get a better idea about what’s going on.

Mike Hamsa

Chief Technology Officer - GeoSpatial Innovations, Inc.

P: 512-982-6735

Re: Using the Esri Runtime in a Class Library

dotMorten_esri — Thu, 05 Dec 2019 21:01:04 GMT

> I really think it you ran the app I attached and stepped though the code you’d get a better idea about what’s going on.

I did and identified why the load operation wasn't working (assemblies not loaded). Now that we addressed that, I can't step further because I fail (correctly) on missing the MMPK, but since that was expected behavior when I don't have that file, I can only assume something else is going on with the file itself.

Make sure you enable mixed debugging (both native and managed), and monitor the output window for any hints as well.

Re: Using the Esri Runtime in a Class Library

MichaelHamsa — Thu, 05 Dec 2019 21:06:14 GMT

Morten,

Thanks for the response. You can basically use any mmpk; just change the path and file name in that code. I really just kind of quickly put that app together so we could use it to reproduce this problem.

I’ve got most of the debugging options enabled right now, and I’ve set Visual Studio to stop at just about any kind of first chance exception that’s thrown (including javascript exceptions). I’ve not sure there are many other debugger options I can use on my end.

Mike Hamsa

Chief Technology Officer - GeoSpatial Innovations, Inc.

P: 512-982-6735

Re: Using the Esri Runtime in a Class Library

MichaelHamsa — Fri, 06 Dec 2019 14:13:01 GMT

Morten,

Just looking through your last response again, and I wanted to add that the mmpk seems to be OK - we can open it using MobileMapPackage.OpenAsync in other places. There just seems to be something interesting occurring when we attempt to open an mmpk through a class library. Again, you can really just plug in the name of any mmpk you have and I'd expect that you would see the same problem as you step over the call to MobileMapPackage.OpenAsync. If it works for you then I can dig in a little farther on my side.

Just wanted to add those details.

Thanks again,

Mike Hamsa

Re: Using the Esri Runtime in a Class Library

dotMorten_esri — Fri, 06 Dec 2019 16:46:44 GMT

D'oh! Can't believe I didn't spot this. You're calling async code from C++, and that doesn't go well.

Try chancing the async calls to use .Result instead to make them synchronous:

bool b = MobileMapPackage.IsDirectReadSupportedAsync(m_PackageFileName).Result;

Then you hit the catch code and you can see a proper error message.

HOWEVER don't use .Result (or .Wait()) in production as it can create lots of dead-locks if your app is multi-threaded. You should probably switch do some sort of callback/eventing model instead.

Re: Using the Esri Runtime in a Class Library

MichaelHamsa — Fri, 06 Dec 2019 21:40:31 GMT

Morten,

Well, that was certainly the problem. Thank you very much for taking a closer look at it.

Everything is working perfectly now!

Thanks again,

Mike Hamsa

Chief Technology Officer - GeoSpatial Innovations, Inc.

P: 512-982-6735