Work with .NET DLL exceptions in GoLang app

This article provides an introduction to cross-technology handling of exceptions. Exceptions in programming are events that occur during the execution of programs that disrupt the normal flow of instructions.

Any exception thrown by called technology is handled and thrown as any other exception in GoLang code. Details of exception depend on called technology, but in most cases final exception has all the information passed by called side.

Javonet allows you to reference and use modules or packages written in (Java/Kotlin/Groovy/Clojure, C#/VB.NET, Ruby, Perl, Python, JavaScript/TypeScript) like they were created in your technology. If have not yet created your first project check Javonet overview and quick start guides for your technology.

Custom .NET DLL with exception handling

With Javonet it is possible to reference any custom .NET DLL and interact with its methods declared on types defined within that module almost the same as with any other GoLang library.

Snippet below represents the sample code from .NET DLL which contains a chain of methods:

namespace TestClass
{
	public class TestClass
	{
		public TestClass() { }

        public static int DivideBy(int x, int y)
        {
            return DivideBySecond(x, y);
        }
        
        public static int DivideBySecond(int x, int y)
        {
            return DivideByThird(x, y);
        }
        
        public static int DivideByThird(int x, int y)
        {
            return x / y;
        }
	}
}
public static int DivideBy(int x, int y)
{
    return DivideBySecond(x, y);
}

public static int DivideBySecond(int x, int y)
{
    return DivideByThird(x, y);
}

public static int DivideByThird(int x, int y)
{
    return x / y;
}

To invoke these methods in GoLang:

package main

import (
	"fmt"
	Javonet "javonet.com/javonet"
)

var resourcesDirectory string = "."

func main() {
	_ = resourcesDirectory

  	// use Activate only once in your app
  	result, err := Javonet.Activate("your-license-key")
  	if result != 0 {
  		fmt.Println("Wrong activation result: " + err.Error())
  	}
  	if err != nil {
  		fmt.Println("Activation exception: " + err.Error())
  	}
  	
  	// create called runtime context
  	calledRuntime, err := Javonet.InMemory().Netcore()
  	if err != nil {
  		fmt.Println("Creating runtime exception: " + err.Error())
  	}
  	
  	// set up variables
  	libraryPath := resourcesDirectory + "/TestClass.dll"
  	className := "TestClass.TestClass"
  	
  	// load custom library
  	_, err = calledRuntime.LoadLibrary(libraryPath)
  	if err != nil {
  		fmt.Println("Loading library exception: " + err.Error())
  	}
  	
  	// get type from the runtime
  	calledRuntimeType, err := calledRuntime.GetType(className).Execute()
  	if err != nil {
  		fmt.Println("Get Type exception: " + err.Error())
  	}
  	
  	// invoke type's static method which throws exception
  	_, err = calledRuntimeType.InvokeStaticMethod("DivideBy", 10, 0).Execute()
  	fmt.Println(err)
}
namespace TestClass
{
	public class TestClass
	{
		public TestClass() { }

        public static int DivideBy(int x, int y)
        {
            return DivideBySecond(x, y);
        }
        
        public static int DivideBySecond(int x, int y)
        {
            return DivideByThird(x, y);
        }
        
        public static int DivideByThird(int x, int y)
        {
            return x / y;
        }
	}
}
// use Activate only once in your app
result, err := Javonet.Activate("your-license-key")
if result != 0 {
	fmt.Println("Wrong activation result: " + err.Error())
}
if err != nil {
	fmt.Println("Activation exception: " + err.Error())
}

// create called runtime context
calledRuntime, err := Javonet.InMemory().Netcore()
if err != nil {
	fmt.Println("Creating runtime exception: " + err.Error())
}

// set up variables
libraryPath := resourcesDirectory + "/TestClass.dll"
className := "TestClass.TestClass"

// load custom library
_, err = calledRuntime.LoadLibrary(libraryPath)
if err != nil {
	fmt.Println("Loading library exception: " + err.Error())
}

// get type from the runtime
calledRuntimeType, err := calledRuntime.GetType(className).Execute()
if err != nil {
	fmt.Println("Get Type exception: " + err.Error())
}

// invoke type's static method which throws exception
_, err = calledRuntimeType.InvokeStaticMethod("DivideBy", 10, 0).Execute()
fmt.Println(err)

The last method throws exception which is handled and rethrown in GoLang. Then the exception in catched and printed.

The same operation can be performed remotely by just changing the new Runtime Context invocation from in memory to tcp that will create and interact with your .NET DLL objects on any remote node, container or service that hosts Javonet Code Gateway. This way you can preserve the same logic in your application and instantly switch between monolithic and microservices architecture without the need to implement the integration layer based on web services or other remote invocation methods.

Read more about use cases and software architecture scenarios where Javonet runtime bridging technology can support your development process.