DLL files are an essential part of Windows programming, and lead to sleeker, more efficient programs.
Sometimes you may be asked during the installation of community-made programs to place DLL files in specific locations. Make sure that you trust the program before following these instructions, as DLL files can be malicious. If you’re interested in learning how DLL files are constructed, see the next section.
Open the Command Prompt. You can find this in the Start menu or by pressing the Windows key + R and typing cmd. Navigate to the location of the new DLL file. If you are using Windows 7 or newer, open the folder containing the new DLL file, hold the Shift key and right-click in the folder, and select “Open command window here”. The Command Prompt will open directly to that folder. Type regsvr32 dllname. dll and press Enter. This will add the DLL file to Windows Registry. Type regsvr32 -u dllname. dll to remove the DLL file from the Windows Registry.
dotPeek is one of the more popular free decompilers. It is available from jetbrains. com/decompiler/.
If the node requires additional libraries to view, dotPeek will attempt to download them automatically.
Place your cursor in the piece of code that you need documentation for in the Code Viewer frame. Press Ctrl + Q to load the Quick Documentation window. Follow the hyperlinks to learn more about each aspect of the code you are examining.
Right-click on the DLL file in the Assembly Explorer. Select “Export to Project” Choose your export options. You can have the project opened immediately in Visual Studio if you’d like to get started on it immediately.
