Standard DLL in VB.NET

To what extant can you use a standard, non-.NET DLL in .NET?

I have a existing MS C++ DLL from a ERP system I would like to incorporate.

My only advice is to try using it with interop and see what happens. Our general policy here is to rewrite the DLL's to make use of new functionality etc, but in the early days of .Net I did successfully interop some of our existing vb6 DLL's without a problem.

hope this helps

As a future .Net programmer to be who has yet to get the training, I'm not sure what Interoperability transaltes to in .NET. Would you be referring to the "DLLImport" feature that I think may be what I need?

no, just add the DLL in the references and vs.net will convert it to a .net assembly

Adding the reference was the first thing I tried before I posted.
I got an error saying "this is not a .Net assembly"

To make sure i did the right thing, here is what I did:

in my project I right-click of "References" and selected "Add Reference" I then had to browse to find the DLL and selected
it. I then get:

"A reference to xxxxx.DLL could not be created. This is not a .NET assembly"


I am obviously ding something wrong or am assuming too much due to my limited education on this. I just wanted to see
if a dummy project could accept this DLL.


Thanks

be sure to check the tab that says something like COM and not .net in the "add reference" dialog

I am missing the COM tab in the dialog box. I just have .NET and Projects. Something aint right.

Definately something isn't right.

There should be a COM tab when you try to add a reference. What version of VS.Net are you using? I don't think it should matter, but it wouldn't surprise me if they disabled it in the basic version.

Program title in menu says Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003

In the Help It says Microsoft Development Environment 2003
Version 7.1.3088

The Basic is

Microsoft Visual Basic .NET 69462-270-0000007-18275