🎯 Steps to Execute PowerShell from C++ via C++/CLI DLL (Visual Studio 2022 / C++)

✅ Overall Structure

🔹 ① CLI Wrapper DLL (C++/CLI)

Provides functionality to execute PowerShell scripts.

🔹 ② Native C++ Caller

Calls the CLI DLL to execute PowerShell scripts.

🔧 Step 1: Create CLI Wrapper DLL Project

1. Create Project

[Create a new project] → [C++] → CLR Class Library (.NET Framework)
Name: PowerShellWrapper

💡 If this template is not displayed, install the “.NET desktop development” workload.

2. Add NuGet Package

Right-click the project → [Manage NuGet Packages]
Search and install System.Management.Automation
(Version 5.x or 7.x)

3. Implement CLI Side Code

PowerShellWrapper.h

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#pragma once

using namespace System;

namespace PowerShellWrapper {
    public ref class PowerShellExecutor {
    public:
        String^ Execute(String^ script);
    };
}

PowerShellWrapper.cpp

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#include "PowerShellWrapper.h"
using namespace System;
using namespace System::Management::Automation;
using namespace System::Collections::ObjectModel;

String^ PowerShellWrapper::PowerShellExecutor::Execute(String^ script)
{
    PowerShell^ ps = PowerShell::Create();
    ps->AddScript(script);
    Collection<PSObject^>^ results = ps->Invoke();

    System::Text::StringBuilder^ sb = gcnew System::Text::StringBuilder();
    for each (PSObject^ result in results)
    {
        sb->AppendLine(result->ToString());
    }

    return sb->ToString();
}

🔧 Step 2: Call from Native C++

1. Create C++ Console App Project

Name: NativeApp

2. Add Reference

Right-click the project → [Add] → [Reference] → [Projects] → Add PowerShellWrapper
[Configuration Properties] → [C/C++] → [Common Language Runtime Support] → Change to /clr

3. Execution Code (main.cpp)

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#using <System.dll>
#using "..\\PowerShellWrapper\\Debug\\PowerShellWrapper.dll"

using namespace System;
using namespace PowerShellWrapper;

int main()
{
    PowerShellExecutor^ executor = gcnew PowerShellExecutor();
    String^ result = executor->Execute("Get-Process | Select-Object -First 1");
    Console::WriteLine(result);
    return 0;
}

💡 Note (IDL / TLB / COM Registration)

Since this configuration references the .NET DLL directly instead of using COM, IDL, TLB, and COM registration are not required.

✅ Final Structure

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Solution
├── PowerShellWrapper (C++/CLI DLL)
│   └── PowerShellExecutor
├── NativeApp (C++ EXE)
    └── main.cpp → Call DLL