How to build a class DLL (COM) without any .NET parts?

I need to build a COM DLL to do some simple serial port stuff.

It has to be a Class DLL (COM); I have no control over that. 开发者_JAVA百科I also have no control over the fact that it has to run on some very old machines which do not have the .NET framework installed and never will have.

Can it be (easilly) done using VB Express 2008?

You can't do it with VB.NET. There is no support for building .NET-less dlls in VS anymore except using C++.

VB6 is the last VB version to support what you want to do.

VB.Net Express 2008? No - this is .Net through-and-through - you'll always be reliant on the .Net Framework being installed.

You'd need Visual C++ Express if any of the Express offerings are going to be of use to you - it's the only Express offering that can compile to native machine code rather than .Net.