How to use legacy C code in a C# application

[otakuj462]

Hi, I'm building a Windows application in C#. The goal is to be able to read data off of a particular kind of scangun. The scangun manufacturer provides a .dll file, and some sample code written in MSVC. As the sample code fulfills all of my requirements a far as fetching data from the gun, I want to use it, and write the front-end and database management parts in C#. Is there a way to use the C code, perhaps as even as a precompiled executable? Or would it make more sense to change it at the code level, perhaps making it look more like C++, and then using it as a class? I think this would ultimately be the cleaner option...
If anyone has any advice, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

-Jake

[teknomage1]

In terms of ugly hacks, couldn't you turn the C code into a command line function that outputs the data you need, then call that with C#'s equivalent of system()?

[DJMaze]

The dll is probably using something like:

#ifdef __cplusplus
extern "C" {
#endif
DLL_API DSQL * CreateDB(void)
{
    return new DSQL();
}
#ifdef __cplusplus
}
#endif

All C apps should allow you to work with that even C# just include the .h files or use LoadLibrary()