Create DLL without building project

Question

I have two applications

• Parent application.
• Child application.

WORKING STRUCTURE

• The code of child application is compiled from the parent application.

• I have added a DLL named MyDLL.dll in the parent application(There is a feature in parent application to upload DLL and compile code of child application from there). The child application also consumes that DLL.

• Now I need to create a DLL of child application. Since MyDLL.dll is in parent application I cannot build the project of child application individually(since child application also consumes that MyDLL.dll).

When I build the child application, its showing the error : Could not Find namespace MyDll. Are you missing an assembly reference?

CODE

1. Parent Application

using MyDll;
namesapace MyNamespace
{
   class ParentApplication
   {

   }
}

2. Child Application

using MyDll;
namesapace ChildNamespace
{
   class ChildApplication
   {

   }
}

How do I generate a DLL of child application without building project of child application?

Answer 1

You need to build the child application because until the code is compiled into a dll then well, its just code on a screen. Since, C# is compiled into Microsoft Intermediate Language MISL which is then compiled against the common language run time (CLR) and then that is made to native code like machine code. Where you can read more about here. So in short, you have to build the child application, no other way around it.

It also seems like you aren't using the right location for the MyDll.dll, where exactly is it located?