CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c#.netdll
TheMathemagician
TheMathemagician

Reputation: 958

How to deploy a dependent DLL when a client solution references my project?

I have a C# project which builds a library DLL, myLib.dll. This DLL has a dependency on a 3rd party DLL, dep.dll (which I provide but do not build).

I want others to be able to use my library by adding my project to their solutions and referencing it. Adding my project as a reference automatically copies myLib.dll to the Target directory of their app, but of course dep.dll is not copied with it.

Bear in mind that I have no control over where my project is in their code tree, and the DLL can't know where it was copied from.

The only solution I can see is to force the user to add a build event which copies dep.dll to their target directory. We can't assume users can create environment variables.

This is very undesirable for several reasons (it's not really one dependency - I simplified things, I don't want them to have to be concerned about the dependencies in my project, and it's very fragile - adding an extra dependent DLL to my project would require everyone to update their build scripts).

I can't load the dep.dll directly as I don't know where it is - my build scripts can copy it to the same target directory as myLib.dll but the actual version of myLib.dll they run will have been copied somewhere else.

I also can't make dep.dll a reference directly (probably because it's not a .NET assembly). I just get "Error loading code-completion information for dep from dep.DLL. Format of the executable (.exe) or library (.dll) is invalid".

So is there any way to have the dependent DLL just seamlessly copied with myLib.dll when a client builds their application? [I'm using Sharp Develop if it matters.]

Upvotes: 1

Views: 576

Answers (1)

Mike Burdick
Mike Burdick

Reputation: 838

Can you add dep.dll to your projects root folder as a file like a .cs file. Set the Build Action to None and Copy to Output Directory to Copy if newer.

Upvotes: 1

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