Assembly - .NET 4.0

Assemblies are designed to simplify application deployment and to solve versioning problems that can occur with component-based applications.

Benefits:

• Versioning Problems
• An End to DLL Conflicts

Contents:
Static assembly can consist of four elements

• Assembly manifest
  

• Type metadata.

• Microsoft intermediate language (MSIL) code that implements the types.

• A set of resources.

Assembly manifest:

• contains all the metadata needed to specify the assembly's version requirements and security identity, and all metadata needed to define the scope of the assembly and resolve references to resources and classes.
• can be stored in either a PE file (an .exe or .dll) with Microsoft intermediate language (MSIL) code
• Assembly manifest (Assembly name, Version number, Culture, Strong name informationGl
  

Global Assembly Cache(GAC):

• stores assemblies specifically designated to be shared by several applications on the computer.
• share assemblies by installing them into the global assembly cache only when you need to.
• There are scenarios where you explicitly do not want to install an assembly into the global assembly cache.
• deploy an assembly into the GAC by using an installer designed or a developer tool- SDK Gacutil.exe
• Assemblies deployed in the GAC must have a strong name.