Assemblies

Assemblies are usually created using the C# compiler; however, Assembly Linker (al.exe) might be required under certain circumstances. We demonstrate one area where the assembly linker is required later in this chapter in Creating a Multifile Assembly.

The format of an assembly governs how it can be used; for example, the exe and winexe formats are executable but cannot be imported as references to other assemblies. The format of an assembly is specified using the /target:<format> switch on the C# compiler and the assembly linker. Table 3-3 details the four assembly formats.

Table 3-3. The Four Formats for an Assembly

Assembly Format

Description

exe

A console executable. The assembly must contain one entry point, which is defined as a valid ...

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