C# in a Nutshell, Second Edition

Name

Al.exe — Assembly Linker

Synopsis

al /out:manifestfile [options] source

Description

Creates an assembly manifest from the modules and resources files you name. You can also include Win32 resources files. See GacUtil.exe for an example of creating an assembly.

Example

al /out:c.dll a.netmodule b.netmodule

Source

You may specify one or more of these sources:

file

The name of a .NET module, which is produced by using the /t:module argument with the C# compiler. These modules typically have the extension .netmodule. The resulting manifestfile contains a reference to the .netmodule file.

file,target

The name of a .NET module, along with a target filename (a .NET assembly, typically a DLL). The target is created and the .NET module is copied into it. The resulting manifestfile contains a reference to the target rather than the .NET module.

/embed[resource]:file [,name [,Private]]

Embeds (copy) a resource file into the file that contains the manifest. Use name to associate an internal identifier with the resource. Resources are public by default; use Private to hide the resource from other assemblies.

/link[resource]:file[,name[,target [,Private]]]

Makes a resource file part of the assembly described by the manifest. This links the resource file to the manifest but does not make a copy (see /embed). Use name to associate an internal identifier with the resource. Use target to specify a .NET assembly to copy the resource into (as with file,target). Resources are public by default; use ...