.NET Common Language Runtime Unleashed

Chapter 4. The Assembly

In This Chapter

• Overview of the .NET Assembly

• General Assembly Structure

• Detailed Assembly Structure

• An Unmanaged API to Access Assembly Metadata

• Physical Layout of the Assembly

In manufacturing, you need to keep track of all the nuts, bolts, pieces, and parts. Every time a widget is manufactured as a unit, the company needs to keep track of the inventory of items that went into its construction. When the end piece is more complicated, such as a car or an airplane, a portion of the overall product might be tracked in and of itself. For example, one area or site might manufacture the dashboard. When the dashboard is shipped to the appropriate area to be incorporated into the car, the parts are tracked with a bill-of-materials ...