[AccessD] [dba-VB] VB.Net - using an outside DLL

Shamil,

Thanks for that info. I will make sure that "localcopy" is set and not worry
about it for now.  I am going to be doing a simple xcopy kind of install for
the immediate future.  

Again, many thanks for the response.

John W. Colby
Colby Consulting
www.ColbyConsulting.com

-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Shamil
Salakhetdinov
Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2007 4:28 PM
To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
Subject: Re: [AccessD] [dba-VB] VB.Net - using an outside DLL

John,

To use gacutil.exe your .NET component classlib assembly has to be signed
using strong name generated by sn.exe utility - did you do that?

Anyway while you're just starting with VB.NET classlibs using local copy is
safe and easy way to proceed now until you get enough experience with sn.exe
and gacutil.exe...

<<<
but that begs the question of
where I am supposed to place this stuff initially in order for that to work
correctly.
>>>
gacutil.exe (see MSDN) installs your assembly in GAC - "installs" means that
it registers it in GAC and also physically copies it there. And GAC can keep
several versions of your components...

When your .NET component is installed in GAC then you can reference it from
your projects.

You can also reference your .NET components without installing them in GAC.

In both cases you can have CopyLocal flag set then you'll get the component
copied on compile/build time into your /Bin (or whatever you call it) folder
where your client (FE/Utility) executable/component is getting built. Then
you can just XCopy this /Bin folder's contents to your customer site.

If you do not use CopyLocal flag and if your have your component registered
locally in GAC and referenced from your client (FE/Utility) project then you
will have to register this referenced component on customer's site using
gacutil. Then your client (FE/Utility) executable/library will find
registered in GAC component on runtime...

Easy... (?!)

Well, not that easy when you will find you wanted to have several versions
of your .NET component installed in GAC and using different versions of .NET
framework etc - all that is possible but should be better avoided as
deployment scenarios in the beginning...

--
Shamil