Installing dll files and making them accessible to several programs

[Richard Friedman]

Building on a theme that I touched upon in

https://www.vbforums.com/showthread....91#post5507691

The full scope of my situation is as follows.

In the VB6 platform I created a group of executable files that used the same library files. I only had to install one of these files for the l library dlls’ to be installed, and then all the rest of the programs would work without requiring a separate install.

I am in the process of converting these programs to VB.NET. When these programs are installed their library files get installed in a place unique to each program, with no opportunity for them to be shared.
The option that I wish to explore to address this situation is to install the library files in the GAC.

This link:

http://www.developerin.net/a/68-Asse...emblies-in-GAC

Indicates that I only need to drag the dlls’ into the folder (C:\Windows\assembly) and they will be available to all the programs. I am accustomed to using the regsvr32 utility to perform a similar operation in Windows 7 systems, but there seem to be no mention of this as a necessity. Also, when I examine the contents of the C:\Windows\assembly folder, I see that the dlls’ are in distinct folders some with accompanying .ini files. This makes me think that the solution is more than just dragging and dropping dll files.

I would appreciate comments on this method.

By examining 3 locations I can identify the necessary dll files. These locations are:

• projects \obj\Debug folder
• projects publish tab under the Application Files.
• folder of the installed program

in the folder of the installed program for each dll file there also exists a manifest file and -ms file. This makes me doubt that simply placing the dll file in the GAC folder will not resolve my problem.

Bottom Line, is there a way to install files such as

AxInterop.WMPLib.dll
BouncyCastle.Crypto.dll
Interop.WMPLib.dll
itextsharp.dll

In a location that would make them accessible by several programs.

Thanks

[techgnome]

Unless they are YOUR libraries, I would NOT install them to the GAC. Why? Because it may cause other apps to use them in error when they should be using others from another location. If the developers of those libraries intended for them to be loaded into the GAC, then that's were they would have been installed in the first place. Thing is, things started to be put into the GAC, the people complained that things weren't portable enough... IT also started to go back to the days of DLL hell with version differences. So now things aren't in the GAC by default.

-tg