Assembly (programming)
In computer programming, an assembly is a runtime unit consisting of types (such as classes and interfaces) and other resources. All types in an assembly share the same version number. An assembly typically corresponds to a single file (such as a .dll or .exe), but can consist of multiple files linked together by a manifest that serves as a table of contents describing the assembly's metadata and structure.
While an assembly often contains types from a single namespace and serves one program, it can span multiple namespaces. Conversely, a single namespace can be distributed across multiple assemblies, providing flexibility in code organization and deployment.
In C#, an assembly is the smallest deployment unit used, and is a component in .NET. In Java, it is a JAR file.[1]
Creation of an assembly
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Every compilation creates either an assembly or a module in C#. It is possible to add other modules with the assembly linker (al). A speciality of Java is to create a *.class file for each class, which is not the case in C#. The creation can be activated by compiler switches, like csc /addmodule:Y.netmodule A.cs that yields a new A.exe with Y added to this assembly.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ Mössenböck, Hanspeter (2002-03-25). "Advanced C#: Variable Number of Parameters" (PDF). Institut für Systemsoftware, Johannes Kepler Universität Linz, Fachbereich Informatik. p. 37. Retrieved 2011-08-05.
- ^ Mössenböck, Hanspeter (2002-03-25). "Advanced C#: Variable Number of Parameters" (PDF). Institut für Systemsoftware, Johannes Kepler Universität Linz, Fachbereich Informatik. pp. 38–40. Retrieved 2011-08-05.