Package all dependencies into one DLL (C#)

[RileyTheFox]

Hi. I'm writing a Class Library in C# and it depends on some external DLL files, is there any way I can include those dependencies into the DLL so I don't need to distribute loads of other dependencies (and their dependencies, then their dependencies etc). Is there any way to do this in the visual studio build process?

 

Thanks.

[FlappyBoobs]

In Visual Studio just reference the dlls in your project. When it is built into a library it will include all of the referenced libraries as well. 

[Chris Pratt]

No, it's not possible. If you're building a .NET Core app, you can publish a self-contained executable, which will serve the end goal of not having to transport all these DLLs individually, but not as a class library alone.

[FlappyBoobs]

18 hours ago, Chris Pratt said:

No, it's not possible. 

Thats not correct. If you build them as embedded resources then it is possible. 

 

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/96732/embedding-one-dll-inside-another-as-an-embedded-resource-and-then-calling-it-fro

[straight_stewie]

4 hours ago, FlappyBoobs said:

Thats not correct. If you build them as embedded resources then it is possible. 

Almost all of the responses in that StackOverflow thread are about dynamic .dll loading, using the CLRs Appdomain.AssemblyResolve event that fires after the CLR is unable to find a dependency.

This requires startup code to work, and may be very slow, both because those solutions only run after the CLR fails to find an assembly (one that the developer already knows for sure it won't find), and because it relies on some serious reflection to load the .dlls in.
 

23 hours ago, RileyTheFox said:

is there any way I can include those dependencies into the DLL so I don't need to distribute loads of other dependencies (and their dependencies, then their dependencies etc)

There is a tool called ILMerge. It is a static linker for dotnet, which is exactly what you are asking for.

[FlappyBoobs]

10 hours ago, straight_stewie said:

 There is a tool called ILMerge. It is a static linker for dotnet, which is exactly what you are asking for.

Which is the tool mentioned in the link I posted. 

[Franck]

20 hours ago, FlappyBoobs said:

Thats not correct. If you build them as embedded resources then it is possible. 

 

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/96732/embedding-one-dll-inside-another-as-an-embedded-resource-and-then-calling-it-fro

as long as none of them are com dll that need to be registered.

[ahancock]

Recommend looking at Fody.Costura - it produces a single dll packaged with all dependencies: nuget