I am writing a c# WinForms application. I reference a 3rd Party dll (SDK) to perform specific tasks. I expect this dll to be installed on clients machine.
Now, if I use say Version 1 as reference , and client has Version 1 installed. The application works.
Later, if the client has upgraded to Version 2, my application wont work because, there is no more Version 1 dll.
How do I code my application? One for each version of the 3rd party dll? or is there a better way? (SDK is backward compatible)
You can add an assembly binding redirect to app.config. Something like this:
<dependentAssembly>
<assemblyIdentity name="someAssembly"
publicKeyToken="32ab4ba45e0a69a1"
culture="en-us" />
<bindingRedirect oldVersion="7.0.0.0" newVersion="8.0.0.0" />
</dependentAssembly>
See this link
Related
This is not a problem question but a general understanding question on assembly binding redirect's working.
Queries
Why binding redirect shows only major version and not minor, build and revision numbers?
Does old and new version change only when there is change in major version?
<dependentAssembly>
<assemblyIdentity name="FooBar"
publicKeyToken="32ab4ba45e0a69a1"
culture="en-us" />
<bindingRedirect oldVersion="7.0.0.0" newVersion="8.0.0.0" />
</dependentAssembly>
Why are binding redirects needed at all? Suppose you have application A that references library B, and also library C of version 1.1.2.5. Library B in turn also references library C, but of version 1.1.1.0. Now we have a conflict, because you cannot load different versions of the same assembly at runtime. To resolve this conflict you might use binding redirect, usually to the new version (but can be to the old too). You do that by adding the following to app.config file of application A, under configuration > runtime > assemblyBinding section (see here for an example of full config file):
<dependentAssembly>
<assemblyIdentity name="C"
publicKeyToken="32ab4ba45e0a69a1"
culture="en-us" />
<bindingRedirect oldVersion="1.1.1.0" newVersion="1.1.2.5" />
</dependentAssembly>
You can also specify a range of versions to map:
<bindingRedirect oldVersion="0.0.0.0-1.1.1.0" newVersion="1.1.2.5" />
Now library B, which was compiled with reference to C of version 1.1.1.0 will use C of version 1.1.2.5 at runtime. Of course, you better ensure that library C is backwards compatible or this might lead to unexpected results.
You can redirect any versions of libraries, not just major ones.
We came across an issue with binding redirect for NewtonSoft.Json. We looked up the file version in win 10 file properties "9.0.1.19813", looked up the number and the redirect kept failing. Further investigation and found that we were looking at file version and not assembly version. So, I wonder if people are mistaking File Version (which changes often) and Assembly version (which you can't see in windows 10 File Explorer). To see the Assembly version of a dll you can run this in powershell. Replace the dll name with the one you want to find version for.
[Reflection.AssemblyName]::GetAssemblyName('C:\development\bin\Newtonsoft.Json.dll').Version
The result of above is.
Major Minor Build Revision
----- ----- ----- --------
9 0 0 0
See References:
How can i see the assembly version of a .NET assembly in Windows Vista and newer (WIndows 7, 2008)?
https://support.microsoft.com/en-nz/help/556041
This is not a problem question but a general understanding question on assembly binding redirect's working.
Queries
Why binding redirect shows only major version and not minor, build and revision numbers?
Does old and new version change only when there is change in major version?
<dependentAssembly>
<assemblyIdentity name="FooBar"
publicKeyToken="32ab4ba45e0a69a1"
culture="en-us" />
<bindingRedirect oldVersion="7.0.0.0" newVersion="8.0.0.0" />
</dependentAssembly>
Why are binding redirects needed at all? Suppose you have application A that references library B, and also library C of version 1.1.2.5. Library B in turn also references library C, but of version 1.1.1.0. Now we have a conflict, because you cannot load different versions of the same assembly at runtime. To resolve this conflict you might use binding redirect, usually to the new version (but can be to the old too). You do that by adding the following to app.config file of application A, under configuration > runtime > assemblyBinding section (see here for an example of full config file):
<dependentAssembly>
<assemblyIdentity name="C"
publicKeyToken="32ab4ba45e0a69a1"
culture="en-us" />
<bindingRedirect oldVersion="1.1.1.0" newVersion="1.1.2.5" />
</dependentAssembly>
You can also specify a range of versions to map:
<bindingRedirect oldVersion="0.0.0.0-1.1.1.0" newVersion="1.1.2.5" />
Now library B, which was compiled with reference to C of version 1.1.1.0 will use C of version 1.1.2.5 at runtime. Of course, you better ensure that library C is backwards compatible or this might lead to unexpected results.
You can redirect any versions of libraries, not just major ones.
We came across an issue with binding redirect for NewtonSoft.Json. We looked up the file version in win 10 file properties "9.0.1.19813", looked up the number and the redirect kept failing. Further investigation and found that we were looking at file version and not assembly version. So, I wonder if people are mistaking File Version (which changes often) and Assembly version (which you can't see in windows 10 File Explorer). To see the Assembly version of a dll you can run this in powershell. Replace the dll name with the one you want to find version for.
[Reflection.AssemblyName]::GetAssemblyName('C:\development\bin\Newtonsoft.Json.dll').Version
The result of above is.
Major Minor Build Revision
----- ----- ----- --------
9 0 0 0
See References:
How can i see the assembly version of a .NET assembly in Windows Vista and newer (WIndows 7, 2008)?
https://support.microsoft.com/en-nz/help/556041
I am new in C#.
I have created a small windows application with a reference to a my other project dll file that is included in the setup file. I have forwarded the setup to the client.
Now I have few changes in my other project dll.
How do I update this Dll in Client System or How Do I create the patch for the my application with new DLL?
Please help?
NOTE:- I have use Standard Setup Project to create the Setup File.
There are two ways, I can think of immediately:
If you have access to client system, just replace the new dll in the physical load path, assuming this is not a GAC dll and the new dll will get loaded at the runtime
If the assembly is installed in GAC then use something like this in the App.config:
<dependentAssembly>
<assemblyIdentity name="Microsoft.WindowsAzure.ServiceRuntime" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35"
culture="neutral" />
<bindingRedirect oldVersion="0.0.0.0-2.5.0.0" newVersion="2.5.0.0" />
I saw many threads about this problem but I couldnt find why my application doesnt work.
I want to use other version of Oracle.DataAccess library without recompling application.
I add to app.config lines:
<assemblyBinding>
<dependantAssembly>
<assemblyIdentity name="Oracle.DataAccess" publicKeyToken="89b483f429c47342"/>
<bindingRedirect oldVersion="1.0.0.0 - 9.0.0.0" newVersion="10.2.0.100" />
</dependantAssembly>
</assemblyBinding>
If I good understand if I have version between 1.0.0.0 and 9.0.0.0 i force application to use version 10.2.0.100. But always when I change this versions application uses the same dll which was compiled.
My goal is just change dll in local application directory and force application to use this one
We have windows service application which is using Aspose.Words.NET version 11.10.0 Now we have recently upgraded the Aspose.Words dll version latest 13.7.0
Since we have already deployed our windows service applications in multiple clients, we tried replacing the old Aspose.Words dll with latest its latest version. But when we restart the existing windows application it doesn't work with the replaced latest Aspose.Words dll.
We have resolved it by recompiling the whole windows application referencing the latest version of Aspose.Words dll. Are we required to recompile and redeploy our whole windows service application every time we upgrade the Aspose.Words dll?
Check this answer on SO too.
You need to update the config files of the desktop/web clients as follows.
<configuration>
<runtime>
<assemblyBinding xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1">
<dependentAssembly>
<publisherPolicy apply="no" />
<assemblyIdentity name="Aspose.Words" publicKeyToken="716fcc553a201e56" />
<bindingRedirect oldVersion="11.0.0.0-13.6.0.0"
newVersion="13.7.0.0"/>
</dependentAssembly>
</assemblyBinding>
</runtime>
</configuration>
Please also note that there might be breaking changes in API which might lead to other errors. For example a method or property which existed in 11.0 is deleted in 13.7. The exception will be thrown when the client application calls the specific method/property. So, you must verify in development environment that the new version will not break your application. If it works, then you can just replace the old DLL with new version.
The config file is loaded at runtime, so you can update the config files where your applications are deployed.
I work for Aspose as a Developer Evangelist.