How Can I Merge Multiple Assemblies into a Single EXE to Simplify Deployment?

Merge multiple assemblies into one

When using the servicing stack with an EXE project, you may encounter the problem of having to manually copy the servicing stack DLL to run the EXE on a different machine. This is because the service stack DLL is not bundled with the EXE during the build process.

Solution:

To resolve this issue, you may consider the following options:

1. ILMerge (Free)

• Use ILMerge, a free tool, to merge DLLs into a single assembly.
• Instructions for using ILMerge can be found here and here.

2. SmartAssembly (Commercial)

• Use commercial tools like SmartAssembly, which can embed and merge assemblies without modifying source code.

3. Custom code (free)

• Create a custom code solution with less than 10 lines of code.
• Mark the required dependencies as "embedded resources" in your project.
• Implement an AssemblyResolve handler that retrieves the required DLL from the embedded resource and returns it to the .NET runtime at runtime.

By implementing one of these solutions, you can incorporate the service stack DLL into your EXE, eliminating the need to manually distribute the DLL.

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