How to Recursively Load Assemblies and Their Dependencies into an AppDomain?

AppDomain: Recursive Assembly Loading and Dependency Management

Loading assemblies and their dependencies into a new AppDomain can be tricky. For beginners, the common FileNotFoundException often arises from missing dependencies.

Understanding the Problem

A key point to remember is that when you load an assembly into an AppDomain, its referenced assemblies aren't automatically loaded. This necessitates recursive loading to ensure all dependencies are available. Failure to do so results in errors like:

"Could not load file or assembly 'MyDll, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified."

This error clearly indicates the need for recursive dependency loading.

Addressing Dependencies Manually

A common attempt involves iterating through the root assembly's references and loading them individually. However, this often leads to repeated FileNotFoundException errors for the referenced assemblies' own dependencies.

The Crucial Step: CreateInstanceAndUnwrap

The solution lies in using CreateInstanceAndUnwrap before the proxy object executes within the target AppDomain. This ensures the proxy runs correctly within its designated AppDomain.

LoadFile vs. LoadFrom

Using LoadFrom can lead to problems because it searches the GAC or the application's bin folder. To avoid this, use LoadFile. Remember, you're still responsible for recursively loading dependencies yourself.

Summary

Successfully loading an assembly and its dependencies into an AppDomain requires careful, recursive dependency loading. Using CreateInstanceAndUnwrap and opting for LoadFile over LoadFrom will help you manage referenced assemblies effectively.

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