How to avoid .dll dependencies under .NET

Question

Hello:

I am writing a C++/CLI which have access/"dependencies" to many DLL COM and DLL .NET libraries.

Is this possible to link/join all these libraries into my C++/CLI program and generate only one executable object in such a way that I never again have to consider these dependencies every time I have to move my object to another computer?

Thanks!!!

Answer 1

ILMerge is an option for collapsing several managed assemblies into one: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9376/ilmerge-best-practices

However ILMerge might not be an option:

• You can't merge the COM DLLs without having source code to them
• Since you mentioned COM, I'm guessing that your C++/CLI program isn't pure IL: ILMerge won't touch assemblies like this that contain native code. (If your C++/CLI program uses COM through COM interop, and it's otherwise pure .NET, you should be OK.)