.Assembly / GetExportedTypes throws FileNotFoundException

Question

If I run this code:

var myAsm = typeof(MyType).Assembly;
var types = myAsm.GetExportedTypes();

I get:

System.IO.FileNotFoundException : Could not load file or assembly ....

which lists a dependent assembly. However, if I do:

var myAsm = Assembly.LoadFrom(...);  // DLL containing the same assembly as above
var types = myAsm.GetExportedTypes();

it works fine.

I really would prefer the first technique, as it's cleaner... why should I have to load a DLL that is already loaded? Any advice?

Answer 1

Have you tried

System.Reflection.Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly();

Or

System.Reflection.Assembly.GetAssembly(typeof(MyType));

The reason your second one works is you are actually loading a .dll. When you call typeof(MyType).Assembly, it has no idea which .dll reflection should be using. Which is why either GetExecutingAssembly or GetAssembly(tyepof(MyType)) should work.

Answer 2

This doesn't exactly answer your question, but I just had a related problem to this and I thought I'd post some info to help others who may stumble across this as I did!

Assembly has

.LoadFile(string path)

and

.LoadFrom(string path)

LoadFile will throw a FileNotFoundException if loading the assembly from some remote (not the same as the executing dll) folder. You need to use LoadFrom as you do above ;)