Is there a way to readily find the assemblies?
+12
A:
How to programmatically determine if a file is an assembly
Call the GetAssemblyName method, passing the full file path and name of the file you are testing.
If a BadImageFormatException exception is thrown, the file is not an assembly.
SelflessCoder
2009-11-10 21:24:45
+1
A:
Call AssemblyName.GetAssemblyName and see whether it throws an exception.
SLaks
2009-11-10 21:26:27
+1
A:
In addition to Jeff's suggestion, there appears to be a method to test if an assembly is managed without throwing an exception documented here: http://www.codeguru.com/forum/showthread.php?t=424454
Actually, if you open a .NET Library / Application in a binary editor, you will see that the ASCI text "BSJB" is shortly followed by the version of the Framework that the DLL / EXE needs.
So, depending on the presence of this search attribute, you can not only identify whether the library / executible is a managed library, but also the version of the Framework it uses.
Chris
2009-11-10 21:26:38
DON'T DO STUFF LIKE THIS. It is not guaranteed to work in any way, shape or form in the future.
Stu
2009-11-10 21:31:59
If you read further down that same page, there are better ways documented as well. In addition, I find your all caps statement rather annoying. Some hacks such as this one can be used to good benefit in combination with a fail-safe. The number of assemblies being checked by the OP probably doesn't warrant a second thought, but in case it does, it's always good to try to avoid relying on exceptions as a part of normal process flow. If the assembly can be checked faster using a hack first, why not try it?
Chris
2009-11-10 21:36:27