How to Integrate ILMerge into Visual Studio Build Process to Merge Assemblies?

Question

I want to merge one .NET DLL assembly and one C# Class Library project referenced by a VB.NET Console Application project into one command-line console executable.

I can do this with ILMerge from the command-line, but I want to integrate this merging of reference assemblies and projects into the Visual Studio project. From my reading, I understand that I can do this through a MSBuild Task or a Target and just add it to a C#/VB.NET Project file, but I can find no specific example since MSBuild is large topic. Moreover, I find some references that add the ILMerge command to the Post-build event.

1. How do I integrate ILMerge into a Visual Studio (C#/VB.NET) project, which are just MSBuild projects, to merge all referenced assemblies (copy-local=true) into one assembly?

2. How does this tie into a possible ILMerge.Targets file?

3. Is it better to use the Post-build event?

Answer 1

The article Mixing Languages in a Single Assembly in Visual Studio seamlessly with ILMerge and MSBuild at http://www.hanselman.com/blog/MixingLanguagesInASingleAssemblyInVisualStudioSeamlesslyWithILMergeAndMSBuild.aspx demonstrates how to use ILMerge and MSBuild within a Visual Studio Project.

Answer 2

Check out this article by Jomo. He has a quick process to hack ILMerge into the msbuild system

• http://blogs.msdn.com/jomo_fisher/archive/2006/03/05/544144.aspx

Answer 3

This is a great article that will show you how to merge your referenced assemblies into the output assembly. It shows exactly how to merge assemblies using msbuild.