Common .NET Framework Tools - Part 9

Let us discuss the various command line tools available within .NET Framework. These tools comes with .NET Framework and it should be used through Developer Command Prompt for Visual Studio.

Assembly Linker - Al.exe 

• Al tool can create an assembly or resource file with the manifest in a separate file out of modules.
• Syntax: al [source] [options]
• This tool allows us to create multi-file assembly outside .NET. A multi-file assembly is useful to combine modules developed under different .NET languages into a single application.

Global Assembly Cache - Gacutil.exe

• It allows you to view and modify contents of GAC. It maintains assembly versions and their dependency's.
• Syntax: gacutil [options] [assemblyname | assemblypath | assemblyListFile]

IL Assembler - Ilasm.exe 

• When we compile managed code, the code is converted into MSIL code; this is CPU independent language which is converted to native code.
• We can use Ilasm tool to generate a portable executable (PE) file from the MSIL code. The resulting executable file is performance optimized, where the Ilasm tool does not create intermediate object file
• Syntax: Ilasm [source] filename [options]
• We can specify multiple source files to produce a single PE file.

IL Disassembler - Ildasm.exe 

• Ildasm tool is used to view PE file contains that is nothing but the MSIL code as a parameter and creates the text file that consists of managed code.
• Syntax: ildasm [options] [PEfilename] [options]

Code Access Security Policy Tool - Caspol.exe 

• Caspol is nothing but Code Access Security Policy tool, which allows us to grant and modify permissions granted to code groups at the user-policy, machine-policy, and enterprise-policy levels. Etc...
• Syntax: caspol [options]

Installer Tool - InstallUtil.exe

• It is a command-line utility tool that allows you to install and uninstall server resources by executing the installer components in specified assemblies.
• It works in addition with classes in System.Configuration.Install namespace.
• Syntax: installutil [/u[ninstall]] [options] assembly [[options] assembly]

Strong Name Tool - Sn.exe

• It helps sign assemblies with strong versions name.
• It provides options for key management, signature generation and signature verification.
• Syntax: sn [-quiet][option [parameter(s)]]