DLL vs Dynamic Code

[John F]

Currently I'm working on a C# app for a large organization (700 users
nationwide). This App is still under development. I have setup code in my
App to pull C# source code from a database and dynamically compile it at
runtime. All source code stored in the database will be of Type Form and all
forms will load as children of an MDI. Once I compile the code I store it on
the local machine as a DLL. I do this so that the next time a user on that
local machine elects to use a form, I check to see if that form exists
locally in a DLL first. If it does I load it from the local DLL and cut down
on both load time and network traffic. I also check to see if there are
newer versions of the code in the DB and will pull/recompile as needed.

My question is: Can anyone give me pros/cons to storing either the C# code
in the database or the already compiled DLL's? I could circumvent the need
to compile on the fly if I stored the DLL's direct, but I'm not sure I
recognize all the pros/cons to doing it either way. I do know that the DLL's
are larger than the raw source code so network traffic would be up slightly.
I think this would be nominal at best though.

Any thoughts/suggestion on storing raw source or a DLL would be greatly
appreciated.

Security?
Speed?
Preference?

Thanks,
John F

[Tim Wallace]

I'd store the DLL. The size difference can't be that much, can it? ;-)

Seriously, though, I'd rather store an obfuscated DLL than the source. In
every organization, there is some dangerous person who knows "just enough"
to make them so. I can see some of my users using a packet sniffer to
intercept the packets, reassemble the source and build their own, custom
application to royally screw up the corporate data.

Just my opinion.

Tim Wallace

"John F" <[e-mail]> wrote in message
news:FE**********************************@microsof t.com...

Currently I'm working on a C# app for a large organization (700 users
nationwide). This App is still under development. I have setup code in
my
App to pull C# source code from a database and dynamically compile it at
runtime. All source code stored in the database will be of Type Form and
all
forms will load as children of an MDI. Once I compile the code I store it
on
the local machine as a DLL. I do this so that the next time a user on
that
local machine elects to use a form, I check to see if that form exists
locally in a DLL first. If it does I load it from the local DLL and cut
down
on both load time and network traffic. I also check to see if there are
newer versions of the code in the DB and will pull/recompile as needed.

My question is: Can anyone give me pros/cons to storing either the C# code
in the database or the already compiled DLL's? I could circumvent the
need
to compile on the fly if I stored the DLL's direct, but I'm not sure I
recognize all the pros/cons to doing it either way. I do know that the
DLL's
are larger than the raw source code so network traffic would be up
slightly.
I think this would be nominal at best though.

Any thoughts/suggestion on storing raw source or a DLL would be greatly
appreciated.

Security?
Speed?
Preference?

Thanks,
John F