Well your main problem is that the best place for dependent assemblies to be
installed is right next to the app that uses it. You've got an unusual
deployment model where an assembly which is required for one or more apps is
likely to be installed in some completely random folder, and that's not the
usual deployment model that people use, and that's why someone suggested the
GAC. If client programs want to cleanly instantiate objects from your
assembly with the deployment model you're using, you don't have any
reasonable choice except the GAC. Dependent assemblies pretty much need to
be in the same directory as the client app, or in a subfolder via
redirection, or in the GAC.
If you want some other fixed location, you can tell your clients that they
need to do some kind of assembly load from somewhere in
Environment.GetFolderPath (Environment.SpecialFolder.CommonApplicationData)
and instantiate objects that way, but that isn't the usual way.
--
Phil Wilson [MVP Windows Installer]
----
"John" <Jo**@nospam.infovis.co.uk> wrote in message
news:%2****************@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
So if the dll is installed in the [Prorgam files]\[Common Files]\[My
Class] folder then how can I access the dll regardless of which drive the
[Prorgam files]\[Common Files]\[My Class] folder is on?
Thanks
Regards
"Phil Wilson" <pd*******@nospam.cox.net> wrote in message
news:O3**************@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl... Well if "access" means "link to when the programs run", it will just work
because the GAC is the the first place default location where the runtime
will look for a dependent assembly. Of course the assembly must match the
client requirements for assemblyversion, strong name etc.
There are some gotchas with updating files installed by MSI into the GAC,
so I'd ensure you figure out how to replace it with a new version before
committing to using the GAC. The fixed common location will be easier to
update than the GAC.
--
Phil Wilson
[Microsoft MVP-Windows Installer]
Definitive Guide to Windows Installer
http://apress.com/book/bookDisplay.html?bID=280
"John" <Jo**@nospam.infovis.co.uk> wrote in message
news:%2****************@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl... OK, installed it in gac. Now how do I access it in my other apps?
Thanks
Regards
"stand__sure" <st*********@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:11**********************@g44g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...
why not install it to the GAC? the Runtime looks there first when it
attempts to bind.