Okay, lets talk GAC Implementation: Your Ultimate Checklist. Its a topic that can sound pretty technical, I know, but we can break it down and make it sound, well, human!
So, youre thinking about deploying an assembly to the Global Assembly Cache (GAC). Thats a great idea if you want that assembly to be shared by multiple applications on your system.
First things first, strong naming is crucial! (Seriously, dont even think about skipping this). Your assembly must have a strong name (a digital signature generated with a private key). This is what guarantees its uniqueness and prevents naming collisions. Without it, youre just asking for trouble down the road. (Trust me, Ive seen it!).
Next, versioning. Get your version numbers right! The GAC uses version numbers to keep track of different versions of the same assembly. Make sure youre incrementing those numbers properly when you make changes. Using a consistent versioning scheme (like Semantic Versioning) is a lifesaver here. (Its the little things, right?).
Now, about dependencies. Does your assembly depend on other assemblies? Make sure those dependencies are either already in the GAC or are deployed alongside your application. Otherwise, youll get runtime errors (the dreaded "Could not load file or assembly" message!).
Then, theres security. Consider the security implications of putting your assembly in the GAC. Who needs to access it? Are there any security risks involved? Think about code access security (CAS) and how it might affect your assembly. (Better safe than sorry!).
Deployment itself. You can use the gacutil.exe
command-line tool, or the Windows Installer (MSI) for deployment. Choose the method that best suits your needs and your deployment process. (Personally, I prefer MSI for larger deployments).
Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3! After deployment, thoroughly test your applications that use the assembly in the GAC. Make sure everything is working as expected. Dont assume that just because it deployed without errors means its working perfectly! (Never assume!).
Finally, documentation. Document everything! Keep track of which assemblies are in the GAC, their versions, and their dependencies. This will make your life much easier when you need to update or troubleshoot them later. (Future you will thank you!).
So, there you have it! A basic checklist to guide you through GAC implementation.