Hi

I am trying to take some C# class files and generate them into a dll. The only way I figured out how to do this was by making a class library.

I then added the files I wanted to this class library and built the project. I then went to my bin directory and took the .dll it made.

I stuck it into my projects(the project I want to use this .dll with) bin folder and then went add->references and added it in by browsing for for it.


It worked but now I noticed that when I debug my project and go to a line that class any of the class in it and hit F11 it actually goes into the .dll

So I might have:

MyLibrary test = new MyLibrary()

test.getStudentCount();

that would say be my method. Now when I would put a debug line in there and it go their and I hit F11. It would go actually into it.

I thought .dlls could not be opened up so what is going on?

Since VS 2005, the default settings for BOTH Release builds and Debug builds of your assemblies allow the run-time to attach a debugger.

The default Release build attaches the following attribute to your assembly:

[assembly: Debuggable(DebuggableAttribute.DebuggingModes.Igno reSymbolStoreSequencePoints)]

The default Debug build attaches:

[assembly: Debuggable(DebuggableAttribute.DebuggingModes.Disa bleOptimizations | DebuggableAttribute.DebuggingModes.EnableEditAndCo ntinue | DebuggableAttribute.DebuggingModes.IgnoreSymbolSto reSequencePoints | DebuggableAttribute.DebuggingModes.Default)]

The run-time can attach a debugger to assembiles running in either of these debugging modes.

If you want an assembly that the run-time can’t attach a debugger to, right click your project file and select properties, click the Build tab, then the Advanced button. In the Advanced Build Settings dialog under Output --> Debug Info, select ‘None’. This will generate an assembly with no DebuggableAttribute, and a debugger won’t be able to attach to it. The VS default setting for Debug builds is ‘full’, and the default setting for Release builds is ‘pdb-only’. Generally, you will want to hold on to .pdb files for your Release builds too, though. Hence the default. No one will be able to step into your class libraries anyway unless they can first step into a source code file that references them. But you being able to step into your class libraries when working with your own source code is a good thing.

HTH,

Bob

Thanks.