.NET Framework Tools

[dhilipkumar]

The Microsoft framework tools are designed to make it easier to create, deploy and manage applications and components that target the .NET Framework.

The .NET Framework tools can be divided into the following categories.

1.    Configuration and Deployment tools     

2.    Debugging tools

3.    Security tools

4.    General tools

In this article we will be discussing the following tools. 

1.    gacutil.exe

2.    sn.exe

3.    al.exe

4.    aspnet_regiis.exe

5.    aspnet_compiler.exe

6.    dbgCLR.exe

7.    aspnet_regsql.exe

8.    installutil.exe

9.    disco.exe

10. ildasm.exe

11. ilasm.exe

12. aspnet_regbrowsers.exe

13. wsdl.exe

[dhilipkumar]

Gacutil.exe - An Insight
Gacutil.exe is a .NET utility library which provides the command-line interface tool that manages the Global Assembly Cache.

The global assembly cache util tool is used to view and manipulate the contents of the global assembly cache.

The command syntax of the gacutil.exe tool looks like the following.

gacutil [options] [assembly name | assembly path | assembly listfile]

assemblyName  :  The name of the assembly.

assemblyPath   :    The path of the file that contains the assembly manifest.

assemblyListFile :  The path to an ANSI text file that lists assemblies to install or uninstall.



some of the commands of Gacutil.exe tool through which we can manage the Global Assembly Cache.


  /l  -  This command is used to display the list of all the assemblies that are contained in the Global Assembly Cache.

/I assemblypath - This command is used to deploy a strongly named assembly into Global Assembly Cache.

/u - This command is used to remove a DLL from Global Assembly Cache.

/h - This command displays the command syntax and options for the tool.

[dhilipkumar]

Sn.exe - An Insight

This is the tool which helps assemblies to sign with strong names. Sn.ex provides various options for key management, signature generation and signature verification.

Here are the some of the commands of Sn.exe tool through which we can manage the strong key and signing an assembly.

  -k  - Creates a random key pair and stores in a file.

    Eg :  sn –k keypair.snk

    -v - This command is used to check whether the assembly is valid or not.

   Eg:  Sn –v  TestAssem.dll

-p - This command is used to extract the key pair value from one file to another file.

Eg: sn –p  kepair.snk ss.snk

   -? - Displays all the options available for the tool.

Eg :  sn –?

[dhilipkumar]

Al.exe - An Insight

The Assembly linker tool generates a file with an assembly manifest from one or files that are either modules or resource files.

The general syntax of using tool is as below:

Al Source options

Here are the some of the commands of the al.exe and their description in detail.

/embed[resource file name]

This command embeds the file into an image and copies the contents of the file into the portable executable file.
The output for the resource file will be a  assembly which is called satellite assembly.


/link [resource file name]

The file name can be in any of the format and here the file is not copied. This option will generate a native dll and can be installed in the global assembly cache.

/bugreport : file name

Creates a bug report in the specified path if there are any bugs.

/c:text

This option is used to specify the culture for the assembly.

[dhilipkumar]

Aspnet_regiis.exe - An Insight

This tool is mainly used to register the ASP.NET version coupled with the tool and many other configuration operations.

   -c - Installs the client-side scripts for ASP.NET, such as client-side validation scripts, to the aspnet_client subdirectory of each IIS site directory.

Eg  :   Aspnet_regiis -e

    -e - Removes the client-side scripts for ASP.NET from the aspnet_client subdirectory of each IIS site directory.

  -i      - Installs the version of ASP.NET associated with Aspnet_regiis.exe and updates the script maps at the IIS metabase root and below.


-lk   - Lists the path and version of all IIS metabase keys where ASP.NET is mapped.

Eg :  Aspnet_regiis  -lk

[dhilipkumar]

DbgClr.exe - An Insight

This tool mainly provides the services for debugging the solutions to find out the bugs and fix the bugs. This tool provides debugging services like rich Graphical interface and helps developers to debug the applications that target the common language runtime.

Microsoft visual studio debugger and DbgCLR.exe are much the same with only some differences.

Here are the some of the differences between Microsoft visual studio debugger and DbgCRL.exe debugger:

Using DbgClr.exe, we cannot debug the win32 native code applications.

Only applications targeted to common language runtime can be debugged using DbgCLR.exe.

Remote dubbing is not possible using DbgCRL.exe.

The CRL debugger does not support the auto windows feature.

This is all about DbgCLR.exe tool.

[denniscrrom]

The. NET Framework tools introduced in this regard will be automatically installed when you install Visual Studio. The different types of tools provided by the .NET framework are as unser :

- Web Services Description Language tool
- Microsoft CLR Debugger
- Web Services Discovery Tool

[pradeep prem]

there are many tools in this website its easy to use

thanks for share