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<qualifyAssembly> Element

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Specifies the full name of the assembly that should be dynamically loaded when a partial name is used.

<configuration>
  <runtime>
    <assemblyBinding>
      <qualifyAssembly>

Syntax

      <qualifyAssembly partialName=  
      "PartialAssemblyName"  
                 fullName="FullAssemblyName"/>

Attributes and Elements

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

Attribute Description
partialName Required attribute.

Specifies the partial name of the assembly as it appears in the code.
fullName Required attribute.

Specifies the full name of the assembly as it appears in the global assembly cache.

Child Elements

None.

Parent Elements

Element Description
assemblyBinding Contains information about assembly version redirection and the locations of assemblies.
configuration The root element in every configuration file used by the common language runtime and .NET Framework applications.
runtime Contains information about assembly binding and garbage collection.

Remarks

Calling the Assembly.Load method using partial assembly names causes the common language runtime to look for the assembly only in the application base directory. Use the <qualifyAssembly> element in your application configuration file to provide the full assembly information (name, version, public key token, and culture) and cause the common language runtime to search for the assembly in the global assembly cache.

The fullName attribute must include the four fields of assembly identity: name, version, public key token, and culture. The partialName attribute must partially reference an assembly. You must specify at least the assembly's text name (the most common case), but you can also include version, public key token, or culture (or any combination of the four, but not all four). The partialName must match the name specified in your call. For example, you cannot specify "math" as the partialName attribute in your configuration file and call Assembly.Load("math, Version=3.3.3.3") in your code.

Example

The following example logically turns the call Assembly.Load("math") into Assembly.Load("math,version=1.0.0.0,publicKeyToken=a1690a5ea44bab32,culture=neutral").

<configuration>  
   <runtime>  
      <assemblyBinding xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1">  
         <qualifyAssembly partialName="math"
                         fullName=  
"math,version=1.0.0.0,publicKeyToken=a1690a5ea44bab32,culture=neutral"/>  
      </assemblyBinding>  
   </runtime>  
</configuration>

See also