Assembly.GetCallingAssembly Method

Definition

Namespace:

System.Reflection

Assembly:

System.Runtime.dll

Source:

Assembly.CoreCLR.cs

Returns the Assembly of the method that invoked the currently executing method.

public:
 static System::Reflection::Assembly ^ GetCallingAssembly();

public static System.Reflection.Assembly GetCallingAssembly ();

static member GetCallingAssembly : unit -> System.Reflection.Assembly

Public Shared Function GetCallingAssembly () As Assembly

Returns

Assembly

The Assembly object of the method that invoked the currently executing method.

Examples

The following example gets the calling assembly of the current method.

using namespace System;
using namespace System::Reflection;

void main()
{
   // Instantiate a target object.
   Int32 integer1 = 0;
   // Set the Type instance to the target class type.
   Type^ type1 = integer1.GetType();
   // Instantiate an Assembly class to the assembly housing the Integer type.
   Assembly^ sampleAssembly = Assembly::GetAssembly(integer1.GetType());
   // Display the name of the assembly that is calling the method.
   Console::WriteLine("GetCallingAssembly = {0}", Assembly::GetCallingAssembly()->FullName);
}
// The example displays output like the following:
//    GetCallingAssembly = Example, Version=0.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null

// Assembly FirstAssembly
using System;
using System.Reflection;
using System.Runtime.CompilerServices;

namespace FirstAssembly
{
    public class InFirstAssembly
    {
        public static void Main()
        {
            FirstMethod();
            SecondAssembly.InSecondAssembly.OtherMethod();
        }

        [MethodImpl(MethodImplOptions.NoInlining)]
        public static void FirstMethod()
        {
            Console.WriteLine("FirstMethod called from: " + Assembly.GetCallingAssembly().FullName);
        }
    }
}

// Assembly SecondAssembly
namespace SecondAssembly
{
    class InSecondAssembly
    {
        [MethodImpl(MethodImplOptions.NoInlining)]
        public static void OtherMethod()
        {
            Console.WriteLine("OtherMethod executing assembly: " + Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().FullName);
            Console.WriteLine("OtherMethod called from: " + Assembly.GetCallingAssembly().FullName);
        }
    }
}
// The example produces output like the following:
// "FirstMethod called from: FirstAssembly, Version=0.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null"
// "OtherMethod executing assembly: SecondAssembly, Version=0.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null"
// "OtherMethod called from: FirstAssembly, Version=0.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null"

Imports System.Reflection

Module Example
   Public Sub Main()
      ' Instantiate a target object.
      Dim int1 As Integer
      ' Set the Type instance to the target class type.
      Dim type1 As Type =int1.GetType()
      ' Instantiate an Assembly class to the assembly housing the Integer type.
      Dim sampleAssembly = Assembly.GetAssembly(int1.GetType())
      ' Display the name of the assembly that is calling the method.
      Console.WriteLine(("GetCallingAssembly = " + Assembly.GetCallingAssembly().FullName))
   End Sub
End Module
' The example displays output like the following:
'   GetCallingAssembly = Example, Version=0.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null

Remarks

If the method that calls the GetCallingAssembly method is expanded inline by the just-in-time (JIT) compiler, or if its caller is expanded inline, the assembly that is returned by GetCallingAssembly may differ unexpectedly. For example, consider the following methods and assemblies:

• Method M1 in assembly A1 calls GetCallingAssembly.

• Method M2 in assembly A2 calls M1.

• Method M3 in assembly A3 calls M2.

When M1 is not inlined, GetCallingAssembly returns A2. When M1 is inlined, GetCallingAssembly returns A3. Similarly, when M2 is not inlined, GetCallingAssembly returns A2. When M2 is inlined, GetCallingAssembly returns A3.

This effect also occurs when M1 executes as a tail call from M2, or when M2 executes as a tail call from M3. You can prevent the JIT compiler from inlining the method that calls GetCallingAssembly, by applying the MethodImplAttribute attribute with the MethodImplOptions.NoInlining flag, but there is no similar mechanism for preventing tail calls.