Embedding DLLs in a compiled executable

Question

Is it possible to embed a pre-existing DLL into a compiled C# executable (so that you only have one file to distribute)? If it is possible, how would one go about doing it?<

Answer 1

The excerpt by Jeffrey Richter is very good. In short, add the library's as embedded resources and add a callback before anything else. Here is a version of the code (found in the comments of his page) that I put at the start of Main method for a console app (just make sure that any calls that use the library's are in a different method to Main).

AppDomain.CurrentDomain.AssemblyResolve += (sender, bargs) =>
        {
            String dllName = new AssemblyName(bargs.Name).Name + ".dll";
            var assem = Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly();
            String resourceName = assem.GetManifestResourceNames().FirstOrDefault(rn => rn.EndsWith(dllName));
            if (resourceName == null) return null; // Not found, maybe another handler will find it
            using (var stream = assem.GetManifestResourceStream(resourceName))
            {
                Byte[] assemblyData = new Byte[stream.Length];
                stream.Read(assemblyData, 0, assemblyData.Length);
                return Assembly.Load(assemblyData);
            }
        };