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I'm using ILMerge to create a single assembly application out of a project that contains 1 exe and 2 resource dll's:

  • \bin\Debug\test.exe
  • \bin\Debug\nl-BE\test.resources.dll
  • \bin\Debug\fr-FR\test.resources.dll

It's a simple test project with 1 form (Form1.cs), so nothing special. My goal is to create a single assembly app with a working resource manager (I have read ILMerge and localized resource assemblies and Single-assembly multi-language Windows Forms deployment (ILMerge and satellite assemblies / localization) - possible? for info on how to do this).

After compiling the project, I run ILMerge with the following command-line parameters:

ilmerge /log:test.txt /target:winexe /copyattrs /allowdup /out:test_merged.exe 
"C:\projectdir\bin\Debug\test.exe" "C:\projectdir\bin\Debug\fr-FR\test.resources.dll" 
"C:\projectdir\bin\Debug\nl-BE\test.resources.dll"

If I check the contents of the merged assembly with Reflector, I see the following under the resource tree node:

  • test.Form1.fr-FR.resources
  • test.Form1.fr-FR.resources
  • test.Form1.resources
  • test.Properties.Resources.resources

Instead of the fr-FR and nl-BE resources I have 2 times the fr-FR resources. Is this because the resource dll's have the same names ? The result is that I can only get the fr-FR resources at runtime.

Any ideas ?

Update (log file contents): (Note: Binaries are prefixed with "loc_", I left them out in my previous posting for clarity)

ILMerge version 2.10.526.0
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation 2004-2006. All rights reserved.
ILMerge /log:loc_test.txt /target:winexe /copyattrs /allowdup /out:loc_test_merged.exe c:\Users\<user>\Documents\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\loc_test\loc_test\bin\Debug\loc_test.exe C:\Users\<user>\Documents\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\loc_test\loc_test\bin\Debug\fr-FR\loc_test.resources.dll C:\Users\<user>\Documents\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\loc_test\loc_test\bin\Debug\nl-BE\loc_test.resources.dll 
Set platform to 'v2', using directory 'C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\..\v2.0.50727' for mscorlib.dll
Running on Microsoft (R) .NET Framework v2.0.50727
mscorlib.dll version = 2.0.0.0
The list of input assemblies is:
    c:\Users\<user>\Documents\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\loc_test\loc_test\bin\Debug\loc_test.exe
    C:\Users\<user>\Documents\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\loc_test\loc_test\bin\Debug\fr-FR\loc_test.resources.dll
    C:\Users\<user>\Documents\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\loc_test\loc_test\bin\Debug\nl-BE\loc_test.resources.dll
Trying to read assembly from the file 'c:\Users\<user>\Documents\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\loc_test\loc_test\bin\Debug\loc_test.exe'.
    Successfully read in assembly.
    There were no errors reported in loc_test's metadata.
Trying to read assembly from the file 'C:\Users\<user>\Documents\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\loc_test\loc_test\bin\Debug\fr-FR\loc_test.resources.dll'.
Can not find PDB file. Debug info will not be available for assembly 'C:\Users\<user>\Documents\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\loc_test\loc_test\bin\Debug\fr-FR\loc_test.resources.dll'.
    Successfully read in assembly.
    There were no errors reported in loc_test.resources's metadata.
Trying to read assembly from the file 'C:\Users\<user>\Documents\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\loc_test\loc_test\bin\Debug\nl-BE\loc_test.resources.dll'.
Can not find PDB file. Debug info will not be available for assembly 'C:\Users\<user>\Documents\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\loc_test\loc_test\bin\Debug\nl-BE\loc_test.resources.dll'.
    Successfully read in assembly.
    There were no errors reported in loc_test.resources's metadata.
Checking to see that all of the input assemblies have a compatible PeKind.
    loc_test.PeKind = ILonly
    loc_test.resources.PeKind = ILonly
    loc_test.resources.PeKind = ILonly
All input assemblies have a compatible PeKind value.
Merging assembly 'loc_test' into target assembly.
Merging assembly 'loc_test.resources' into target assembly.
Merging assembly 'loc_test.resources' into target assembly.
Merging assembly-level attributes from assembly 'loc_test' into target assembly.
Copying 2 Win32 Resources from assembly 'loc_test' into target assembly.
Transferring entry point 'loc_test.Program.Main' from assembly 'loc_test' to assembly 'loc_test_merged'.
    There were no errors reported in the target assembly's metadata.
ILMerge: Writing target assembly 'loc_test_merged.exe'.
AssemblyResolver: Assembly 'System' is referencing assembly 'System.Configuration'.
    AssemblyResolver: Attempting referencing assembly's directory.
Can not find PDB file. Debug info will not be available for assembly 'System.Configuration'.
Resolved assembly reference 'System.Configuration' to 'C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\System.Configuration.dll'. (Used referencing Module's directory.)
Location for referenced assembly 'System.Windows.Forms' is 'C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\System.Windows.Forms.dll'
    There were no errors reported in  System.Windows.Forms's metadata.
Location for referenced assembly 'System' is 'C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\System.dll'
    There were no errors reported in  System's metadata.
Location for referenced assembly 'mscorlib' is 'C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\mscorlib.dll'
    There were no errors reported in  mscorlib's metadata.
Location for referenced assembly 'System.Drawing' is 'C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\System.Drawing.dll'
    There were no errors reported in  System.Drawing's metadata.
ILMerge: Done.

Update: A zip file with the project code is available on http://www.filedropper.com/loctest

Update: Believe it or not, but if I perform the ILMerge in 2 steps, it works !

ilmerge /log:loc_test.txt /target:winexe /copyattrs /allowdup /out:loc_test_merged.exe "c:\Users\<user>\Documents\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\loc_test\loc_test\bin\Debug\loc_test.exe" "C:\Users\<user>\Documents\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\loc_test\loc_test\bin\Debug\fr-FR\loc_test.resources.dll"

ilmerge /log:loc_test.txt /target:winexe /copyattrs /allowdup /out:loc_test_merged_2.exe loc_test_merged.exe "C:\Users\<user>\Documents\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\loc_test\loc_test\bin\Debug\nl-BE\loc_test.resources.dll"

What could be the reason for this ?

Thx, Janiek

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Janiek Buysrogge
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  • Looks like you'd have to jump through the hopes outlined in the solution to http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1952638/single-assembly-multi-language-winforms-deployment-ilmerge-and-satellite-assembl – Cameron Jordan Dec 08 '10 at 16:11
  • I did read that question. It goes into detail about the ComponentResourceManager class, which can only do its job well if the necessary resources are embedded correctly by ILMerge in the first place. – Janiek Buysrogge Dec 08 '10 at 16:17
  • Please provide the output of the log file test.txt –  Dec 08 '10 at 19:10
  • If you've found an answer to your question, please provide it as an answer and accept it. – Bobby Dec 09 '10 at 10:26

1 Answers1

4

While I don't know the details on the reason why ILMerge integrates the assemblies correctly in 2 steps, this seems to be the only solution at the moment. Check my last edit in the question to see how I did this.

I'm still curious though why it fails to do so in 1 step...

Janiek Buysrogge
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