Merging .NET application with its configuration

Question

I have a .NET executable.

For this executable, I need to merge it together with its configuration to get only one file.

This configuration can be anything, not only app.config file and it is static and will never change after merging. But it will be dynamic before merging. So I can end up with many executables each with different configuration build-in.

The merging process will be run programaticaly, with configuration being parameters and needs to be reasonably fast.

Anyone had similiar problem? I was thinking about merging using ILMerge with resources, but I dont know if it can do it. Or I can build whole exacutable with devenv, this requires VisualStudio to be installed on the PC, that is merging, which will not always be the case. And I don't think it will be fast enough.

Edit: After looking around for a second and trying something, maybe Mono.Cecil can do the work. In my executable, I will create a static Configuration class, which will have properties with my configuration. And using IL rewrite, I will change what those properties return. Any opinions about this?

EndangeredMassa · Accepted Answer · 2012-01-12 14:23:04Z

1

You can change the build property of the file to Embedded Resource and the Copy to Output to false. Then, to get the config info, use code like this:

string ReadEmbeddedResource(string fileName) {
  Assembly app = Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly();

  // This will be the fully-qualified name
  Stream resource = app.GetManifestResourceStream(app.GetName().Name + "." + fileName);

  StreamReader reader = new StreamReader(resource);
  return reader.ReadToEnd();        
}

Now, the app.config file should no longer be copied to your build directory and you can still reference from within your exe.

answered Jan 12, 2012 at 14:23

EndangeredMassa

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3 Comments

Euphoric Over a year ago

The configuration is not part of the solution. So there is no file I can set as Embeded Resource.

EndangeredMassa Over a year ago

Can you not include it? You can even set up a link to the file instead of the file itself.

Euphoric Over a year ago

It is possiblity. But then I would need to automaticaly build the whole application along with the configuration. I would like to only inject/merge the configuration into existing executable.

Keagan Ladds · Accepted Answer · 2012-01-12 14:10:22Z

0

You can use the "Embedded Resource" option included with visual studio. Select the file that you want to merge into the EXE from the Solution Explorer, Right Click, Select Properties. In the properties window set the "Build Action" to "Embedded Resource". Add that file to the project resources as per usual.

answered Jan 12, 2012 at 14:10

Keagan Ladds

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5 Comments

Euphoric Over a year ago

This is the "use devenv" option I mentioned. It requires VS to be installed and whole executable to be compiled.

Keagan Ladds Over a year ago

So do you want to be able to add this extra file to an already compiled EXE by using a separate "Injector Application"?

Euphoric Over a year ago

The separate injector application would be preffered. Even more preffered if I can simply output stream out of it, instead of having files as output.

Keagan Ladds Over a year ago

How would you like to be able to access this data after it has been embedded?

Keagan Ladds Over a year ago

Because the EXE's outputted by a managed compiler are still technically in the PE format, I would create a new section at the end of the PE, mark it as 'READ ONLY' and put my data there. But I think that's a bit overboard for what you are looking for.

Keagan Ladds · Accepted Answer · 2012-01-12 19:48:59Z

0

Because the EXE's format outputted by a managed compiler are still technically in the PE format, I would create a new section at the end of the PE, mark it as 'READ ONLY' and put my data there. But I think that's a bit overboard for what you are looking for

answered Jan 12, 2012 at 19:48

Keagan Ladds

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Comments

Leon · Accepted Answer · 2012-01-12 19:56:17Z

0

Are you looking for something like an embedded database?

Then in your build you can have a DB-prep be a step in the process, copy the right DB to your solution before the project/solution is compiled.

We've done this to modify Assembly version files pre-build, but any automated build tool (MSBuild, NAnt) could do this with some creativity.

answered Jan 12, 2012 at 19:56

Leon

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