Working with Reflector.Diff
(Page 1 of 4 )
In this part of our continuing series on working with code libraries, you will learn about Reflector.Diff. This library is helpful when comparing differences between assemblies. This article is excerpted from chapter four of the book
Windows Developer Power Tools, written by James Avery and Jim Holmes (O'Reilly; ISBN: 0596527543). Copyright © 2006 O'Reilly Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission from the publisher. Available from booksellers or direct from O'Reilly Media.
4.5 Comparing Assemblies with Reflector.Diff
The ability to compare differences between assemblies can be useful when spelunking through new versions of an application or framework. Reflector.Diff, a Reflector add-in written by Sean Hederman, graphically displays the differences between two assemblies, or two versions of the same assembly. The assembly differences may then be exported to an XML difference report if required.
One way of using Reflector.Diff is to help track down the emergence of bugs. It can be difficult to determine exactly what change introduced a particular bug in a large project, when many developers are frequently checking code into and out of source control. But by differencing the last known good version and the later, buggy version, you can quickly zero in on specific changes. Looking at source code assembly changes can reveal the source of a bug and also provide a list of target source files to examine within your source control system.
Reflector.Diff at a Glance
Tool | Reflector.Diff |
Version covered | 0.75 |
Home page | http://www.codingsanity.com/diff.htm |
Power Tools page | http://www.windevpowertools.com/tools/149 |
Summary | Reflector add-in for showing differences between assemblies |
License type | Freeware, with source |
Online resources | Online description page, email |
Supported Frameworks | .NET 1.0, 1.1, 2.0 |
Related tools in this book | Reflector, LibCheck |
Getting Started
Reflector.Diff runs on versions 1.0, 1.1, and 2.0 of the .NET Framework. The current version is compiled against Reflector v4.2. It will difference any CLR assembly that Reflector is capable of reading.
Reflector.Diff’s download is a simple .zip file, which you download from the tool’s home page. You’ll need to extract it to the directory containing Reflector.
Next: Using Reflector.Diff >>
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 This article is excerpted from chapter four of the book Windows Developer Power Tools, written by James Avery and Jim Holmes (O'Reilly; ISBN: 0596527543). Check it out today at your favorite bookstore. Buy this book now.
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