Using the C# code provider and the ICodeCompiler.CompileAssemblyFromSource
method, I am attempting to compile a code file in order to produce an executable assembly.
The code that I would like to compile makes use of features such as optional parameters and extension methods that are only available when using the language C# 4.
Having said that, the code that I would like to compile only requires (and needs) to target version 2.0 of the .NET Framework.
Using the proceeding code it is possible to avoid any compile-time errors pertaining to syntax however, the resulting assembly will target version 4.0 of the framework which is undesirable.
var compiler = new CSharpCodeProvider(
new Dictionary<string, string> { { "CompilerVersion", "v4.0" } } );
How can I make is so that the code provider targets language version 4.0 but produces an assembly that only requires version 2.0 of the framework?
You need to instruct the C# compiler (that CSharpCodeProvider uses indirectly) that you want to link to another mscorlib.dll, using the /nostdlib option. Here is a sample that should do it:
static void Main(string[] args)
{
// defines references
List<string> references = new List<string>();
// get a reference to the mscorlib you want
var mscorlib_2_x86 = Path.Combine(
Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.Windows),
@"Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\mscorlib.dll");
references.Add(mscorlib_2_x86);
// ... add other references (System.dll, etc.)
var provider = new CSharpCodeProvider(
new Dictionary<string, string> { { "CompilerVersion", "v4.0" } });
var parameters = new CompilerParameters(references.ToArray(), "program.exe");
parameters.GenerateExecutable = true;
// instruct the compiler not to use the default mscorlib
parameters.CompilerOptions = "/nostdlib";
var results = provider.CompileAssemblyFromSource(parameters,
@"using System;
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
Console.WriteLine(""Hello world from CLR version: "" + Environment.Version);
}
}");
}
If you run this, it should compile a program.exe file. If you run that file, it should display something like this:
Hello world from CLR version: 2.0.50727.7905