Different views of the GAC

Each computer wherein the common language runtime is installed has a machine-wide code cache called the Global Assembly Cache. This Global Assembly Cache stores .NET assemblies specifically designated to be shared by several applications on that computer.

• Shell Extension [SHFusion.dll] (default)
  Go to Run Window in Start Menu : "%systemroot%\assembly".
  
• GAC Directory Browsing

Go to Run Window in Start Menu : "%systemroot%\assembly\GAC".

The first view is the default view, but the second view helps you to find/locate the real assembly that you might need! There is also a registry modification possible to override the default view to the second view :

• Open Registry with regedit, browse to HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Fusion
• Add a REG_DWORD value named "DisableCacheViewer"' and set it's value to 1

Developers also face a very common issue in Visual Studio when they want to add a reference to an assembly in the Global Assembly Cache. The problem is that the Add Reference dialog box is path-based and does not enumerate the components from the GAC. See this Knowledge Base Article for a possible workaround.

VISUG Event - online evaluation

Our last VISUG event on February 1, 2007 at Utopolis (Mechelen - Belgium) was a great success with almost 250 attendees. Scott Guthrie delivered two excellent sessions about Visual Studio Orcas and ASP.NET (Ajax). Tom Mertens has already put the video online of the first presentation : A First Look At Visual Studio "Orcas". Thanks Tom for being so fast!



If you were present at the event, please don't forget to give your feedback via the online evaluation form. After filling out the form you will be able to download all slides of the event and there are also some goodies (free license Visual Studio 2005 Professional, free entrance ticket Dev & IT Pro Days 2007, free software license ComponentArt, 10% discount on courses from Neomatics) to win!

Last but not least : the VISUG is still looking for new topics, speakers, locations, sponsors, volunteers, ... If you want to help us or participate in our team, please send us a mail at board@visug.be.

See you all on our next events!