Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD) Certification Practice Test

Which method is recommended for loading an assembly in .NET?

1. LoadFile

2. LoadFrom

3. Load

4. CreateInstance

The correct answer is: Load

The recommended method for loading an assembly in .NET is the Load method because it provides a straightforward way to initiate the loading of an assembly into the application domain. This method is part of the System.Reflection.Assembly class and is designed to automatically handle various versioning issues and dependencies, ensuring that the assembly is loaded from the Global Assembly Cache (GAC) or the application's base directory. Using Load, the .NET runtime takes care of the necessary security checks and version binding information, making it the safest option for loading assemblies. Moreover, it simplifies the process of assembly resolution, allowing for a more maintainable solution when managing assembly references in multi-version scenarios. In contrast, the other methods have specific use cases that can lead to complications or incorrect behavior if not used appropriately. For instance, LoadFile directly loads an assembly from a specified file path, but it does not resolve dependencies nor does it handle version binding, which can result in loading issues. The LoadFrom method is designed for loading assemblies from a specified path as well, but it uses a different context that can potentially lead to conflicts between assembly versions. Lastly, CreateInstance is used to create an instance of a type defined in an assembly, but it does not specifically load the assembly itself.