Investigate assembly redirection in .xll.config files

[govert]

It seems that assembly redirection specified in .xll.config files is not applied.
Investigate and document or fix.

[augustoproiete]

Related thread:
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/exceldna/ZUd1kckJblA

[henningniss]

Below is a reproduction scenario.

(0. Get Portable.Licensing using NuGet.)

1. Compile the cs file to a dll
2. Pack with ExcelDnaPack to an xll
3. Copy the xll file to a directory without System.Xml.Linq.
4. Start Excel with the xll and inspect the debug output.

This uses reproduction scenario uses Portable.Licensing as an example, but I am sure other libraries referencing portable versions of GAC'ed dll's would illustrate the problem just as well.

DNA:
<DnaLibrary Language="CS" RuntimeVersion="v4.0">
<ExternalLibrary Path="MyAddIn.dll" Pack="true" />
<Reference Path="Portable.Licensing.dll" Pack="true" />
</DnaLibrary>

CS:

using System;
using System.Diagnostics;
using ExcelDna.Integration;
using Portable.Licensing;

namespace MyAddIn
{
  public sealed class MyAddInHelper : IExcelAddIn
  {
    public void AutoOpen()
    {
       Debug.WriteLine("In AutoOpen()");
       try
       {
          var contents = "<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\"?><gibberish />";
          var license = License.Load(contents);
       }
       catch (Exception e)
       {
          Debug.WriteLine("Exception: {0}", e.Message);
          throw;
       }
    }

    public void AutoClose()
    {
       Debug.WriteLine("In AutoClose()");
    }
  }
}

[konne]

Hi henningniss ,
What I miss in your DNA File is the bouncing castle dll, but I didn't test your problem till now.
If you like you can also check my branch version. https://github.com/konne/ExcelDna I have changed the whole area for finding the right assembly and I also solved the issue with portable dlls (I had the problem with autofac)
If you don't get your test working with my branch I will try to test this in the end of week and debug into this issue.

bye
Konrad

[henningniss]

Hi Konrad

Forgive my ignorance, but I thought that Bouncy Castle (to the extent that I knew of its existence) was already part of the Portable.Licensing dll, and hence not required as a separate dependency.

I'll try to find some time to test your branch as well.

Henning

[stonefly]

any update on this issue?

[govert]

I've not had a closer look at this yet.