Does the linker simply merge multiple assemblies together?
No. The linker intelligently searches only the required methods and codes. Code is not called from the entry points will not exist in the final assembly. Therefore, the final assembly always has a smaller size than the sum of those assemblies merged. The linker does, however, provide an option for merging assemblies together, which might be useful in certain circumstances. For example, if you have two small assemblies that some of their private methods are needed by other assemblies (possibly through reflections), then you may simply merge them together. • Can I generate a mini package for my application without any linking? Yes. The linking and mini-deployment are independent, although there are provided from the same tool. You can perform mini-deployment without linking any assemblies if you are not concerned with disk spaces. In some situations where linking introduces runtime problems, mini-deployment might be the only way to go. • Can I link assemblies together without generating
