AssemblyVersionCompare

A command-line utility for comparing assembly versions between two directories. This tool helps identify version differences, missing assemblies, and deployment discrepancies.

Usage

AssemblyVersionCompare.exe <source-path> <compare-path>

Parameters:

• source-path - The first directory to scan for assemblies
• compare-path - The second directory to compare against

What It Does

The tool recursively scans both directories for .dll files and:

1. Identifies Missing Assemblies - Reports assemblies present in one directory but not the other
2. Compares Versions - Highlights assemblies with different versions between directories
3. Provides Clear Output - Shows relative paths and version information for easy identification

Example Usage

Basic Comparison

AssemblyVersionCompare.exe "C:\MyApp\v1.0" "C:\MyApp\v2.0"

Deployment Verification

AssemblyVersionCompare.exe "C:\Build\Release" "C:\Deploy\Production"

Environment Comparison

AssemblyVersionCompare.exe "\\server1\app" "\\server2\app"

Sample Output

Assembly Version Comparer
Assembly in source folder but missing from compare: Libraries\CustomLibrary.dll
MyApp.Core.dll version 1.2.3.0 is different to compare version of 1.2.4.0
MyApp.Data.dll version 2.1.0.0 is different to compare version of 2.0.0.0
Assembly in compare folder but missing from source: Plugins\NewPlugin.dll

Output Scenarios

Missing Assemblies

Assembly in source folder but missing from compare: Libraries\MissingLib.dll
Assembly in compare folder but missing from source: NewComponents\AddedLib.dll

Version Differences

MyApplication.dll version 1.0.0.0 is different to compare version of 1.1.0.0
ThirdParty.Library.dll version 3.2.1.0 is different to compare version of 3.2.2.0

No Differences

When directories contain identical assemblies with matching versions, the tool produces no output (silent success).

Common Use Cases

1. Deployment Verification

Verify that a deployment contains the expected assembly versions:

# Compare local build against deployed version
AssemblyVersionCompare.exe "C:\Build\Output" "\\server\deployment\myapp"

2. Environment Synchronization

Ensure multiple environments have consistent assembly versions:

# Compare staging vs production
AssemblyVersionCompare.exe "\\staging-server\app" "\\prod-server\app"

3. Release Validation

Validate what changed between releases:

# Compare v1.0 vs v2.0 releases
AssemblyVersionCompare.exe "C:\Releases\v1.0" "C:\Releases\v2.0"

4. Dependency Analysis

Identify dependency version differences:

# Compare two different project builds
AssemblyVersionCompare.exe "C:\ProjectA\bin" "C:\ProjectB\bin"

5. CI/CD Pipeline Validation

# In build script - compare artifacts against reference
AssemblyVersionCompare.exe "%BUILD_OUTPUT%" "%REFERENCE_BUILD%"
if %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 echo "Assembly differences detected"

Integration with Build Scripts

Batch Script Integration

@echo off
echo Comparing build outputs...
AssemblyVersionCompare.exe "C:\Build\Current" "C:\Build\Previous"

if %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 0 (
    echo No assembly differences found
) else (
    echo Assembly differences detected - check output above
    exit /b 1
)

PowerShell Integration

$sourcePath = "C:\Build\Release"
$comparePath = "C:\Deploy\Current"

Write-Host "Comparing assemblies..."
& "AssemblyVersionCompare.exe" $sourcePath $comparePath

if ($LASTEXITCODE -eq 0) {
    Write-Host "✓ Assembly versions match" -ForegroundColor Green
} else {
    Write-Host "⚠ Assembly version differences found" -ForegroundColor Yellow
}