Use Visual Studio Setup Project to automatically register and GAC a COM Interop DLL

Question

I've created a .NET assembly for COM interop and it is working well on my development machine. I'm currently trying to figure out how to deploy the DLL to a target machine using Visual Studio's "Setup Project." How can I use the VIsual Studio setup project to do the following things:

• Register the assembly (currently using regasm).
  • The assembly needs to be registered successfully and the type library (.tlb) needs to be registered successfully.
  • This answer suggests scrapping regasm in favor of custom code. I this is a good idea? If so, how does this code get included in the setup project?
  • This answer suggests using the /regfile command of regasm and then using the import tool on the Registry in the Setup Project. Will this work?
• Install the assembly in the GAC (currently using gacutil)
  • I'm aware of the "Global Assembly Cache Folder" in the "File System on Target Machine." Is there anything special I need to do in including the assembly in the setup project?

Any other advice or concerns would be much appreciated.

Answer 1

Gacutil.exe won't be available on the target machine. Not a problem, MSI can get the job done. Right-click "File System on Target Machine", Add, GAC. Right-click that added folder, Add, Project Output. That ensures the assembly is gac-ed.

It can also register the assembly like Regasm.exe does. Set the Register property of the project output reference to vsdrpCOM.