Exposing WCF data type to external modules

Question

Im doing a client server application. The server part is implemented with a WCF service. The WCF service exposes data types via service contract. The client is modularized and uses MEF for DI. In the client I have a infrastructure module that references the WCF service. The infrastructure module knows about the WCF data types. My question is , is it possible to let the other modules that references the infrastructure to know about these data types without adding a reference to the WCF service in every module. Is there any way of of exposing the WCF data types

Answer 1

Normally, you have a contract dll. This contract dll contains the service interface and all dependent classes. Your WCF service and any client component will then reference this contract assembly.

As the contract assembly only contains interfaces and POCOs (Plain Old CLR Object, only data, not methods or logic), it can be referenced from virtually anywhere without giving away anything about your infrastructure.

Answer 2

nvoights answere is probably the correct one here however it is also worth mentioning that if you control both server and client then you can if you want put common objects in a dll consumed by both and ignor the WCF generate types. In some senarios that works out better than managing both the server types and the WCF generated equivalent types.