Reference VB.NET DLL in Kofax Document Validation Script

Question

We are working on a validation script for Kofax Capture 9.0 / 10.0 in VB.NET 3.5. We know how to create a script using the Admin Module, and how to get it operational.

The problem is that we need to reference a dll, located on a remote machine. (GAC is no option) This dll holds abstract classes we need in each validation script.

Even when putting the dlls locally (copy local), the Validation Module (index.exe) immediately throws the "cannot find reference" exception, even though the project compiled perfectly.

I guess the basic question comes down to: where do we put the dlls, in order for the Validation Module to find them?

Answer 1

We found a solution: add all library files as "links" to the project. (Add --> Existing File --> small arrow next to "Add" --> Add as Link) This ensures the files are compiled when you build the project. The Kofax Validation Module can now find the files, whereas when referencing the file, it could not. Why it could not, remains a mystery...

Answer 2

The simple answer is to put the dll in the same folder as the application because this is one of the places which .NET will probe when trying to find it. The Validation module is run from the Capture bin directory which will be something like "C:\Program Files (x86)\Kofax\CaptureSS\ServLib\Bin\". This would need to be done on each client using Validation.

If you have a more complicated scenario, you could look implementing the AppDomain.AssemblyResolve Event and using Assembly.LoadFile to get the assembly from a custom location, but the using the bin path is less complicated.

If you end up having further trouble, you can troubleshoot by using the Assembly Binding Log Viewer (Fuslogvw.exe) which can tell you more details about why the assembly failed to load and where .NET tried to search for it. Assembly loading can fail for reasons other than just the path.

For more detail on how .NET loads assemblies, see the following:

• How the Runtime Locates Assemblies
• Locating the Assembly through Codebases or Probing