Is it necessary to deploy the XML file in a class library?

Question

I have developed a lot of class library projects in VS 2012 to be used in Windows Forms and Web forms applications.

The question is simple. Do I need to deploy the DLL file itself together with the XML file that is created?

For example, the class library project is called DataWare. Upon building, I got 5 files in Release folder (this project reference Entity Framework):

• DataWare.dll
• DataWare.pdb
• DataWare.dll.config
• EntityFramework.dll
• EntityFramework.xml

I know that ".pdb" file contains debugging information, so there is no need to deploy. The ".config" file is not taken into account. Instead the App.config or Web.config are.

Regarding this, I think I have to deploy just DataWare.dll and EntityFramework.dll.

However, the main doubt is if I need to deploy EntityFramework.xml as well.

Regards Jaime

Answer 1

The XML file contains the doc comments for the public types & members in the assembly.

You only need it if you want Visual Studio to show documentation in IntelliSense.

If you're deploying a consumer-facing app (as opposed to a developer-facing reusable library), you do not need it.