Using Side-by-Side Assemblies as a Resource
You can add a manifest to a application as a resource in the application's binary executable header file. The value of the MANIFEST_RESOURCE_ID determines how the side-by-side assembly dependencies described in the manifest are used by the loader.
If you set the MANIFEST_RESOURCE_ID to 1, the loader uses the side-by-side assembly dependencies specified in the manifest as the process default. All plug-ins also use this process default.
The following table summarizes how the loader uses the manifest for different values of MANIFEST_RESOURCE_ID when the application is compiled with the -DISOLATION_AWARE_ENABLED flag. Note that the values 1-16 are reserved for use by Windows XP. A developer may use other values if they wish to manage the activation contexts using the functions describe in the Activation Context Reference.
| Value of MANIFEST_RESOURCE_ID | Manifest specifies the Process Default? | Use for Static Imports? | Use for an EXE? | Use for a DLL? | Uses Side-by-Side version of assemblies if compiled with -DISOLATION_AWARE_ENABLED? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| 2 | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 3 | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
MANIFEST_RESOURCE_ID 1 should be used for applications that do not host plug-ins. Use MANIFEST_RESOURCE_ID 1 when all parts of the application should use the version of the side-by-side assembly specified in the manifest. For more information, see Enabling an Assembly in an Application Without Extensions.
MANIFEST_RESOURCE_ID 2 should be used for applications that host third-party controls or plug-ins. In this case, the manifest affects all side-by-side assemblies being loaded by static loading, calls to DllMain, and calls redirected by -DISOLATION_AWARE_ENABLED. For more information, see Enabling an Assembly in an Application Hosting a DLL, Extension, or Control Panel.
MANIFEST_RESOURCE_ID 3 should be used for redirecting calls by -DISOLATION_AWARE_ENABLED only. Loading by other methods are unaffected.