In .NET, an assembly may become a DLL or an EXE. Yet, there is a major difference between the two.
An EXE is an executable file, that may run on its own. Its independant. Where as a DLL is a Dynamic Link Library, that binds to an exe, or another DLL at runtime.
A DLL has an exposed interface, through which members of the assembly may be accessed by those objects that require it.
A DLL runs in tandem with the application space in memory, as the application references it. Whereas an EXE is independant, and runs as an independant process.
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| Author: andy robarts 02 May 2008 | Member Level: Gold Points : 2 |
.exe is generally a background server that doesn't have any user interface (UI).
.app is the visible application part with the UI (and can communicate with .exe programs using various IPC, Inter-Process Communications mechanisms).
.dll is a Dynamic Link Library, which contain callable, shared code (that can be called from .exe or .app files).
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| Author: shobhit jain 02 May 2008 | Member Level: Bronze Points : 2 |
An exe is a independent program that gets executed directly on the system. An exe claims it own resources to run on the system e.g. memory space etc.
While a Dll only contains some exposed functionalities which can be used by an exe, and the Dll consumes the resources of an exe e.g. a Dll always runs in the address space of an exe
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| Author: Vijaykumar Patil 03 May 2008 | Member Level: Gold Points : 2 |
Dll runs is an in process server running in the same memory space as the client process.
Exe is an out of process server which runs in it's own separate memory space.
Full name of .exe is Extensible Execute File.
Full name of .dll is Dynamic Link Library.
Exe file is an executable file, which runs in a separate process, which is managed by OS, where as a dll file is a dynamic link library, which can be used in exe files, and other dll files. In .net framework both are assemblies.
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| Author: Sriram 04 May 2008 | Member Level: Gold Points : 2 |
Exe is an Inprocess Server .It means it will occupy the own memory space .Exe some entry point is available called Main().
Dll is an out of Process Server.it will occupy the memory space is random wise .
Dll there is no any entry point like Main()
execution wise fast is Dll compare to Exe.
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| Author: venkat kamal 04 May 2008 | Member Level: Gold Points : 2 |
EXE file is one which gets executed and we can access the program from that,whereas DLL file is one in which we cannot directly access the file and it has to be used in another application in order to reduce the code.
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