Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD) Certification Practice Test

How can you load an assembly using Reflection?

1. By initializing it with a specific path

2. With the Assembly.Load method

3. Through the LoadAssembly method

4. By reading the binary directly

The correct answer is: With the Assembly.Load method

Loading an assembly using Reflection can be effectively achieved through the Assembly.Load method. This method is part of the .NET Framework and allows developers to load an assembly into the application domain at runtime, providing access to its types and members. When using Assembly.Load, you can specify the assembly by its name, which means that the runtime will locate the assembly based on that name in the Global Assembly Cache (GAC) or in the execution directory. This method does not require you to provide the complete file path, making it convenient for loading assemblies that are already known to the runtime. Considerations for the other options clarify why they might not be the best choices. For instance, while initializing an assembly with a specific path can be done, it isn't the standard approach for loading assemblies using Reflection. LoadAssembly, although it sounds plausible, does not exist in the .NET Framework's Reflection functionality. Reading the binary directly could allow for manual loading of an assembly, yet this method would bypass the conveniences and checks provided by the Reflection APIs, making it far less common and practical in most applications. Thus, the most straightforward and recommended method for loading an assembly at runtime in a .NET application context is indeed the Assembly.Load method.