PRB: PEVerify.exe causes problem with EnvDTE.dll verifying Visual Studio 2005 add-ins

Author:	Carlos J. Quintero (Microsoft MVP)	Applies to:	Microsoft Visual Studio 2005
Date:	September 2007

Introduction

When using the peverify.exe tool of the .NET Framework 2.0 SDK to verify Visual Studio 2005 add-ins, you can get errors like these:

[found ref 'EnvDTE.ProjectItem'][expected ref 'EnvDTE.ProjectItem'] Unexpected type on the stack.
[found ref 'EnvDTE.Project'][expected ref 'EnvDTE.Project'] Unexpected type on the stack.
Unable to resolve token.
Etc.

More Information

This problem happens if your add-in uses the VSLangProj.dll, because that assembly references EnvDTE.dll version 7.0.3300.0 while Visual Studio 2005 add-ins reference EnvDTE.dll version 8.0.0.0.

To solve this problem:

If your add-in dll is named "myaddin.dll", create a text file with the name "myaddin.dll.config"

Place this content inside that config file (no changes to the content are required):

<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<configuration>
   <runtime>
      <assemblyBinding xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1" >
   <probing privatePath="PublicAssemblies;PrivateAssemblies" />
   <dependentAssembly>
<assemblyIdentity name="EnvDTE" publicKeyToken="b03f5f7f11d50a3a" culture="neutral" />
<bindingRedirect oldVersion="7.0.3300.0" newVersion="8.0.0.0" />
</dependentAssembly>
</assemblyBinding>
   </runtime>
</configuration>

Once that file is placed in the same folder than the add-in dll, the peverify.exe tool will work fine.

Note: Visual Studio 2005 has a "devenv.exe.config" file in the "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\Common7\IDE" folder that does the same for things to work fine in the IDE.

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