.NET Reflector

Infobox_Software
name = .NET Reflector


caption =
sponsor =
latest_release_version = 5.1.3
latest_release_date = release date|2008|09|18
operating_system = Windows
genre = Developer Utility
license = Free, Proprietary
website = http://www.red-gate.com/products/reflector

.NET Reflector is a free software utility for Microsoft .NET combining class browser, static analysis and decompiler, originally written by Lutz Roeder. MSDN Magazine named it as one of the Ten Must-Have utilities for developers, [cite web|url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/cc300497.aspx|title=Ten Must-Have Tools Every Developer Should Download Now|last=Avery|first=James|date=2004-07-01|publisher=MSDN Magazine|accessdate=2008-08-20] Scott Hanselman listed it as part of his "Big Ten Life and Work-Changing Utilities". [cite web|url=http://www.hanselman.com/blog/ScottHanselmans2007UltimateDeveloperAndPowerUsersToolListForWindows.aspx|title=Scott Hanselman's 2007 Ultimate Developer and Power Users Tool List for Windows|last=Hanselman|first=Scott|date=2007-08-23|accessdate=2008-08-20]

.NET Reflector allows you to inspect, navigate, search, analyze, and browse the contents of a NET component such as an assembly and translates the binary information to a human-readable form. Reflector allows you to decompile .NET assemblies into C#, Visual Basic and MSIL. Reflector also includes a "Call Tree", that can be used to drill down into IL methods to see what other methods they call. It will show you the metadata, resources and XML documentation. Reflector is commonly used by .NET developers to understand the inner workings of code libraries, to show the differences between two versions of the same assembly, and how the various parts of a .NET application interact with each other. There are a large number of addins for Reflector that increase its usefulness.

.NET Reflector is most frequently used to track down performance problems and bugs, browsing classes, and maintaining, or becoming familiar with code bases. It can also be used to find assembly dependencies, and even windows DLL dependencies, by using the Analyzer option. There is a call tree and inheritance-browser. It will pick up the same documentation or comments that are stored in xml files alongside their associated assemblies that are used to drive Intellisense inside Visual Studio. It is even possible to cross-navigate related documentation (xmldoc), searching for specific types, members and references. It has been widely used to convert source code between C# and VB.

Net Reflector can show the code is producing an elusive error message, or show what other code uses uses a particular piece of code, and what code it, in turn, uses. It shows how a class, method, or entire assembly fits into an application.

On 20 August 2008, Red Gate Software announced they were taking responsibility for future development of the software. [cite web|url=http://www.simple-talk.com/reflector/interview.htm|title=The Future of .NET Reflector|last=Cramblitt|first=Bob|date=2008-08-20|accessdate=2008-08-20]

External links

* [http://www.red-gate.com/products/reflector/ Download Reflector]
* [http://www.codeplex.com/reflectoraddins Reflector Add-Ins]

References