# <gac>

[This is preliminary documentation and subject to change.]

(Deprecated)

Manipulates the contents of the global assembly cache.

This tasks provides some of the same functionality as the gacutil tool provided in the .NET Framework SDK.

Specifically, the <gac> task allows you to install assemblies into the cache and remove them from the cache.

Refer to the Global Assembly Cache Tool (Gacutil.exe) for more information.

### Parameters

Attribute | Type | Description | Required
--- | --- | --- | ---
action | ActionTypes | Defines the action to take with the assembly. The default is `install`. | False
assembly | string | The name of a file that contains an assembly manifest. | False
failonerror | bool | Determines if task failure stops the build, or is just reported. The default is true. | False
if | bool | If true then the task will be executed; otherwise, skipped. The default is true. | False
timeout | int | The maximum amount of time the application is allowed to execute, expressed in milliseconds. Defaults to no time-out. | False
unless | bool | Opposite of `if`. If false then the task will be executed; otherwise, skipped. The default is false. | False
verbose | bool | Determines whether the task should report detailed build log messages. The default is false. | False

### Framework-configurable parameters

Attribute | Type | Description | Required
--- | --- | --- | ---
useruntimeengine | bool | Deprecated. Specifies whether the external program is a managed application which should be executed using a runtime engine, if configured. The default is false. | False

### Nested Elements:

#### <assemblies>

Fileset are used to define multiple assemblies.

#### </assemblies>

#### <arg>

The command-line arguments for the external program.

Represents a command-line argument.

When passed to an external application, the argument will be quoted when appropriate. This does not apply to the `line` parameter, which is always passed as is.

### Parameters

Attribute | Type | Description | Required
--- | --- | --- | ---
dir | directory | The value for a directory-based command-line argument; will be replaced with the absolute path of the directory. | False
file | file | The name of a file as a single command-line argument; will be replaced with the absolute filename of the file. | False
if | bool | Indicates if the argument should be passed to the external program. If true then the argument will be passed; otherwise, skipped. The default is true. | False
line | string | List of command-line arguments; will be passed to the executable as is. | False
path | <path> | The value for a PATH-like command-line argument; you can use `:` or `;` as path separators and NAnt will convert it to the platform's local conventions, while resolving references to environment variables. | False
unless | bool | Indicates if the argument should not be passed to the external program. If false then the argument will be passed; otherwise, skipped. The default is false. | False
value | string | A single command-line argument; can contain space characters. | False

### Nested Elements:

#### <path>

Sets a single command-line argument and treats it like a PATH - ensures the right separator for the local platform is used.

#### </path>

### Examples

- A single command-line argument containing a space character.

      <arg value="-l -a" />

- Two separate command-line arguments.

      <arg line="-l -a" />

- A single command-line argument with the value `\dir;\dir2;\dir3` on DOS-based systems and `/dir:/dir2:/dir3` on Unix-like systems.

      <arg path="/dir;/dir2:\dir3" />

#### </arg>

### Examples

- Inserts assembly `mydll.dll` into the global assembly cache.

      <gac assembly="mydll.dll" action="install" />

- Removes the assembly `hello` from the global assembly cache and the native image cache.

      <gac assembly="hello" action="uninstall" />

  Note that the previous command might remove more than one assembly from the assembly cache because the assembly name is not fully specified. For example, if both version 1.0.0.0 and 3.2.2.1 of `hello` are installed in the cache, both of the assemblies will be removed from the global assembly cache.

- Use the following example to avoid removing more than one assembly. This command removes only the hello assembly that matches the fully specified version number, culture, and public key.

      <gac assembly="hello,Version=1.0.0.1,Culture=de,PublicKeyToken=45e343aae32233ca" action="uninstall" />

### Requirements

Assembly: NAnt.Contrib.Tasks (0.93.5002.0)