---
title: "Define Strong Name. How do you apply a strong name to assembly?"  
description: "Define Strong Name. How do you apply a strong name to assembly?"  
author: "Varun Agrawal"  
published: 2011-03-18  
updated: 2020-09-20  
canonical: https://www.mindstick.com/interview/489/define-strong-name-how-do-you-apply-a-strong-name-to-assembly  
category: "assembly"  
tags: ["assembly"]  
reading_time: 2 minutes  

---

# Define Strong Name. How do you apply a strong name to assembly?

- A strong name means generating public key in order to provide unique name to the assembly.
- The name is used to provide global name to the assembly and allows it to be shared amongst several different applications.
- The key generated include assembly's name, the version number, the developer's identity, and a hash number.
- The developer's identity identifies the author of the assembly.
- The hash checks if the assembly is tempered since it is created.
- The key pair that defines the strong name is created using the Strong Name utility, Sn.exe.

\
To sign an assembly with a strong name\
\

- Create Key pair using the Strong Name utility, Sn.exe.
- Open the AssemblyInfo file of your project.
- Use the AssemblyKeyFileAttribute to specify the path to the key file for your project.
- Build your assembly. The strong name will be generated and signed to the assembly.

## Answers

### Answer by Varun Agrawal

- A strong name means generating public key in order to provide unique name to the assembly.
- The name is used to provide global name to the assembly and allows it to be shared amongst several different applications.
- The key generated include assembly's name, the version number, the developer's identity, and a hash number.
- The developer's identity identifies the author of the assembly.
- The hash checks if the assembly is tempered since it is created.
- The key pair that defines the strong name is created using the Strong Name utility, Sn.exe.

\
To sign an assembly with a strong name\
\

- Create Key pair using the Strong Name utility, Sn.exe.
- Open the AssemblyInfo file of your project.
- Use the AssemblyKeyFileAttribute to specify the path to the key file for your project.
- Build your assembly. The strong name will be generated and signed to the assembly.


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Original Source: https://www.mindstick.com/interview/489/define-strong-name-how-do-you-apply-a-strong-name-to-assembly

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