visual studio: why need to add ref to solution explorer?

Question

Newbie question...

I have a working console app that uses a shared unit I wrote.

When I added this shared unit to a winforms project, it would not compile until I added a ref to linq in solution explorer.

In the cmd line application, all I need is a using clause in the unit.

What is the diff between a using clause and adding a ref to solution explorer?

Answer 1

"using" is just a compile-time convenience, so you don't have to type in the fully qualified namespace.

The "reference" is essential to bring in the right libraries.

Here is a very informative link:

http://www.codecreations.com/site/programming/57-understanding-net-assemblies-and-references