dotnet tool ADepends
Get Started
$ dotnet add package ADepends.ToolReadme
ADepends.exe
The ADepends tool scans a folder containing assemblies and config file and generates a DGML file of the assembly dependencies.
Built with net8.0
🔨 dotnet tool
Prerequisite
Requires install of net8.0 runtime
Install
Refer to Install a global tool
dotnet tool install -g adepends.tool
Run
Refer to Invoke a global tool
adepends [path] [outFile]
Syntax
usage: ADepends.exe [path] [outFile]
path = Input directory containing assembly (.exe|.dll) files.
outFile = Output assembly dependencies Directed Graph document (.dgml) file.
Use in Visual Studio project
The ADepends tool can be called post-build to generate an Assembly Dependency graph DGML file from build output.
<!-- Generate an Assembly Dependency graph DGML file from build output. -->
<Target Name="AssemblyDependencies" AfterTargets="PostBuildEvent" Condition="('$(BuildingInsideVisualStudio)' == 'true')">
<Exec Command="dotnet adepends "$(TargetDir.TrimEnd('\\'))" "$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\$(MSBuildProjectName)-Dependencies.dgml"" />
</Target>
Output
Open the generated DGML file in Visual Studio with "DGML Editor" component installed.
How to: Modify Visual Studio workloads, components, and language packs
- Start "Visual Studio Installer"
- Modify installation by adding: Individual components -> Code tools -> "DGML editor"
The tool creates a node for each assembly and an edge for each static dependency.
Sample screenshot of EXE with two DLL dependencies.
Metadata
- FileName: Readme.md
- Version: 1.135.0
- DateTime: 2026-02-11 02:52:20
- Repo: AzureStack-Solution-DevTools
- Branch: main
- Configuration: Release
- Platform: x64
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