DeepStrip

DeepStrip is an advanced reference assembly creator. It deletes all members inaccessible to other assemblies. From those members, it deletes all method bodies (including those of properties and events). Member deletion is done intelligently as to be compatible with syntax-sugar C# features such as nullable reference types, init only setters, etc.

Installation

Install DeepStrip via .NET CLI:

dotnet tool install --global DeepStrip

Update it similarly:

dotnet tool update --global DeepStrip

Usage

DeepStrip uses files. Simply provide the path to original assembly (input) and path to the reference assembly (output).

For example, to read Assembly-CSharp.dll and output the stripped result to Assembly-CSharp.stripped.dll:

deepstrip Assembly-CSharp.dll Assembly-CSharp.stripped.dll

By default, DeepStrip will resolve any dependencies in the current directory or the bin directory (also within current directory). If those directories do not have all of the dependencies, the --include or -i option can be used:

deepstrip Assembly-CSharp.dll Assembly-CSharp.stripped.dll --include "$PATH_TO_MANAGED_DIR"

Note: due to a bug in CommandLineParser, the include option must come after the input/output.

DeepStrip runs quiet to prevent console spam in scripts, but verbose mode can be helpful when running manually. Simply set the --verbose or -v flag:

deepstrip --verbose UnityEngine.dll UnityEngine.stripped.dll

Which produces the following output:

Read 'UnityEngine.dll': UnityEngine, Version=0.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null
┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ############## Statistics ############## │
├──────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Sizes                                    │
│ ├── Source ..................... 1.3 MiB │
│ ├── Result ................... 547.0 KiB │
│ └── Truncation Ratio ............... 60% │
│                                          │
│ Types .............................. 182 │
| ├── Interface Implementations ........ 1 │
│ ├── Attributes ..................... 134 │
│ ├── Fields ......................... 859 │
│ │   └── Attributes ................... 0 │
│ ├── Properties ...................... 84 │
│ │   ├── Attributes .................. 17 │
│ │   ├── Getters ..................... 84 │
│ │   │   └── Attributes ............ 1378 │
│ │   └── Setters ..................... 70 │
│ │       └── Attributes ............. 939 │
│ ├── Events ........................... 3 │
│ │   ├── Attributes ................... 0 │
│ │   ├── Adders ....................... 3 │
│ │   │   └── Attributes ............... 0 │
│ │   └── Removers ..................... 3 │
│ │       └── Attributes ............... 0 │
│ └── Methods ....................... 2843 │
│     └── Attributes ................. 980 │
└──────────────────────────────────────────┘

Use deepstrip --help to view all options in a concise manner.

Why use DeepStrip?

DeepStrip's intended purpose is to make reference assemblies for use in Git repositories. Reference assemblies contain the minimum metadata and no executable code (CIL), meaning they are easier to redistribute. Storing reference assemblies in a Git repository makes it easier for contributors to get started on a project, as it avoids the hassle of finding all the references needed. It also allows for automated builds, as all the information needed to compile is already in the repository.

Why not use `mono-cil-strip`?

mono-cil-strip does delete method bodies, but it leaves heaps of metadata that is unusable to other assemblies. DeepStrip deletes this unnecessary metadata.

Why not use Reinms/Stubber-Publicizer?

For one, Stubber-Publicizer stubs rather than strips. This means the files produced by it are slightly larger than mono-cil-strip. Additionally, it's not the same use case. If a publicized reference assembly is needed, Stubber-Publicizer should be used. If a reference assembly that contains members with identical visibility is needed, use DeepStrip.