Not finding System.Web.Mail

[partham]

Dear Sir,

I am using Microsoft Visual Studio 2003 and using .Net Framework 1.1. From the documentatyion, I understand that there exists a dll System.Web.Mail containing classes for sending mails using SMTP. However, when I try to add references, I do not find this dll in the list under .Net tab.

Now, I am required to send email with attachment and fax. This is to suggest some material that can get me started.

Regards,

 

[partham]

I have got it by including System.Web in the references

 

[jmcilhinney]

In case you aren't aware, System.Web.dll is an assembly, i.e. a .NET library. System.Web.Mail is a namespace, i.e. a logical grouping of types in which all names must be unique.

A single assembly can contain mulitple namespaces and a single namespace can be spread over multiple assemblies.

In your project you add references to assemblies, i.e. you tell your project where that library file is so it can interrogate it and determine what namespaces and types it contains. Once your project knows about those namespaces and types you can use them in your code.

In your project or in individual files you import namespaces. Importing a namespace simply allows you to use its members in code without qualigying them. For instance, if you just reference System.Web.dll you'd have to refer to the System.Web.Mail.MailMessage class in your code, while if you import the System.Web.Mail namespace then you can just refer to the MailMessage class. Importing namespaces is just a shorthand. Referenceing assemblies is completely different and much more.