.NET Framework FAQ : What is Partial Assembly References?
Full Assembly reference: A full assembly reference includes
the assembly's text name, version, culture, and public key token (if the
assembly has a strong name). A full assembly reference is required if you
reference any assembly that is part of the common language runtime or any
assembly located in the global assembly cache.
Partial Assembly
reference: We can dynamically reference an assembly by providing only
partial information, such as specifying only the assembly name. When you specify
a partial assembly reference, the runtime looks for the assembly only in the
application directory.
We can make partial references to an assembly in
your code one of the following ways:
- Use a method such as System.Reflection.Assembly.Load and specify only a
partial reference. The runtime checks for the assembly in the application
directory.
- Use the System.Reflection.Assembly.LoadWithPartialName method and specify
only a partial reference. The runtime checks for the assembly in the application
directory and in the global assembly cache