.NET Reflector

Overview

.NET Reflector is a Windows-based class browser, decompiler and static analyzer for .NET assemblies. It translates compiled assemblies (IL) into readable source code (C#, VB.NET, IL, C++/CLI, etc.), shows metadata, resources and XML docs, and provides navigation tools like call trees and inheritance browsers.

Key features

• Decompilation: Convert assemblies to C#, VB.NET, IL (supports modern C# features).
• Assembly browsing: Navigate types, members, resources, and XML documentation.
• Call tree & dependency analysis: Trace method calls and find assembly/DLL dependencies.
• Visual Studio integration (VSPro): Step into decompiled third‑party code, generate PDBs, use standard VS shortcuts (F12, F9, F11).
• Add-in model: Extend functionality (export, diagrams, extra languages, debugging helpers).

History & status

• Originally created as freeware by Lutz Roeder (early 2000s).
• Acquired by Redgate in 2008; turned commercial (Reflector 7, 2011).
• Still offered by Redgate in standalone (Standard) and VS-integrated (VSPro) editions with perpetual licensing and trials; maintenance continued into the 2020s.

Typical uses

• Debugging third‑party or legacy code when source is unavailable.
• Understanding APIs, SharePoint components, or undocumented libraries.
• Recovering or translating logic, comparing assembly versions, and analyzing dependencies.

Alternatives

• ILSpy (free, open source)
• dotPeek (free, JetBrains)
• dnSpy / JustDecompile (free)
• NDepend (commercial, analysis-focused rather than pure decompilation)

Where to get it

Download or trial from Redgate’s .NET Reflector product page (reflector.net / red-gate.com).