托管文件PE（Program.exe）文件由四部分构成：PE32（+）头、CLR头、元数据以及IL。PE32（+）头是Windows要求的标准信息。CLR头是一个小的信息快，是需要CLR的模块特有的。这个头包含模块生成时所面向的CLR的major和minor版本号。最后，CLR头还包含模块内部的一些元数据表的大小和偏移量。
元数据是由3个表构成的二进制数据块:定义表、引用表和清单表。
可以用多种工具检查托管在PE文件中的元数据。例如ILDasm.exe。使用工具，可以看到元数据信息：
=========================================================== ScopeName : Program.exe MVID : {8DF25279-3C44-4141-AAFA-6056CDD958E7} =========================================================== Global functions ------------------------------------------------------- Global fields ------------------------------------------------------- Global MemberRefs ------------------------------------------------------- TypeDef #1 (02000002) ------------------------------------------------------- TypDefName: Project_1.Program (02000002) Flags : [NotPublic] [AutoLayout] [Class] [AnsiClass] [BeforeFieldInit] (00100000) Extends : 01000001 [TypeRef] System.Object Method #1 (06000001) [ENTRYPOINT] ------------------------------------------------------- MethodName: Main (06000001) Flags : [Private] [Static] [HideBySig] [ReuseSlot] (00000091) RVA : 0x00002050 ImplFlags : [IL] [Managed] (00000000) CallCnvntn: [DEFAULT] ReturnType: Void 1 Arguments Argument #1: SZArray String 1 Parameters (1) ParamToken : (08000001) Name : args flags: [none] (00000000) Method #2 (06000002) ------------------------------------------------------- MethodName: .ctor (06000002) Flags : [Public] [HideBySig] [ReuseSlot] [SpecialName] [RTSpecialName] [.ctor] (00001886) RVA : 0x0000205e ImplFlags : [IL] [Managed] (00000000) CallCnvntn: [DEFAULT] hasThis ReturnType: Void No arguments. TypeRef #1 (01000001) ------------------------------------------------------- Token: 0x01000001 ResolutionScope: 0x23000001 TypeRefName: System.Object MemberRef #1 (0a000004) ------------------------------------------------------- Member: (0a000004) .ctor: CallCnvntn: [DEFAULT] hasThis ReturnType: Void No arguments. TypeRef #2 (01000002) ------------------------------------------------------- Token: 0x01000002 ResolutionScope: 0x23000001 TypeRefName: System.Runtime.CompilerServices.CompilationRelaxationsAttribute MemberRef #1 (0a000001) ------------------------------------------------------- Member: (0a000001) .ctor: CallCnvntn: [DEFAULT] hasThis ReturnType: Void 1 Arguments Argument #1: I4 TypeRef #3 (01000003) ------------------------------------------------------- Token: 0x01000003 ResolutionScope: 0x23000001 TypeRefName: System.Runtime.CompilerServices.RuntimeCompatibilityAttribute MemberRef #1 (0a000002) ------------------------------------------------------- Member: (0a000002) .ctor: CallCnvntn: [DEFAULT] hasThis ReturnType: Void No arguments. TypeRef #4 (01000004) ------------------------------------------------------- Token: 0x01000004 ResolutionScope: 0x23000001 TypeRefName: System.Console MemberRef #1 (0a000003) ------------------------------------------------------- Member: (0a000003) WriteLine: CallCnvntn: [DEFAULT] ReturnType: Void 1 Arguments Argument #1: String Assembly ------------------------------------------------------- Token: 0x20000001 Name : Program Public Key : Hash Algorithm : 0x00008004 Version: 0.0.0.0 Major Version: 0x00000000 Minor Version: 0x00000000 Build Number: 0x00000000 Revision Number: 0x00000000 Locale: <null> Flags : [none] (00000000) CustomAttribute #1 (0c000001) ------------------------------------------------------- CustomAttribute Type: 0a000001 CustomAttributeName: System.Runtime.CompilerServices.CompilationRelaxationsAttribute :: instance void .ctor(int32) Length: 8 Value : 01 00 08 00 00 00 00 00 > < ctor args: (8) CustomAttribute #2 (0c000002) ------------------------------------------------------- CustomAttribute Type: 0a000002 CustomAttributeName: System.Runtime.CompilerServices.RuntimeCompatibilityAttribute :: instance void .ctor() Length: 30 Value : 01 00 01 00 54 02 16 57 72 61 70 4e 6f 6e 45 78 > T WrapNonEx< : 63 65 70 74 69 6f 6e 54 68 72 6f 77 73 01 >ceptionThrows < ctor args: () AssemblyRef #1 (23000001) ------------------------------------------------------- Token: 0x23000001 Public Key or Token: b7 7a 5c 56 19 34 e0 89 Name: mscorlib Version: 4.0.0.0 Major Version: 0x00000004 Minor Version: 0x00000000 Build Number: 0x00000000 Revision Number: 0x00000000 Locale: <null> HashValue Blob: Flags: [none] (00000000) User Strings ------------------------------------------------------- 70000001 : ( 4) L"HaHa" Coff symbol name overhead: 0 =========================================================== =========================================================== ===========================================================
无需完全理解这些信息。Program.exe包含名为Project_1.Program（Project_1是工程名字）的TypeDef。Program是公共密封类，从System.Object派生。Program类型还定义了两个方法：Main和.ctor。
Main是公共静态方法，用IL代码实现。Main返回类型是void 。构造器是公共方法，用IL代码实现，返回类型是void，有一个this指针指向调用方法时构造对象的内存。