Rename STRONG_NAME_SIGNING to ASSEMBLY_SIGNING

[paulmedynski]

Summary

Pure terminology rename: STRONG_NAME_SIGNING → ASSEMBLY_SIGNING (and related "strong name" wording → "assembly signing" / "strong-name identity") across src/Directory.Build.props, source files, csproj files, and pipeline YAML.

No functional change — this only renames the conditional-compilation constant and aligns comments/wording.

🔗 PR Stack

Part of a 6-PR stack — current PR marked 👉. Indentation shows the branch base.

• 🏗️ #4382 — Sign CI Package pipeline assemblies & tests · base: main
  • ✂️ #4348 — AOT-safe auth provider with feature switch & trimmer support
  • 🏷️ 👉 #4383 — Rename STRONG_NAME_SIGNING → ASSEMBLY_SIGNING
    • 🪵 #4384 — Add Logging test package & CI
    • ☁️ #4385 — Sign Azure extension assembly & tests
    • 🧩 #4386 — Sign Microsoft.SqlServer.Server assembly & CI

flowchart TD
    main([main])
    PR1["🏗️ #4382<br/>signing-core"]
    AOT["✂️ #4348<br/>aot"]
    PR2["🏷️ #4383<br/>rename"]
    PR3["🪵 #4384<br/>logging-tests"]
    PR4["☁️ #4385<br/>azure-signing"]
    PR5["🧩 #4386<br/>sqlserver.server"]
    main --> PR1
    PR1 --> AOT
    PR1 --> PR2
    PR2 --> PR3
    PR2 --> PR4
    PR2 --> PR5
    click PR1 "https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/4382" _blank
    click AOT "https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/4348" _blank
    click PR2 "https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/4383" _blank
    click PR3 "https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/4384" _blank
    click PR4 "https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/4385" _blank
    click PR5 "https://github.com/dotnet/SqlClient/pull/4386" _blank
    classDef current fill:#1f6feb,stroke:#1f6feb,color:#fff;
    class PR2 current;

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Note: SqlAuthenticationProviderManager.cs here keeps main's WAM Broker rework intact — only the three signing-related lines (#if constant + two comments) are changed.

Checklist

• Tests added or updated (Abstractions: 29/29; SqlClient signed + unsigned compile)
• Public API changes documented (none)
• No STRONG_NAME_SIGNING references remain
• No breaking changes

[Copilot]

Pull request overview

Terminology-only rename across the repo to standardize on ASSEMBLY_SIGNING (replacing STRONG_NAME_SIGNING) and to update surrounding “strong name” wording to “assembly signing” / “strong-name identity” phrasing, covering MSBuild props, source, project files, tests, and pipeline docs.

Changes:

• Rename conditional compilation constant STRONG_NAME_SIGNING → ASSEMBLY_SIGNING and update call sites.
• Update MSBuild/pipeline/project comments to “Assembly signing” terminology.
• Update test comments around the signed trait to avoid “strong-name signed” phrasing.

Reviewed changes

Copilot reviewed 17 out of 17 changed files in this pull request and generated 3 comments.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient/tests/UnitTests/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.UnitTests.csproj	Rename signing section comment to “Assembly signing”.
src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient/tests/tools/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.TestUtilities/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.TestUtilities.csproj	Rename signing section comment to “Assembly signing”.
src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient/tests/ManualTests/SQL/UdtTest/SqlServerTypesTest.cs	Update signed category comments to “signed assembly” wording.
src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient/tests/FunctionalTests/SqlDataRecordTest.cs	Update signed category comments to “signed assembly” wording.
src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient/tests/Common/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.TestCommon.csproj	Rename signing section comment to “Assembly signing”.
src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient/src/Microsoft/Data/SqlClient/SqlAuthenticationProviderManager.cs	Switch #if guard to ASSEMBLY_SIGNING and adjust log/comment wording.
src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient/src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.csproj	Rename signing section header to “Assembly signing”.
src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient/ref/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.csproj	Rename signing section header to “Assembly signing”.
src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient/notsupported/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.csproj	Rename signing section header to “Assembly signing”.
src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.Extensions/Abstractions/test/Abstractions.Test.csproj	Rename signing section header to “Assembly signing”.
src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.Extensions/Abstractions/src/SqlAuthenticationProvider.Internal.cs	Switch #if guard to ASSEMBLY_SIGNING and adjust comments.
src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.Extensions/Abstractions/src/Abstractions.csproj	Rename signing section header to “Assembly signing”.
src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.AlwaysEncrypted.AzureKeyVaultProvider/src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.AlwaysEncrypted.AzureKeyVaultProvider.csproj	Rename signing section header to “Assembly signing”.
src/Directory.Build.props	Define ASSEMBLY_SIGNING when SigningKeyPath is set; update comments.
eng/pipelines/onebranch/steps/build-buildproj-step.yml	Update documentation comment to “always signs”.
eng/pipelines/ci/package/sqlclient-package.yml	Update documentation comment to “assembly signing key”.
build.proj	Update SigningKeyPath and signed-test filter documentation wording.

[benrr101]

I know it's not ready, so I won't outright reject it yet. But ... why?

To me, this changes the name from a specific kind of signing to a more general kind of signing. In my mind there's two kinds of signing:

• Strong-name signing - Signing the assembly with a key file at build time. This is what generates the "strong name" for the assembly, and it's a well-known signing method in the .NET ecosystem https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/standard/assembly/sign-strong-name
• ESRP Signing (which I think is also called Authenticode) - Signing that only happens during official builds. Applies to the assembly as well as the nuget package.

To rename this to "assembly signing" makes it more ambiguous, imo.

[paulmedynski]

Moved this work to stack #4571 rooted at #4566.