manifest好像是叫做信息列表文件
With Windows XP, the assembly is described by a manifest; the registry is no longer relied upon for storing and accessing the COM activation data. This allows components to now be isolated. Shared assemblies can also be serviced, so that applications can use the latest version. The table below illustrates the advances with Windows XP in this regard over Windows 2000. (For more information on side-by-side component sharing in Windows 2000, see Implementing Side-by-Side Component Sharing in Applications (Expanded)).
(MSDN:ms-help://MS.VSCC/MS.MSDNVS.2052/dnwxp/html/sidexsidewinxp.htm)