Accessing Windows 7 with Windows API Code Pack for .NET

Posted by Abel Avram on Jun 09, 2009

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Development

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.NET Framework ,

.NET ,

API ,

Microsoft ,

Programming ,

Companies ,

Windows Vista ,

Windows 7

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Microsoft has made available Windows API Code Pack for Microsoft .NET Framework (v0.85), a library useful to access new Windows 7 features, including Vista ones, from managed code. This library is not included in .NET 4.0.

The code pack features:

• Support for Windows Shell namespace objects, including the new Windows 7 libraries, Known Folders and non file system containers.
• Windows Vista and Windows 7 Task Dialogs.
• Windows 7 Explorer Browser Control supporting both WPF and Windows Forms.
• Support for Shell property system.
• Helpers for Windows 7 Taskbar Jumplists, Icon Overlay and Progress bar.
• Support for Windows Vista and Windows 7 common file dialogs, including custom file dialog controls.
• Support for Direct3D 11.0 and DXGI 1.0/1.1 APIs.
• Sensor Platform APIs
• Extended Linguistic Services APIs

The final version of the library is slated to be released when Windows 7 will be sent to manufacturing, some time in July. The basic requirements are:

• .NET Framework 3.5 or 4.0
• Windows SDK for Windows 7 RC.

The library has been released under a custom Microsoft license.