Accessing Windows 7 with Windows API Code Pack for .NET

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: