This project contains various .NET assemblies that contain P/Invoke functions, interfaces, enums and structures from Windows libraries. Each assembly is associated with one or a few tightly related libraries. For example, Shlwapi.dll has all the exported functions from shlwapi.lib; Kernel32.dll has all for both kernel32.lib and kernelbase.lib.

All assemblies are available via NuGet and provide builds against .NET 2.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5 and Core 3.0 (new in v3.1). In all cases where a dependency doesn't disallow it, .NET Standard 2.0, .NET Core 2.0, and 2.1 builds are also included for use with UWP and other .NET Core and Standard projects.

NOTE: Version 3.0 was recently released and has many breaking changes. I apologize for the work this will cause you in upgrading. However, I think you will find greater consistency, functionality, usability and quality as a result of the changes. Most notable are changes and additions to the memory classes, complete testing of Kernel32 and Security (AdvApi32, AuthZ, Secur32) functions, support for .NET Std & Core in almost all projects, and the combining of User32 functions into a single project.

Use

1. Look for the function you need in Microsoft documentation. Note which library or DLL the function is in.
2. Confirm the Vanara library exists and has your function by looking at the Supported Libraries table below. Clicking on the Assembly link will take you to a drill down of that assembly's coverage. Find your function and if there is a matching implementation it will appear to the right.
3. Add the assembly to your project via NuGet.
4. To use the function, you can:
   1. Call it directly var bret = Vanara.PInvoke.Kernel32.GetComputerName(sb, ref sbSz);
   2. Under C# 6.0 and later, use a static using directive and call it:

   using static Vanara.PInvoke.Kernel32;
   
   var bret = GetComputerName(sb, ref sbSz);
   

5. In some cases there is a corresponding helper/wrapper class in one of the Supporting Assemblies, especially for Security, System Services, Forms and Shell. Go to their library page (click on link in section) and look through the classes included in each library.

Design Concepts

I have tried to follow the concepts below in laying out the libraries.

• All functions that are imported from a single DLL should be placed into a single assembly that is named after the DLL.
  • (e.g. The assembly Vanara.PInvoke.Gdi32.dll hosts all functions and supporting enumerations, constants and structures that are exported from gdi32.dll in the system directory.)
• Any structure or macro or enumeration (no function) that is used by many libraries is put into either Vanara.Core or Vanara.PInvoke.Shared.
  • (e.g. The macro HIWORD and the structure SIZE are both in Vanara.PInvoke.Shared and classes to simplify interop calls and native memory management are in Vanara.Core.)
• Inside a project, all constructs are contained in a file named after the header file (*.h) in which they are defined in the Windows API.
  • (e.g. In the Vanara.PInvoke.Kernel32 project directory, you'll find a FileApi.cs, a WinBase.cs and a WinNT.cs file representing fileapi.h, winbase.h and winnt.h respectively.)
• Where the direct interpretation of a structure or function leads to memory leaks or misuse, I have tried to simplify its use.
• Where a structure is always passed by reference and where that structure needs to clean up memory allocations, I have changed the structure to a class implementing IDisposable.
• Wherever possible, all handles have been turned into SafeHandle derivatives named after the Windows API handle. If those handles require a call to a function to release/close/destroy, a derived SafeHANDLE exists that performs that function on disposal.
  • e.g. HTOKEN is defined. SafeHTOKEN builds upon that handle with an automated release calling CloseHandle.
• Wherever possible, all functions that allocate memory that is to be freed by the caller use a safe memory handle.
• All PInvoke calls are in assemblies prefixed by Vanara.PInvoke.
• If a structure is to passed into a function as a constant, that structure is marshaled using the in statement which will pass the structure by reference without requiring the ref keyword.
  • Windows API: BOOL MapDialogRect(HWND hDlg, LPRECT lpRect)
  • Vanara: bool MapDialogRect(HWND hDlg, in RECT lpRect);
• If there are classes or extensions that make use of the PInvoke calls, they are in wrapper assemblies prefixed by Vanara and then followed by a logical name for the functionality. Today, those are Core, Security, SystemServices, Windows.Forms and Windows.Shell.

Supported Libraries

Library/DLL	Assembly	Coverage	NuGet Link
Core (see Supporting Assemblies)	Vanara.Core
Shared (see Supporting Assemblies)	Vanara.PInvoke.Shared
AclUI.dll	Vanara.PInvoke.AclUI
qmgr.dll (BITS)	Vanara.PInvoke.BITS
Cabinet.dll	Vanara.PInvoke.Cabinet
ComCtl32.dll	Vanara.PInvoke.ComCtl32
CredUI.dll	Vanara.PInvoke.CredUI
BCrypt.dll, Crypt32.dll and NCrypt.dll	Vanara.PInvoke.Cryptography
DwmApi.dll	Vanara.PInvoke.DwmApi
Gdi32.dll	Vanara.PInvoke.Gdi32
IpHlpApi.dll	Vanara.PInvoke.IpHlpApi
Kernel32.dll and KernelBase.dll	Vanara.PInvoke.Kernel32
KtmW32.dll	Vanara.PInvoke.KtmW32
Mpr.dll	Vanara.PInvoke.Mpr
NetApi32.dll	Vanara.PInvoke.NetApi32
NetListMgr.dll	Vanara.PInvoke.NetListMgr
NTDll.dll	Vanara.PInvoke.NTDll
NTDSApi.dll	Vanara.PInvoke.NTDSApi
Ole32.dll, OleAut32 and PropSys.dll	Vanara.PInvoke.Ole
Oleacc.dll	Vanara.PInvoke.Accessibility
Pdh.dll	Vanara.PInvoke.Pdh
PowrProf.dll	Vanara.PInvoke.PowrProf
WinSpool.drv, PrntvPt.dll	Vanara.PInvoke.Printing
SearchApi	Vanara.PInvoke.SearchApi
AdvApi32.dll, Authz.dll, Schannel.dll, Secur32.dll and SspiCli.dll	Vanara.PInvoke.Security
Shell32.dll	Vanara.PInvoke.Shell32
ShlwApi.dll	Vanara.PInvoke.ShlwApi
TaskSchd.dll and MSTask.dll	Vanara.PInvoke.TaskSchd
User32.dll	Vanara.PInvoke.User32
UxTheme.dll	Vanara.PInvoke.UxTheme
VirtDisk.dll	Vanara.PInvoke.VirtDisk
Wer.dll	Vanara.PInvoke.Wer
WinINet.dll	Vanara.PInvoke.WinINet
WinTrust.dll	Vanara.PInvoke.WinTrust
Ws2_32.dll	Vanara.PInvoke.Ws2_32

Supporting Assemblies

Assembly	NuGet Link	Description
Vanara.Core		Shared methods, structures and constants for use throughout the Vanara assemblies. Think of it as windows.h with some useful extensions.
Vanara.PInvoke.Shared		Shared methods, structures and constants for use throughout the Vanara.PInvoke assemblies.
Vanara.BITS		Classes for Background Transfer (BITS).
Vanara.Security		Classes for Windows Security that are missing or incomplete in .NET. Includes claims, privileges, impersonation, Active Directory, and UAC.
Vanara.SystemServices		Classes for Windows system functions. Includes WOW64 interaction, and file, process, path, networking and service controller extensions.
Vanara.VirtualDisk		Classes for Virtual Disk management.
Vanara.Windows.Forms		Classes for user interface related items derived from the Vanara PInvoke libraries. Includes extensions for almost all common controls to give post Vista capabilities, WinForms controls (panel, commandlink, enhanced combo boxes, IPAddress, split button, trackbar and themed controls), shutdown/restart/lock control, buffered painting, resource files, access control editor, simplified designer framework for Windows.Forms.
Vanara.Windows.Shell		Classes for Windows Shell items derived from the Vanara PInvoke libraries. Includes shell items, files, icons, links, shell properties, shell registration and taskbar lists.

Quick Links

• Documentation
• Issues

Sample Code

There are numerous examples in the UnitTest folder and in the WinClassicSamplesCS project that recreates the Windows Samples in C# using Vanara.