Table of Contents

More packages

Smaller packages, each for one area of Windows.

Windows version (Dapplo.Windows.Common)

WindowsVersion reads the real version with RtlGetVersion, also when the application has no manifest which declares the newer Windows versions. IsWindows10 means exactly Windows 10; use the ...OrLater properties for "this or newer".

// The real version, also without an application manifest
Console.WriteLine($"Windows {WindowsVersion.WinVersion}");
if (WindowsVersion.IsWindows11OrLater)
{
    Console.WriteLine("Rounded corners are available");
}

Dapplo.Windows.Common also has the geometry structs (NativeRect, NativePoint, NativeSize, the Float variants) with extension methods such as Contains, Intersect, Union, Offset, Inflate, IsDockedToLeftOf. Right and Bottom are exclusive, as in a Win32 RECT. HResult has Succeeded(), Failed() and ThrowOnFailure(), and Win32.GetLastErrorCode() / Win32.GetMessage() help with Win32 errors.

Citrix (Dapplo.Windows.Citrix)

Detects a Citrix session through WFAPI.DLL; on a machine without Citrix IsAvailable is simply false.

if (WinFrame.IsAvailable)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Citrix session, client {WinFrame.GetClientName()} ({WinFrame.GetClientIpAddress()})");
}

Desktop Window Manager (Dapplo.Windows.DesktopWindowsManager)

// The window bounds as the user sees them, without the invisible resize borders
if (DwmApi.GetExtendedFrameBounds(hWnd, out var frameBounds))
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Visible frame: {frameBounds}");
}

// Windows which are "there" but not visible, e.g. on another virtual desktop or a suspended store app
bool isCloaked = DwmApi.IsWindowCloaked(hWnd);

// The accent color of the user
System.Drawing.Color accent = DwmApi.ColorizationColor;

DwmApi also sets the window corner preference on Windows 11 (SetWindowCornerPreference), and DwmSetWindowAttribute gives access to the other attributes (dark title bar, backdrop type, ...).

Devices

Dapplo.Windows.Devices reports WM_DEVICECHANGE of the SharedMessageWindow: devices and volumes which arrive or are removed. The events arrive on the SharedMessageWindow thread and are copies, so they can be used after ObserveOn.

// WM_DEVICECHANGE, on the SharedMessageWindow thread
var arrivals = DeviceNotification.OnDeviceArrival()
    .Subscribe(info => Console.WriteLine($"Connected: {info.Device.FriendlyDeviceName} (USB: {info.Device.IsUsb})"));

var removals = DeviceNotification.OnDeviceRemoved()
    .Subscribe(info => Console.WriteLine($"Removed: {info.Device.FriendlyDeviceName}"));

// Drives: USB sticks, network drives, CDs
var volumes = DeviceNotification.OnVolumeAdded()
    .Subscribe(info => Console.WriteLine($"New drive(s): {info.Volume.Drives}"));

DeviceNotification.CreateDeviceNotificationObservable(DeviceInterfaceClass) limits the notifications to one device interface class.

Registry changes (Dapplo.Windows.Advapi32)

// Produces a value (Unit) on a thread-pool thread for every change of the key, e.g. the theme setting
var subscription = RegistryMonitor
    .ObserveChanges(RegistryHive.CurrentUser, @"Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Themes\Personalize")
    .Throttle(TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(200))
    .Subscribe(_ => Console.WriteLine("The theme settings changed"));

Advapi32Api.CurrentLogonSid returns the logon SID of the current session.

Kernel32 (Dapplo.Windows.Kernel32)

// Call first thing in Main: load DLLs only from System32 (and the application directory when you allow it)
Kernel32Api.PreventDllHijacking(searchApplicationDirectory: true);

// The path of another process, also for elevated processes where Process.MainModule fails
using var explorer = Process.GetProcessesByName("explorer")[0];
string path = explorer.GetProcessPath();

// Running as a packaged (MSIX / Store) application?
bool isPackaged = PackageInfo.HasPackageIdentity;

Shell32 (Dapplo.Windows.Shell32)

if (Shell32Api.TryGetTaskbarPosition(out var appBarData))
{
    Console.WriteLine($"The taskbar is at {appBarData.AppBarEdge}, bounds {appBarData.Bounds}, state {Shell32Api.GetTaskbarState()}");
}

Sounds (Dapplo.Windows.Multimedia)

// One of the sounds of the Windows sound scheme
WinMm.PlaySystemSound(SystemSounds.SystemAsterisk);

// A WAV file, asynchronous: false (and silence) when the file doesn't exist
bool isPlaying = WinMm.PlayFile(@"C:\Windows\Media\chimes.wav");

// WAV data, asynchronous. The data is copied, it plays until it's done or StopPlaying is called.
WinMm.PlayWave(System.IO.File.ReadAllBytes(@"C:\Windows\Media\chimes.wav"));

// A WAVE resource of the executable (or pass the module handle of a DLL)
WinMm.PlayResource("NotificationSound");

Embedded browser (Dapplo.Windows.EmbeddedBrowser)

The Windows Forms WebBrowser control renders pages like Internet Explorer 7 unless the process is registered for a newer mode (FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION). ExtendedWebBrowser is a WebBrowser which doesn't show the script error dialog and keeps the scripts of the page running after an error. This package references Windows Forms.

// Call before the first WebBrowser is created: without this the WebBrowser control renders like IE 7
InternetExplorerVersion.ChangeEmbeddedVersion();
Console.WriteLine($"Installed Internet Explorer version: {InternetExplorerVersion.Version}");

Low-level API packages

Dapplo.Windows.User32, Dapplo.Windows.Gdi32, Dapplo.Windows.Kernel32, Dapplo.Windows.Shell32 and Dapplo.Windows.Com contain the P/Invoke declarations, structs, enums and safe handles which the other packages use. They are documented in the API reference. A few notes:

  • User32 imports that handle text use the Unicode (W) entry points; WPARAM, LPARAM and LRESULT are pointer-sized.
  • GDI handles are wrapped in SafeHandle types (SafeHBitmapHandle, SafeWindowDcHandle, ...), dispose them.
  • User32Api.TrySendMessage sends with a timeout, so a hung window doesn't block you.
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