We’ve got .NET sample libraries and example for managed code developers to target Windows 7 new APIs!

The Windows 7 Beta SDK is a great source of documentation and examples for using these new sets of APIs. However, most of the examples are written in native code similar to Windows 7 APIs which are all native C, C++, and COM APIs, which makes the life of managed code developers a bit hard. For that reason, Microsoft created the Windows Vista Bridge project that makes it easier for managed code developers to use Windows OS-specific APIs such as those described above.

The current version of the Window Vista Bridge, version 1.4 contains many useful “Windows Vista” features such as  Restart and Recovery, Search, Power Awareness and other Shell integrations. However the current version doesn’t include any Windows 7 features. It will support key Windows 7 APIs in the near future, but until then, we have developed an intermediate set of solutions for supporting managed code developers who wish to target Windows 7 Beta today and not wait for the time the Windows API Code Pack for the .NET Library (the new name of Windows Vista Bridge) will be available.

With that caveat in place, we can go ahead and introduce some new managed code wrappers that will allow managed code developers to use the Windows 7 Taskbar, manipulate Libraries, add Multi-Touch support for WinForms or WPF 3.5 SP1, and enable Sensors and Location in their applications.

Taskbar

The Taskbar Sample .NET Interop Library allows developers to:

• Create and manipulate JumpLists including tasks and items
• Display Dynamic Overlay Icons, Thumbnail Toolbars
• Use the Taskbar progress bar
• Control Custom Thumbnail Preview, and custom Preview also known as – AeroPeek

The Windows 7 Taskbar Sample .NET Interop Library is available for download and include 4 demos showcasing all the Taskbar features.

Libraries

Libraries are new in Windows 7 and provide a logical representation of the user’s data on  his local computer and on remote computers. With Libraries, the user can define which physical folders are mapped to which library and achieve better search quality and easier “maintenance” of his content. In Windows 7, it is important for developers to

enable their applications to become Library-aware by supporting Libraries. This will integrate the user’s application and Windows experiences and maintain the integrity of your applications in various scenarios

The Windows 7 Library Sample .NET Interop Library allows developers to:

• Manipulate and control the libraries in Windows 7 including create a new library or delete an existing one
• Add or remove physical locations to a Library
• Set an icon for each library
• Enumerate the contents of a given library’s physical location (the actual folders) to track down and map all the items in that library

Read more at the new Windows 7 Blog for Developers

Source- Tech Today