Windows .NET APIs

Explore the comprehensive set of .NET APIs available for developing Windows applications. This section covers the fundamental namespaces and classes used for building modern Windows experiences.

Key Namespaces

  • Windows.UI

    Provides core types for UI elements, graphics, and user interaction across Windows applications.

    • Windows.UI.Xaml: For building UIs with XAML.
    • Windows.UI.Core: For core windowing and input management.

  • Windows.Foundation

    Contains fundamental types and utilities used throughout the Windows API, including common data structures and asynchronous patterns.

    • Windows.Foundation.Collections: For generic collections.
    • Windows.Foundation.Metadata: For attribute-based metadata.

  • Windows.Networking

    Enables network communication, including protocols like TCP and UDP, and network status management.

    • Windows.Networking.Connectivity: For managing network connections.
    • Windows.Networking.Sockets: For socket-based networking.

  • Windows.Storage

    Provides access to files, folders, and storage devices on the system.

    • Windows.Storage.Streams: For managing data streams.
    • Windows.Storage.AccessCache: For managing file and folder access permissions.

  • Windows.System

    Offers functionality related to system information, user accounts, and application lifecycle management.

    • Windows.System.UserProfile: For accessing user profile data.
    • Windows.System.Launcher: For launching other apps and files.

Getting Started

To begin using these APIs, ensure you have a .NET development environment set up (e.g., Visual Studio with the appropriate workloads). Most Windows-specific APIs are accessed through Windows Runtime (WinRT) projections in .NET.

Here's a simple example of accessing a system property:

using Windows.System;

// Get the current user's display name
string displayName = UserProfile.GetCurrent().DisplayName;
System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine($"Welcome, {displayName}!");

Further Resources