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The Windows API: Learn It - Live It

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5.00/5 (17 votes)
22 May 2010CPOL 28.5K   10   10
Don't drink the kool-aid. You still need to know how to use the Windows API in .Net apps.
I've noticed something since I started writing DotNet code. It seems that people aren't being taught or are simply ignorant of the Windows API, and don't know to think that far outside the box when they need to do something that more experienced programmers (people that started programming before 2001) are more ready/able to fall back to.

One of my favorite sites is pInvoke.net[^]. It contains invaluable information regarding the use of the Windows API via the System.Runtime.InteropServices namespace, and it contains not only the correct method prototypes, but examples for using most of the API calls.

Using the Windows API is an essential part of the development process regardless of what Microsoft tries to tell you.

License

This article, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Code Project Open License (CPOL)


Written By
Software Developer (Senior) Paddedwall Software
United States United States
I've been paid as a programmer since 1982 with experience in Pascal, and C++ (both self-taught), and began writing Windows programs in 1991 using Visual C++ and MFC. In the 2nd half of 2007, I started writing C# Windows Forms and ASP.Net applications, and have since done WPF, Silverlight, WCF, web services, and Windows services.

My weakest point is that my moments of clarity are too brief to hold a meaningful conversation that requires more than 30 seconds to complete. Thankfully, grunts of agreement are all that is required to conduct most discussions without committing to any particular belief system.

Comments and Discussions

 
QuestionAn example perhaps Pin
lvcamvn27-Aug-12 7:49
lvcamvn27-Aug-12 7:49 
AnswerRe: An example perhaps Pin
#realJSOP27-Aug-12 23:13
mve#realJSOP27-Aug-12 23:13 
GeneralRe: An example perhaps Pin
lvcamvn28-Aug-12 9:35
lvcamvn28-Aug-12 9:35 
GeneralReason for my vote of 5 MVC Pin
Anubhava Dimri22-Sep-11 18:56
Anubhava Dimri22-Sep-11 18:56 
GeneralWhy bother to understand anything - you can always post your... Pin
Reiss22-Sep-11 4:35
professionalReiss22-Sep-11 4:35 
Why bother to understand anything - you can always post your problem requirements in QA and wait for someone else to do it for you Wink | ;)

Joking aside good tip +5
GeneralReason for my vote of 1 not really a tip Pin
SledgeHammer0122-May-10 8:06
SledgeHammer0122-May-10 8:06 
QuestionAny nice reference of vb.net-formatted declarations for API functions/structures? Pin
supercat918-Jan-10 7:54
supercat918-Jan-10 7:54 
AnswerRe: Any nice reference of vb.net-formatted declarations for API functions/structures? Pin
#realJSOP18-Jan-10 10:16
mve#realJSOP18-Jan-10 10:16 
AnswerRe: Any nice reference of vb.net-formatted declarations for API functions/structures? Pin
DaveyM6920-Jan-10 9:10
professionalDaveyM6920-Jan-10 9:10 
AnswerRe: Any nice reference of vb.net-formatted declarations for API functions/structures? Pin
Anshul R12-Jun-10 19:29
Anshul R12-Jun-10 19:29 

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