API Call Sample
This sample demonstrates calling Win32 API functions to enumerate and control processes and windows, and to query and change system settings.
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.gif "Security note") Security Note: |
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This sample code is intended to illustrate a concept, and it shows only the code that is relevant to that concept. It may not meet the security requirements for a specific environment, and it should not be used exactly as shown. We recommend that you add security and error-handling code to make your projects more secure and robust. Microsoft provides this sample code "AS IS" with no warranties. |
To run this sample
- Press F5.
Demonstrates
The class Win32API is defined in a separate file, Win32API.vb. Each API declaration, using the Declare Statement, is available as a Shared member of the Win32API class. Shared members can be called directly using the class name. It is not necessary to create an instance of the class to use them.
The main form contains a tab control with four tab pages. Each tab page demonstrates an action using Win32 API calls:
Active Processes Fills a list view with all running Windows processes. The emphasis is on how to use a Win32 callback function, EnumWindows, by using a delegate.
Active Windows Fills a ListBox control with all active windows, by filtering the results of the callback function, EnumWindows, using the Win32 API. In this example EnumWindows is defined using the DllImportAttribute class instead of the Declare Statement to contrast the difference between using the two methods.
Show Window Allows the user to type a window caption and/or class name and bring the window to the foreground. This example emphasizes overloading multiple types of parameters to one Win32 API function to allow passing different types of variables to the function.
API Calls Shows how to use the following Win32 API calls: GetDiskFreeSpace, GetDiskFreeSpaceEx, GetDriveType, CreateDirectory, SwapMouseButton, IsPwrHibernateAllowed, SetSuspendState, and Beep. These are examples of calls that return information that is not obtainable from the managed-class equivalents.