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I want to use windows 7 features like icon overlay, and thumbnail tasks but my question is that can i do it without using any other API on just my plain .net 3.5. i recently enabled jumplists on an application in my c#.net 3.5 using the Shell routine so can something like that be done for icon overlay and other windows 7 taskbar features.

And can old application like notepad which i am sure was made years ago use these new feaures?

PUG
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    How to use something new without using something new? Can't – abatishchev Aug 18 '10 at 07:57
  • i used jumplist without anything new – PUG Aug 18 '10 at 08:06
  • Please could you add a little piece of code where you use shell functions ? – digEmAll Aug 18 '10 at 08:47
  • http://stackoverflow.com/questions/466726/net-jump-list – PUG Aug 18 '10 at 09:21
  • you are suggesting that to use overlay icon i will have to use the new API for it. no options there – PUG Aug 18 '10 at 09:22
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    @jaminator, "shell functions" and "the new API" are not different things. You can do your own P/Invoke if you want to call parts of Windows, and then you will be using the Windows API. When you call part of the Windows API that wasn't in XP, you'll be using the new API. Are you trying to avoid needing to ship a dependency? If so, download the Code Pack (see my answer) and copy the P/Invoke and related interop code from it into your project. Not my first choice but you could do it. – Kate Gregory Aug 18 '10 at 13:13

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If you really don't want to use .NET wrapped taskbar functionalities, you can try this link that calls overlay via PInvoke. For other W7 taskbar options you can check on the same site.

Anyway I suggest you to use the .NET managed API

digEmAll
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I guess it depends on the meaning of "use". You get jumplists for free if you use the Common Files Dialog. If your app is WPF or MFC, you get some Windows 7 stuff in the latest version of those libraries (not 3.5). Failing that, you will need to either ask Windows directly (use an API) or use a library that isn't part of .NET 3.5 that will ask Windows for you. I recommend you use the Code Pack. One line of code for an overlay icon, for example. It also has non-visual Windows 7 features like Restart and Recovery, Power Awareness (.NET events when the machine goes on battery etc). It was last updated November 18th 2009 and I am expecting a new release any day now.

Kate Gregory
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  • Yeah i used this and its workign, but i am stuck at, http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3519181/problem-showing-thumbnail-toolbar-in-net-3-5-form – PUG Aug 19 '10 at 08:25
  • that's just a missing reference. Check the sample under WindowsAPICodePack 1.0.1\Samples\Shell\ThumbnailToolbarDemo and see what references it has. – Kate Gregory Aug 19 '10 at 17:18