CoreWindowsWrapper 1.0.45

CoreWindowsWrapper

Native Windows Wrapper for .NET-Core and .Framework

CoreWindowsWrapper is a DLL you can use to create Core Applications showing Dialogs without using System.Windows.Forms. The Project uses the Windows - API to create Native Windows. I personally use this DLL to create Copy-Deploy-Setups.

This is a Visual Stuido 2019 Preview Project using NETCore 3.0-preiew. With NETCore 3.0 you can create Windows-Applications.

If You want to use this with NETCore 2.X you can Publish the native app. Go into the Publish-Folder and modify the EXE SUBSYSTEM. This changes the Comsole-Application to a Windows-Application:)

editbin.exe ConsleCaller.exe /SUBSYSTEM:WINDOWS

If you want to enable vusual Styles you can use MT.EXE

mt.exe -manifest app.manifest -outputresource:ConsoleCaller.exe;#1

Please do not use core 2.x anymore. Microsoft discontinues support for the version. Look at the following page: https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet-core

currently .NET Core 3.1 is recommanded

.Net 5.0 will be released soon!

Procedure from .Core 3.1:

1. Create a project from the Type Console (Core).
2. Change the output type from Console to Windows application in the project properties.

Application with Styling enabled.

If the application contains the Manifest it looks like this.

Application with Styling disabled.

If you do not use MT.exe or do not include app.manifest in your Project. The application looks like this.

Create a Native Window

Create a new Class derive from NativeWindow

//Native Window
public class Window1:NativeWindow
{
	//Add your Controls
	//in this example a Button
	private NativeButton _Button;
	
	//Override InitControls Function
	protected override void InitControls()
	{
		//Set the properties of the Form.
		this.Text = "Dies ist meine Anwnedung";//Caption of the Window.
		this.Name = "Window1";
		this.Left = 100;
		this.Top = 100;
		this.Width = 600;
		this.Height = 400;
		
		//Create the Button
		this._Button = new NativeButton
		{
			Left = 10,
			Top = 10,
			Width = 100,
			Height = 30,
			Text = "Test",//Caption of the Button
			Name = "bnTest",
			Font = new Font(){Name="Arial",Size=14} //set the Font of the Button
		};	
		//Add Eventhandler
		this._Button.Clicked += button_OnClicked;
		
		//Add the Button to the Window.
		this.Controls.Add(this._Button);
	}
	//Eventhandler for the Button
	private void button_OnClicked(object sender, EventArgs e)
	{
		//Show a Messagebox.
		MessageBox.Show("Button Clicked!");
	}
}

For more Details have a look at the Project ConsoleCaller.

Initialize the Application

To initilize the Application you have to create 2 Lines of Code in the Main-Function. This is necessary because of Threading and Windows Messaging.

using CoreWindowsWrapper;

namespace ConsleCaller
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            //Create the Window
            Window1 nw = new Window1();
            //Run the Application
            NativeApp.Run(nw);
        }
    }
}

Example Videos:

1. How to crate a control with CoreWindowsWrapper
2. Visual Styles

I hope this helps in many Projects.

Dipl.-Ing.(FH) Guido Agnesmeyer

June 2020