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Third party libraries

Avalonia XPF implements WPF's API surface, however a variety of third party libraries also depend on various win32 APIs which are obviously not available cross-platform.

To deal with this problem, Avalonia XPF implements a win32 API emulation layer that allows 3rd party libraries to work on non-windows platforms. This emulation layer needs to be enabled explictly in your XPF application.

This feature must be enabled before any assembly attempts to call a win32 API, so the constructor of your App class or Program.Main is a good place to enable it.

To enable win32 API emulation application-wide you can add the following call:

  AvaloniaUI.Xpf.WinApiShim.WinApiShimSetup.AutoEnable();

You can exclude libraries that are known to provide non-windows platform support like this:

AvaloniaUI.Xpf.WinApiShim.WinApiShimSetup.
  .AutoEnable(asm =>
  {
    var name = asm.GetName().Name.ToLowerInvariant();
    if (name is "sqlite" or "jint" or "esprima" or "magick.net" or "magick.net.core")
      return true;
    return false;
  });

Alternatively the layer can be enabled on per-library basis:

AvaloniaUI.Xpf.WinApiShim.WinApiShimSetup
  .AddLibrary(typeof(Type.In.Third.Party.Library).Assembly);

Compatibility Database​

We maintain a comprehensive compatibility database for third-party controls. This database provides up-to-date status information for controls from major vendors.

info

If you find that a control marked as Fix In Progress or Untested is mission-critical for your application, please contact our support team. We're committed to working with you to ensure compatibility.

Compatibility Notes​

  • Pure WPF Controls: Third-party controls that are implemented purely in WPF typically work without any issues, even if not listed in our compatibility database.
  • Unlisted Vendors: The absence of a control vendor from our database doesn't indicate incompatibility. We encourage you to test any controls you need.
  • Known Challenges: Issues most commonly arise with controls that utilize GDI or WinForms components.

WinAPI Shim APIs​

Below is an overview of the Windows API (WinAPI) shims available in Avalonia XPF. These shims allow for native Windows functionality while maintaining cross-platform compatibility. Some APIs may not be fully implemented.

Window Management​

Window Creation and Manipulation​

// Window Creation
IntPtr CreateWindowEx(uint dwExStyle, void* lpClassName, void* lpWindowName, uint dwStyle, 
    int x, int y, int nWidth, int nHeight, IntPtr hWndParent, IntPtr hMenu, 
    IntPtr hInstance, IntPtr lpParam);
IntPtr CreateWindowExW(uint dwExStyle, void* lpClassName, void* lpWindowName, uint dwStyle, 
    int x, int y, int nWidth, int nHeight, IntPtr hWndParent, IntPtr hMenu, 
    IntPtr hInstance, IntPtr lpParam);
short RegisterClass(void* wc);
short RegisterClassExW(WNDCLASSEX* lpwcx);

// Window State and Properties
int GetWindowPlacement(IntPtr hWnd, IntPtr lpwndpl);
int GetWindowRect(IntPtr hWnd, RECT* lpRect);
int GetClientRect(IntPtr hWnd, RECT* lpRect);
int IsWindowEnabled(IntPtr hWnd);
int IsWindowVisible(IntPtr hWnd);
int IsWindow(IntPtr hWnd);
int GetWindowInfo(IntPtr hwnd, WINDOWINFO* pwi);

// Window Position and Layout
IntPtr BeginDeferWindowPos(int nNumWindows);
int EndDeferWindowPos(IntPtr hWinPosInfo);
int SetWindowPos(IntPtr hWnd, IntPtr hWndInsertAfter, int x, int y, int cx, int cy, int uFlags);
uint AdjustWindowRectEx(RECT* lpRect, uint dwStyle, uint bMenu, uint dwExStyle);

// Window Properties
int GetWindowLong(IntPtr hWnd, int nIndex);
int SetWindowLong(IntPtr hWnd, int nIndex, int newVal);
IntPtr GetWindowLongPtr(IntPtr hWnd, int nIndex);
IntPtr GetWindowLongPtrW(IntPtr hWnd, int nIndex);
IntPtr SetWindowLongPtr(IntPtr hWnd, int nIndex, IntPtr newVal);

// Window Hierarchy and Relations
IntPtr GetActiveWindow();
IntPtr GetTopWindow(IntPtr hWnd);
IntPtr GetWindow(IntPtr hWnd, uint uCmd);
IntPtr GetDesktopWindow();
IntPtr WindowFromPoint(long p);
IntPtr FindWindow(void* lpClassName, void* lpWindowName);
int EnumChildWindows(IntPtr window, IntPtr callback, IntPtr lParam);

// Window Display and Region
int SetWindowDisplayAffinity(IntPtr hWnd, int* dwAffinity);
int SetWindowRgn(IntPtr hWnd, IntPtr hRgn, int bRedraw);
int RedrawWindow(IntPtr hWnd, RECT* lprcUpdate, IntPtr hrgnUpdate, uint flags);
int InvalidateRect(IntPtr hWnd, RECT* lpRect, int bErase);

// System Menu
IntPtr GetSystemMenu(IntPtr hWnd, int bRevert);

Focus and Input Management​

IntPtr GetFocus();
IntPtr GetCapture();
int ReleaseCapture();
int SetForegroundWindow(IntPtr hWnd);
short GetKeyState(int vKey);
int GetMessagePos();
int GetMessageTime();
int GetCursorPos(POINT* lpPoint);

Graphics and Device Context​

Device Context Management​

IntPtr GetDC(IntPtr hWnd);
IntPtr CreateCompatibleDC(IntPtr hdc);
int DeleteDC(IntPtr hdc);
int GetDeviceCaps(IntPtr hdc, int nIndex);
int ReleaseDC(IntPtr hWnd, IntPtr hDC);

Region and Drawing Objects​

IntPtr CreateRectRgn(int x1, int y1, int x2, int y2);
IntPtr CreateRoundRectRgn(int x1, int y1, int x2, int y2, int cx, int cy);
IntPtr CreateRectRgnIndirect(RECT* lprc);
int DeleteObject(IntPtr obj);
IntPtr GetStockObject(int i);

Coordinate System and Mapping​

int GetMapMode(IntPtr hdc);
int SetMapMode(IntPtr hdc, int fnMapMode);
int SetWindowExtEx(IntPtr hdc, int x, int y, SIZE* lpsz);
int SetViewportExtEx(IntPtr hdc, int x, int y, SIZE* lpsz);
int OffsetRect(IntPtr lprc, int x, int y);

Desktop Window Manager (DWM)​

int DwmIsCompositionEnabled(int* enabled);
int DwmExtendFrameIntoClientArea(IntPtr hWnd, MARGINS* pMarInset);
uint DwmGetWindowAttribute(IntPtr hwnd, int attribute, uint* pvAttribute, uint cbAttribute);
uint DwmSetWindowAttribute(IntPtr hwnd, int attribute, uint* pvAttribute, uint cbAttribute);

Monitor and Display​

IntPtr MonitorFromPoint(long point, uint dwFlags);
IntPtr MonitorFromRect(IntPtr lprc, uint dwFlags);
IntPtr MonitorFromWindow(IntPtr handle, uint flags);
int GetMonitorInfo(IntPtr hMonitor, IntPtr lpmi);
int EnumDisplayMonitors(IntPtr hdc, IntPtr lprcClip, IntPtr lpfnEnum, IntPtr data);
int GetDpiForMonitor(IntPtr hMonitor, int dpiType, uint* dpiX, uint* dpiY);
int GetDpiForWindow(IntPtr hWnd);
int GetProcessDpiAwareness(IntPtr hWnd, int* value);

Input Method Editor (IME)​

IntPtr ImmCreateContext();
int ImmDestroyContext(IntPtr hIMC);
IntPtr ImmGetContext(IntPtr hWnd);
int ImmReleaseContext(IntPtr hWnd, IntPtr hIMC);
IntPtr ImmAssociateContext(IntPtr hWnd, IntPtr hIMC);
int ImmSetOpenStatus(IntPtr hIMC, int open);
int ImmGetOpenStatus(IntPtr hIMC);
int ImmNotifyIME(IntPtr hIMC, int dwAction, int dwIndex, int dwValue);
int ImmGetProperty(IntPtr hkl, int flags);
int ImmGetCompositionString(IntPtr hIMC, int dwIndex, void* lpBuf, int dwBufLen);
int ImmGetCompositionStringW(IntPtr hIMC, int dwIndex, void* lpBuf, int dwBufLen);
int ImmSetCompositionFont(IntPtr hIMC, void* lf);
int ImmSetCompositionFontW(IntPtr hIMC, void* lf);
int ImmConfigureIMEW(IntPtr hkl, IntPtr hwnd, int dwData, void* registerWord);
int ImmSetCompositionWindow(IntPtr hIMC, void* compform);
int ImmSetCandidateWindow(IntPtr hIMC, void* candform);
IntPtr ImmGetDefaultIMEWnd(IntPtr hwnd);

System Information and Settings​

int GetSysColor(int nIndex);
int SystemParametersInfo(uint uiAction, uint uiParam, void* pvParam, uint fWinIni);
int SystemParametersInfoW(uint uiAction, uint uiParam, void* pvParam, uint fWinIni);
uint GetDoubleClickTime();
int GetSystemMetrics(int index);
int RtlGetVersion(RTL_OSVERSIONINFOW* lpVersionInformation);
uint GetCaretBlinkTime();

Messages and Window Procedures​

IntPtr SendMessage(IntPtr hWnd, int uMsg, IntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam);
int PostMessage(IntPtr hWnd, int uMsg, IntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam);
IntPtr DefWindowProc(IntPtr hWnd, uint msg, IntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam);
IntPtr DefWindowProcW(IntPtr hWnd, uint msg, IntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam);
uint FormatMessageW(int dwFlags, IntPtr lpSource, int dwMessageId, int dwLanguageId, 
    IntPtr* lpBuffer, int nSize, IntPtr Arguments);

Hooks and Thread Management​

IntPtr SetWindowsHookEx(int idHook, IntPtr lpfn, IntPtr hMod, uint dwThreadId);
int UnhookWindowsHookEx(IntPtr hWnd);
int GetCurrentThreadId();
int EnumThreadWindows(int dwThreadId, IntPtr lpfn, IntPtr lParam);

File and Resource Management​

IntPtr LoadLibrary(void* lpLib);
IntPtr LoadLibraryW(void* lpLib);
int LoadString(IntPtr hInstance, uint uID, void* lpBuffer, int cchBufferMax);
int LoadStringW(IntPtr hInstance, uint uID, void* lpBuffer, int cchBufferMax);
IntPtr CreateFileMapping(IntPtr hFile, IntPtr lpFileMappingAttributes, uint flProtect, 
    uint dwMaximumSizeHigh, uint dwMaximumSizeLow, char* lpName);
IntPtr MapViewOfFile(IntPtr hFileMappingObject, uint dwDesiredAccess, uint dwFileOffsetHigh, 
    uint dwFileOffsetLow, IntPtr dwNumberOfBytesToMap);
int UnmapViewOfFile(IntPtr lpBaseAddress);
int CloseHandle(IntPtr hObject);
IntPtr FindFirstFile(char* lpFilename, IntPtr findData);
int FindNextFile(IntPtr findHandle, IntPtr findData);
int FindClose(IntPtr findHandle);
int GetModuleFileName(IntPtr module, char* lpFilename, int nSize);
IntPtr GetModuleHandle(char* lpModuleName);
IntPtr GetModuleHandleW(char* lpModuleName);

UI Elements and Theming​

// Caret
int CreateCaret(IntPtr hWnd, IntPtr hBitmap, int width, int height);
int ShowCaret(IntPtr hWnd);
int HideCaret(IntPtr hWnd);
int DestroyCaret();
int SetCaretPos(int x, int y);

// Menus
uint TrackPopupMenuEx(IntPtr hmenu, uint fuFlags, int x, int y, IntPtr hwnd, IntPtr lptpm);
int EnableMenuItem(IntPtr hMenu, int uIDEnableItem, int uEnable);

// Theming
int IsThemeActive();
int SetWindowThemeAttribute(IntPtr hWnd, uint wtype, WTA_OPTIONS* attributes, uint size);

Shell and Icons​

int AddClipboardFormatListener(IntPtr hwnd);
IntPtr SHGetFileInfo(void* pszPath, uint dwFileAttributes, SHFILEINFOA* psfi, 
    uint cbFileInfo, uint uFlags);
IntPtr SHGetFileInfoW(void* pszPath, uint dwFileAttributes, SHFILEINFOW* psfi, 
    uint cbFileInfo, uint uFlags);
int ExtractIconEx(void* lpszFile, int nIconIndex, void* phiconLarge, void* phiconSmall, int nIcons);
int ExtractIconExW(void* lpszFile, int nIconIndex, void* phiconLarge, void* phiconSmall, int nIcons);

Memory Operations​

void RtlMoveMemory(IntPtr destination, IntPtr source, uint length);

Text Services​

int TF_CreateThreadMgr(void* threadMgr);

Notes​

  • Functions with 'W' suffix are Unicode versions
  • Most functions return non-zero for success, zero for failure
  • IntPtr parameters typically represent handles (HWND, HDC, etc.)
  • void* parameters are typically for strings or structures in unmanaged code

Usage Example​

// Example of getting window dimensions and position
var hwnd = window.PlatformImpl.Handle.Handle;
var rect = new RECT();
if (GetWindowRect(hwnd, &rect) != 0)
{
    int width = rect.right - rect.left;
    int height = rect.bottom - rect.top;
    int x = rect.left;
    int y = rect.top;
}