Question 1

Is P/Invoke still maintained or should I use something else?

Accepted Answer

No, it's deprecated—the README recommends CsWin32 for new projects. P/Invoke is reliable for existing code but won't receive updates, so consider CsWin32 for active development.

Question 2

How do I install and use P/Invoke in a .NET Core project?

Accepted Answer

Install the relevant NuGet package (e.g., PInvoke.Kernel32), then import namespaces. The README shows C# 6 syntax with 'using static' for direct method calls, and it supports multi-targeting for .NET Core.

Question 3

P/Invoke vs pinvoke.net: which is better for Windows API calls?

Accepted Answer

P/Invoke provides compiled, tested libraries with type-safe wrappers, while pinvoke.net is a community wiki with unverified signatures. For reliability, P/Invoke is superior, but CsWin32 is now the modern alternative.

Question 4

Can I contribute missing P/Invoke signatures to the project?

Accepted Answer

Yes, contributions are welcomed per the CONTRIBUTING.md, but since the project is unmaintained, pull requests may not be merged. It's better to focus on CsWin32 for new additions.

Question 5

What are the best alternatives to P/Invoke for Windows API access in C#?

Accepted Answer

CsWin32 is the recommended successor, offering source-generated P/Invoke. Other options include using Windows Runtime APIs directly or platform-specific .NET libraries, but for raw Win32, CsWin32 is current.

Question 6

How to handle compiler errors with null parameters in P/Invoke methods?

Accepted Answer

As explained in the README, cast null to the specific type (e.g., (struct?)null) to resolve ambiguity between overloads, since multiple signatures can match null values.

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