[LIBRARIES][SOURCE] WP8 Native Access project

This thread is for announcements and discussion around the WP8NativeAccess project (https://wp8nativeaccess.codeplex.com/). The purpose of this project is to provide general-purpose libraries, usable from C++ or .NET, which enable access to the underlying functions of the OS. In some cases, this will mean simple wrappers around native APIs; in other cases, these will be more advanced operations which simplify using the low-level APIs.

Some of the functions that the Native Access project exposes are already available via the official APIs. Other functions, however, are not. While I have no objection to these libraries being used in Store apps (license permitting), it is unlikely that Microsoft will permit the ones which use unofficial APIs.

Note that this library does not provide any method for elevation of privileges. Consequently, the use of these APIs will be constrained by the sandbox in which all third-party WP8 apps run, as defined by the capabilities in the app manifest. In practical terms, this means that most of the system will be either inaccessible or read-only. Even so, it has already proven useful to myself. When combined with interop-unlock and Capability-unlock hacks (making it possible for apps to obtain higher privileges), these APIs become much more useful. In fact, the EnableAllCapabilities utility uses the Registry library. Similarly, if you have the ability to use restricted Capabilities in an app you are developing, you may find these libraries useful.

The libraries are as follows:

• FileSystem version 0.4.0: Implements functionality to read, write, and get information about files and directories, plus supports creating symbolic links and enumerating file system volumes. This version contains a breaking change from 0.3.x: the NativeFileSystem functions are now static and the constructor is removed. This library may be built with or without the macro USE_NON_PUBLIC_APIS; by default it now includes this macro and require kernelbase.lib to build. If this macro is not defined, it builds using the public APIs without requiring any special libraries.
• Registry version 0.2.9: Implements functionality to read and write registry values, and to create and delete registry keys and values. Many, though not yet all, registry value types are fully supported. This library consists entirely of non-public (for WP8) APIs and requires the KERNELBASE.LIB and ADVAPI32LEGACY.LIB export libraries for Windows Phone 8 in order to build (the DLLs are in C:\Windows\System32 on the phone; you can use Dll2Lib.exe to extract the .LIB files).
• Processes version 0.1.0: Implements basic functionality to get information about your process, and to create or kill a child process. Very early version.

They are licensed under the Microsoft Permissive License.

The FileSystem and Registry libraries are currently being used by my WP8 File Access Webserver project (http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2355034).
My EnableAllSideloading app uses the Registry library (http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2435697).
@hjc4869 has a basic FileExplorer app which uses the FileSystem library (http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2497788).

You may need to use 7-Zip or another extraction program better than the built-in Windows Zip extractor to open the archive.

Reserved for OP...

Updated. This will be the main place on XDA for releases of the NativeAccess libraries going forward. Additionally, please report problems or make feature requests here.

The latest version of the NativeFileSystem library can give you the mount points (as strings) for all volumes (C:\, D:\, etc.)... I implemented that a few days ago; it should be in this update. Sorry for not highlighting that more clearly (typo in the OP fixed now).

How odd, you're right. I didn't do anything terribly fancy while building that ZIP, so I really don't know what's up with that.

If you have the required permissions, yes. There's read/write functions for REG_BINARY, and also a simple wrapper around RegSetValue that will work for any type.

However, the library doesn't actually give you any privileges your app didn't already have. Without special Capabilities (which usually require hacks to enable), you won't have write access anywhere in the registry at all...

Do you have the DLL and the WINMD in the same location? Are you creating a WP8.0 app (I don't know if apps targeting 8.1 specifically will work)? Are you building for ARM?

You're going to need to be way more specific.

How far did you get, i.e. can you compile the app? Install the app? Launch the app? Does it crash immediately or does it actually load? Etc.
What, *exactly*, breaks? Does it break when you try to reference the NativeRegistry library, or only when you try to actually use ReadDWORD function, or some time later? If you are able to call readDWORD, what is the return value? If it fails, what is the error code?
Are you getting an exception, or does it just not work? If it's an exception, give me as much detail about it as you can (the type, the message, the code where it happened, etc. if possible).

Source code for EnableAllSideloading already has the requisite using directives...
When you look in the project's References, is the Registry library referenced correctly? By default it'll try to use a relative path that I use on my PC, but probably not the same path you use. You may need to manually adjust the reference, or delete it and re-create it.

Alternatively, what auto-fix options does Visual Studio give you when you click on those red lines?