Calling Win32 API Functions in VB 2010 - Listing 1

'No external references are needed to access the Win32 API

Public Class DiskInfo
    Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) _
Handles Button1.Click
        Call DiskInfo()
    End Sub

    Private Sub DiskInfo()
        Dim RootPath As String = "C:\"
        Dim SectorsInCluster As Integer = 0
        Dim BytesInSector As Integer = 0
        Dim NumberFreeClusters = 0
        Dim TotalNumberClusters = 0
        Call Win32API.GetDiskFreeSpace(RootPath, SectorsInCluster, BytesInSector, 
NumberFreeClusters, TotalNumberClusters)
MessageBox.Show(String.Format("GetDiskSpace: Free Cluster Count in C: is {0}", NumberFreeClusters))

        Dim FreeBytes As Integer = 0
        Dim TotalBytes As Integer = 0
        Dim TotalFreeBytes As UInt32 = 0
        Call Win32API.GetDiskFreeSpaceEx(RootPath, FreeBytes, TotalBytes, TotalFreeBytes)
        MessageBox.Show(String.Format("GetDiskSpaceEx: Total Free Bytes in C: is {0}", TotalFreeBytes))

        Dim DriveType As Integer = Win32API.GetDriveType(RootPath)
        Dim DriveTypeName As String = String.Empty

        Select Case DriveType
            Case 2 : DriveTypeName = "Removable"
            Case 3 : DriveTypeName = "Fixed"
            Case 4 : DriveTypeName = "Remote"
            Case 5 : DriveTypeName = "CD-Rom"
            Case 6 : DriveTypeName = "RAM Disk"
            Case Else : DriveTypeName = "Unknown"
        End Select
        MessageBox.Show(String.Format("GetDriveType: {0}", DriveTypeName))
    End Sub
End Class

Partial Public Class Win32API

    Public Declare Function GetDiskFreeSpace Lib "kernel32" _
        Alias "GetDiskFreeSpaceA" (ByVal RootPathName As String,
                                   ByRef SectorsPerCluster As Integer,
                                   ByRef BytesPerSector As Integer,
                                   ByRef NumberOfFreeClusters As Integer,
                                   ByRef TotalNumberOfClusters As Integer) As Integer

    Public Declare Function GetDiskFreeSpaceEx Lib "kernel32" _
        Alias "GetDiskFreeSpaceExA" (ByVal RootPathName As String,
                                     ByRef FreeBytesAvailableToCaller As Integer,
                                     ByRef TotalNumberOfBytes As Integer,
                                     ByRef TotalNumberOfFreeBytes As UInt32) As Integer

    Public Declare Function GetDriveType Lib "kernel32" _
        Alias "GetDriveTypeA" (ByVal nDrive As String) As Integer

End Class

About the Author

Joe Kunk is a Microsoft MVP in Visual Basic, three-time president of the Greater Lansing User Group for .NET, and developer for Dart Container Corporation of Mason, Michigan. He's been developing software for over 30 years and has worked in the education, government, financial and manufacturing industries. Kunk's co-authored the book "Professional DevExpress ASP.NET Controls" (Wrox Programmer to Programmer, 2009). He can be reached via email at [email protected].

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