How to Retrieve File Thumbnails Programmatically using the Windows API in C#?

Retrieving File Thumbnails Using Windows API in C#

Question:

How can one programmatically retrieve thumbnail images for files on the system using the Windows shell API?

Answer:

Using the WindowsAPICodePack:

The WindowsAPICodePack library provides a convenient method for obtaining file thumbnails:

1. Install the WindowsAPICodePack-Shell package via NuGet.
2. Use code similar to this:

using System.Drawing;
using Shell32;

...

ShellFile shellFile = ShellFile.FromFilePath(pathToYourFile);
Bitmap shellThumb = shellFile.Thumbnail.ExtraLargeBitmap;

Note:

This approach retrieves the thumbnail representation of files as stored by Windows. It does not involve parsing or creating thumbnails from scratch.

The above is the detailed content of How to Retrieve File Thumbnails Programmatically using the Windows API in C#?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!