by Janae Allen
May 21, 2009
One of the highlights of the new features of Windows 7 is the Library. The Library is a replacement for the standard Documents folder seen in previous versions of Windows. Using the Library, the user defines the locations of documents / files of the same type that should be collected together (Music, Videos, Pictures, Documents, etc.). This makes it very easy for the user to be able to go to one central location to find a file -- without requiring the user to save all of their files in just one folder. The user can even include folders located on other machines in their libraries.
It's very simple to add a folder to an existing library. Just right-click on the folder you want to add, and select the library from the popup list. In the example below, I am adding a folder on my network to the Documents library:
Applications
Windows applications may also consume the features provided by the Libraries. For instance, when a user wants to save a file in Paint, the common file dialog shows the user's libraries, allowing quick access to the commonly used folders and files:
When building a Windows application, it is important to include functionality to interact with the new Library features to improve usability. You will need to use the IShellLibrary API to interact with current libraries or create ones specific for your application. See the additional resources below for more information on how to implement Library features in your application.
Additional Resources
File Library Replaces Document Folder
Understanding Windows 7 Libraries (part 1 of 7 the series of posts about Windows 7 Libraries)
Find and Organize Part 1
Consuming the Contents of Windows 7 Libraries