[RESOLVED] [2005] VB.NET and APIs

[GrimmReaper]

Hello guys!

I just need some clarity on how to properly use APIs in .NET.

In VB 6, we used to declare APIs like this :

Private Declare Function GetCaretBlinkTime Lib "user32" Alias "GetCaretBlinkTime" () As Long

In VB 2005, I can also declare the same API, almost 100% similar, with the difference being with the function return types, and argument types (Am I correct)

In VB.NET 2005 I declare this API like this:

    Private Declare Function GetCaretBlinkTime Lib "user32.dll" () As Int32

Which is all fine and dandy, BUT, I have noticed many people opting to use the Sytem.Runtime.InteropServices class / namespace (Which is it ?), and then create the particular API like this :

    <DllImport("user32.dll", EntryPoint:="FindWindowEx", SetLastError:=True, CharSet:=CharSet.Auto)> _
    Private Shared Function FindWindowEx(ByVal parentHandle As IntPtr, _
    ByVal childAfter As IntPtr, _
    ByVal lclassName As String, _
    ByVal windowTitle As String) As IntPtr
    End Function

I have found this technique amusing. I went ahead and based on the above (FindWindowEx) example, and did this with GetCaretBlinkTime

    <DllImport("user32", EntryPoint:="GetCaretBlinkTime", SetLastError:=True, CharSet:=CharSet.Auto)> _
        Private Function GetCaretBlinkTime() As Int32
    End Function

But, now, I get this error :

'System.Runtime.InteropServices.DllImportAttribute' cannot be applied to instance method

Why?
Why can I not follow the same principal as with FindWindowEx?
Can I not use this technique with every API?

Any advice on these will be appreciated.