Windows API Reference
Explore the vast landscape of Windows API functions, structures, and interfaces. This section provides comprehensive documentation for developers building applications on the Windows platform.
Core Windows Libraries
Kernel32.dll
Provides core operating system services, including process and thread management, memory management, and I/O operations.
Key Functions:
CreateProcessVirtualAllocReadFile
User32.dll
Manages the user interface, including windows, menus, controls, and message handling.
Key Functions:
CreateWindowExMessageBoxGetMessage
Graphics and Multimedia
GDI32.dll
The Graphics Device Interface (GDI) provides functions for drawing 2D graphics and text.
Key Functions:
CreateSolidBrushTextOutRectangle
DirectX API
A set of interfaces for high-performance multimedia and game programming, including Direct3D and Direct2D.
Key Components:
- Direct3D 12
- Direct2D
- DirectWrite
Networking
Winsock
Provides the Windows Sockets API for network communication.
Key Functions:
socketconnectsendrecv
Security
Cryptography API (CryptoAPI)
Offers functions for cryptographic operations, such as encryption, decryption, and hashing.
Key Functions:
CryptGenKeyCryptEncrypt
System Services
Advapi32.dll
Provides advanced services like registry access, security, and event logging.
Key Functions:
RegOpenKeyExGetAceReportEvent
Component Object Model (COM)
COM Interfaces
The foundation for reusable software components in Windows.
Key Interfaces:
IUnknownIDispatchIClassFactory
Windows Runtime (WinRT)
WinRT APIs
The modern API for building apps for Windows 8 and later, accessible from various languages.
Key Namespaces:
Windows.FoundationWindows.UI.XamlWindows.Storage
Search the API Reference
Quickly find specific functions, structures, or interfaces.