Windows API Reference

Core File Operations

These APIs form the foundation for managing files and directories within the Windows operating system.

• CreateFile Creates or opens a file or device.
• ReadFile Reads data from a file or device.
• WriteFile Writes data to a file or device.
• CloseHandle Closes an open object handle.
• DeleteFile Deletes a file.
• MoveFile Moves an existing file or directory.
• CopyFile Copies an existing file to a new location.

Directory Management

Manage directories and their contents effectively with these APIs.

• CreateDirectory Creates a new directory.
• RemoveDirectory Removes an empty directory.
• FindFirstFile Begins the search for files in a specified directory.
• FindNextFile Continues a file search from a previous call to FindFirstFile.
• FindClose Closes a file search handle.

Advanced File Operations

Delve into more specialized functionalities for robust file handling.

• GetFileAttributes Retrieves attributes for a specified file or directory.
• SetFileAttributes Sets the attributes for a specified file or directory.
• GetFileInformationByHandle Retrieves various information about a file or directory specified by a handle.
• SetEndOfFile Sets the high-order word of the file size.

Example: Reading File Content

Here's a simple C++ code snippet demonstrating how to read content from a file using the Windows API:

#include <windows.h>
#include <iostream>
#include <vector>

int main() {
    HANDLE hFile = CreateFile(L"example.txt",              // File name
                              GENERIC_READ,                 // Access mode
                              FILE_SHARE_READ,              // Share mode
                              NULL,                         // Security attributes
                              OPEN_EXISTING,                // Creation disposition
                              FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL,        // Flags and attributes
                              NULL);                        // Template file

    if (hFile == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE) {
        std::cerr << "Error opening file: " << GetLastError() << std::endl;
        return 1;
    }

    DWORD fileSize = GetFileSize(hFile, NULL);
    if (fileSize == INVALID_FILE_SIZE) {
        std::cerr << "Error getting file size: " << GetLastError() << std::endl;
        CloseHandle(hFile);
        return 1;
    }

    if (fileSize == 0) {
        std::cout << "File is empty." << std::endl;
        CloseHandle(hFile);
        return 0;
    }

    std::vector<char> buffer(fileSize);
    DWORD bytesRead;

    if (!ReadFile(hFile, buffer.data(), fileSize, &bytesRead, NULL)) {
        std::cerr << "Error reading file: " << GetLastError() << std::endl;
        CloseHandle(hFile);
        return 1;
    }

    std::cout.write(buffer.data(), bytesRead);

    CloseHandle(hFile);
    return 0;
}
                    

For more detailed information, parameters, and return values, please refer to the specific API documentation linked above.