Networking & Internet APIs

This section provides comprehensive documentation for the Windows APIs related to networking and internet connectivity. Developers can leverage these APIs to build robust network-aware applications, manage network connections, and interact with internet protocols.

Key Areas

The Windows operating system offers a rich set of APIs for developers to integrate network functionality into their applications. These APIs cover a wide range of networking tasks, from low-level socket programming to high-level web services.

Socket Programming (Winsock)

Winsock (Windows Sockets API) is the standard Windows API for network programming. It provides a familiar interface based on the Berkeley Sockets API, allowing developers to create applications that can communicate over TCP/IP and other network protocols. Winsock supports both connection-oriented (TCP) and connectionless (UDP) communication.

• Socket Functions
• Protocol Support
• Error Handling

HTTP Services

The HTTP Services API allows applications to easily send and receive HTTP requests and responses without needing to implement the entire HTTP protocol stack themselves. This is ideal for interacting with web servers, consuming web services, and downloading content from the internet.

• Sending HTTP Requests
• Handling HTTP Responses
• HTTP Authentication

DNS Client API

The DNS Client API enables applications to perform Domain Name System (DNS) name resolution. This includes resolving hostnames to IP addresses and vice-versa. It's crucial for applications that need to connect to resources using their domain names.

• Resolving Hostnames
• DNS Query Functions

IP Helper API

The IP Helper API provides functions for retrieving and modifying network configuration information. This includes details about network adapters, IP addresses, routes, and network statistics. It's useful for network diagnostics and management tools.

• Retrieving Adapter Information
• Managing IP Routes