MSDN Documentation

Windows Programming Best Practices

Welcome to the comprehensive guide for building robust, secure, and high‑performance Windows applications. Follow these best practices to ensure your software meets Microsoft standards and provides an excellent user experience.

1. Memory Management

Use smart pointers and COM's reference counting to avoid leaks.

#include <memory>
using Microsoft::WRL::ComPtr;

ComPtr<IMyInterface> spInterface;
HRESULT hr = CoCreateInstance(CLSID_MyComponent, nullptr, CLSCTX_ALL, IID_PPV_ARGS(&spInterface));
if (SUCCEEDED(hr)) {
    // Use spInterface safely; it auto‑releases.
}

2. Threading

Leverage the Windows Thread Pool and avoid blocking the UI thread.

void CALLBACK MyWorkItem(PTP_CALLBACK_INSTANCE, PVOID, PTP_WORK) {
    // Background work here
}

void QueueWork() {
    PTP_WORK work = CreateThreadpoolWork(MyWorkItem, nullptr, nullptr);
    SubmitThreadpoolWork(work);
}

3. Security

Validate all inputs, use SecureString, and employ the Windows Authentication APIs.

DWORD GetUserToken(LPCWSTR user, LPCWSTR domain, LPCWSTR password, HANDLE *pToken) {
    return LogonUserW(user, domain, password, LOGON32_LOGON_INTERACTIVE,
                      LOGON32_PROVIDER_DEFAULT, pToken);
}

4. Performance

Profile with Windows Performance Analyzer and minimize cross‑process calls.

5. UI Guidelines

Follow the Fluent Design System. Use XAML for modern UI and ensure accessibility.

6. Code Samples

For complete examples, see the Code Samples section.