Windows Programming Technologies
Explore the core technologies and frameworks available for developing applications on the Windows platform.
Core Programming Models
- Win32 API - The fundamental API for Windows development, providing access to system services.
- Universal Windows Platform (UWP) - A unified application architecture for Windows 10 and later, enabling apps that run across devices.
- Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) - A UI framework for building visually rich and interactive desktop applications.
- Windows Forms - A mature UI framework for building traditional desktop applications on Windows.
Application Development Frameworks
- .NET Framework - A comprehensive development platform for building a wide range of applications.
- .NET Core (now .NET) - A modern, cross-platform, open-source framework for building cloud-native applications.
- C++ with Windows SDK - Direct development using C++ for high-performance applications and system-level programming.
- COM (Component Object Model) - A binary-standard for creating reusable software components.
Modern App Development
- DirectX - A collection of APIs for handling tasks related to multimedia, especially game programming and video.
- Windows Runtime (WinRT) - The modern component object model for Windows, enabling inter-language and inter-process communication.
- Project Reunion (now Windows App SDK) - Unifying Win32 and UWP development for a more consistent experience.
- WinUI 3 - The latest native UI platform from Microsoft, part of the Windows App SDK.
System and Services Development
- Windows Services - Developing background applications that run on the Windows operating system.
- Device Drivers - Creating software to interact directly with hardware devices.
- Azure SDK for Windows - Integrating Windows applications with Microsoft Azure cloud services.
Tools and Ecosystem
- Visual Studio - The premier Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for Windows development.
- Windows Terminal - A modern, fast, efficient, and extensible terminal application.
- Package Management - Discovering and managing libraries and tools using NuGet and Chocolatey.