Windows Desktop Development

Welcome to the Windows Desktop Developer Center

Explore the foundational technologies and powerful APIs for creating robust, high-performance native applications for the Windows operating system. From Win32 to modern UWP features, find the resources you need to build the next generation of desktop experiences.

Getting Started

Begin your journey into Windows Desktop development with these essential guides and tutorials.

• Setting Up Your Development Environment
• Understanding Core Windows Concepts
• Your First Win32 Application

Key Technologies

Dive deep into the core technologies that power Windows desktop applications.

• Win32 API: The classic, low-level API for Windows. Learn about window management, messages, GDI, and more. Learn more »
• Component Object Model (COM): The foundation for reusable software components in Windows. Explore COM »
• DirectX: For high-performance graphics, gaming, and multimedia. Discover DirectX »
• Universal Windows Platform (UWP): Build modern, touch-friendly apps that can run across Windows 10 devices. Get Started with UWP »

Featured Topics

Discover popular and important areas of Windows Desktop development.

• Designing User Interfaces
• Network Programming with Winsock
• Implementing Security Features
• File System and Registry Access

Code Samples

Explore practical code examples to see concepts in action.

// Example: Creating a simple window with Win32 API
#include <windows.h>

int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, LPSTR lpCmdLine, int nCmdShow) {
    WNDCLASS wc = {0};
    wc.lpfnWndProc = DefWindowProc;
    wc.hInstance = hInstance;
    wc.lpszClassName = "MyWindowClass";

    if (!RegisterClass(&wc)) {
        MessageBox(NULL, "Window Registration Failed!", "Error!", MB_ICONEXCLAMATION | MB_OK);
        return 0;
    }

    HWND hwnd = CreateWindowEx(WS_EX_CLIENTEDGE, "MyWindowClass", "Hello, Windows!", WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW, CW_USEDEFAULT, CW_USEDEFAULT, 640, 480, NULL, NULL, hInstance, NULL);

    if (!hwnd) {
        MessageBox(NULL, "Window Creation Failed!", "Error!", MB_ICONEXCLAMATION | MB_OK);
        return 0;
    }

    ShowWindow(hwnd, nCmdShow);
    UpdateWindow(hwnd);

    MSG msg = {0};
    while (GetMessage(&msg, NULL, 0, 0)) {
        TranslateMessage(&msg);
        DispatchMessage(&msg);
    }

    return 0;
}