Windows Win32 API Documentation

Win32 API Documentation

Welcome to the official documentation for the Windows Win32 API. This section provides comprehensive reference materials, code samples, and developer guides for building native applications on the Windows platform.

Core Concepts

The Win32 API is a collection of low-level functions that allow applications to interact directly with the Windows operating system. It forms the foundation for most graphical user interface (GUI) applications and system services.

Key Areas of the Win32 API

Process and Thread Management (CreateProcess, CreateThread)
Memory Management (VirtualAlloc, HeapAlloc)
File System Operations (CreateFile, ReadFile, WriteFile)
Graphics Device Interface (GDI) (CreateSolidBrush, Rectangle)
Window Management (CreateWindowEx, DefWindowProc)
Registry Access (RegOpenKeyEx, RegQueryValueEx)
Networking Functions (socket, connect)

Recent Updates

Stay up-to-date with the latest additions and modifications to the Win32 API:

New File I/O Functions in Windows 11 (Oct 26, 2023)
Enhanced Performance Monitoring APIs (Sep 15, 2023)

Getting Started

To begin developing with the Win32 API, you'll typically use C or C++. Ensure you have a suitable development environment set up, such as Visual Studio.

Here's a simple example of creating a window:


#include <windows.h>

LRESULT CALLBACK WndProc(HWND hWnd, UINT message, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam) {
    switch (message) {
        case WM_DESTROY:
            PostQuitMessage(0);
            break;
        default:
            return DefWindowProc(hWnd, message, wParam, lParam);
    }
    return 0;
}

int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, LPSTR lpCmdLine, int nCmdShow) {
    WNDCLASSEX wcex;
    // ... WNDCLASSEX initialization ...
    wcex.cbSize = sizeof(WNDCLASSEX);
    wcex.style = CS_HREDRAW | CS_VREDRAW;
    wcex.lpfnWndProc = WndProc;
    wcex.cbClsExtra = 0;
    wcex.cbWndExtra = 0;
    wcex.hInstance = hInstance;
    wcex.hIcon = LoadIcon(NULL, IDI_APPLICATION);
    wcex.hCursor = LoadCursor(NULL, IDC_ARROW);
    wcex.hbrBackground = (HBRUSH)(COLOR_WINDOW + 1);
    wcex.lpszMenuName = NULL;
    wcex.lpszClassName = L"SampleWindowClass";
    wcex.hIconSm = LoadIcon(NULL, IDI_APPLICATION);

    if (!RegisterClassEx(&wcex)) {
        MessageBox(NULL, L"Window Registration Failed!", L"Error!", MB_ICONERROR | MB_OK);
        return 0;
    }

    HWND hWnd = CreateWindowEx(
        0,
        L"SampleWindowClass",
        L"My First Win32 Window",
        WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW,
        CW_USEDEFAULT, CW_USEDEFAULT, CW_USEDEFAULT, CW_USEDEFAULT,
        NULL, NULL, hInstance, NULL
    );

    if (!hWnd) {
        MessageBox(NULL, L"Window Creation Failed!", L"Error!", MB_ICONERROR | MB_OK);
        return 0;
    }

    ShowWindow(hWnd, nCmdShow);
    UpdateWindow(hWnd);

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

    return (int)msg.wParam;
}

For more detailed examples and API specifics, please navigate through the sections above or use the search bar.