Windows API index - Win32 apps | Microsoft Learn

User interface

The Windows UI API creates and uses windows to display output, prompt for user input, and carry out the other tasks that support interaction with the user. Most applications create at least one window.

Accessibility

Desktop Window Manager (DWM)

Globalization Services

High DPI

Multilingual User Interface (MUI)

National Language Support (NLS)

User Interface elements :

Buttons

Carets

Combo Boxes

Common Dialog Boxes

Common Controls

Cursors

Dialog Boxes

Edit Controls

Header Controls

Icons

Keyboard Accelerators

List Boxes

List-View Controls

Menus

Progress Bars

Property Sheets

Rich Edit Controls

Scroll Bars

Static Controls

Strings

Toolbars

Tooltips

Trackbars

Tree-View Controls

Windows Animation Manager

Windows Ribbon Framework

Windows environment (Shell)

Windows Property System

Windows Shell

Windows Search

Consoles

User input and messaging

User Interaction

Direct Manipulation

Ink input

Input Feedback Configuration

Interaction Context

Pointer Device Input Stack

Pointer Input Messages and Notifications

Radial controller input

Text Services Framework

Touch Hit Testing

Touch Injection

Legacy User Interaction

Touch Input

Keyboard Input

Mouse Input

Raw Input

Windows and Messages :

Messages and Message Queues

Windows

Window Classes

Window Procedures

Timers

Window Properties

Hooks

Data access and storage

Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS)

Bind Link

Data Backup

Backup

Data Deduplication

Volume Shadow Copy

Windows Server Backup

Data Exchange :

Clipboard

Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)

Dynamic Data Exchange Management (DDEML)

Directory Management

Disk Management

Distributed File System (DFS)

Distributed File System Replication

Extensible Storage Engine

Files and I/O (Local file system)

iSCSI Discovery Library API

Offline Files

Packaging

Remote Differential Compression

Transactional NTFS

Volume Management

Virtual Hard Disk (VHD)

Windows Storage Management

Windows Data Access Components

Microsoft Open Database Connectivity (ODBC)

Microsoft OLE DB

Microsoft ActiveX Data Objects (ADO)

Diagnostics

The Diagnostics API enable you to troubleshoot application or system problems and monitor performance.

Application Recovery and Restart

Debugging

Error Handling

Event Logging

Event Tracing

Hardware Counter Profiling (HCP)

Network Diagnostics Framework (NDF)

Network Monitor

Performance Counters

Performance Logs and Alerts (PLA)

Process Snapshotting

Process Status (PSAPI)

Structured Exception Handling

System Monitor

Wait Chain Traversal

Windows Error Reporting (WER)

Windows Event Log

Windows Troubleshooting Platform

Graphics and multimedia

The Graphics, multimedia, audio, and video APIs enable applications to incorporate formatted text, graphics, audio, and video.

Core Audio

Direct2D

DirectComposition

DirectShow

DirectWrite

DirectX

Graphics Device Interface (GDI)

Media Streaming

Microsoft Media Foundation

Microsoft TV Technologies

OpenGL

Monitor Configuration

Multiple Display Monitors

Picture Acquisition

Windows Color System

Windows Imaging Component (WIC)

Windows Media Audio and Video Codec and DSP

Windows Media Center

Windows Media Format

Windows Media Library Sharing Services

Windows Media Player

Windows Media Services

Windows Movie Maker

Windows Multimedia

Devices

AllJoyn

Communications Resources

Device Access

Device Management

Enhanced Storage

Function Discovery

Image Mastering

Location

PnP-X Association Database

Printing

Print Spooler

Print Document Package

Print Schema Specification

Print Ticket

XPS Print

Sensors

System Event Notification Service (SENS)

Tool Help

Web Services on Devices

Windows Image Acquisition (WIA)

Windows Media Device Manager

Windows Portable Devices

System services

The System Services APIs give applications access to the resources of the computer and the features of the underlying operating system, such as memory, file systems, devices, processes, and threads.

Activity Coordinator

Compression API

Distributed Transaction Coordinator (DTC)

Dynamic-Link Libraries (DLLs)

Hardware Requirement Evaluator (HWREQCHK)

Help API

Interprocess Communications :

Mailslots

Pipes

Kernel Transaction Manager (KTM)

Memory Management

Operation Recorder

Power Management

Remote Desktop Services

Processes

Services

Synchronization

Threads

Windows Desktop Sharing

Windows System Information

Handle and Objects

Registry

Time Provider

Security and identity

The Security and Identity APIs enable password authentication at logon, discretionary protection for all sharable system objects, privileged access control, rights management, and security auditing.

Authentication

Authorization

Certificate Enrollment

Cryptography

Cryptographic Next Generation (CNG)

Directory Services

Active Directory Domain Services

Active Directory Service Interfaces (ADSI)

Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP)

Extensible Authentication Protocol Host (EAPHost)

MS-CHAP Password Management

Network Access Protection (NAP)

Network Policy Server Extensions (NPS)

Parental Controls

Security WMI Providers

TPM Base Services (TBS)

Windows Biometric Framework

Application installation and servicing

Games Explorer

Side-by-side Assemblies

Packaging, deployment, and query APIs

Developer License

Restart Manager

Windows Installer

System admin and management

The System administration interfaces enable you to install, configure, and service applications or systems.

Boot Configuration Data WMI Provider

Failover Clusters

File Server Resource Manager (FSRM)

Group Policy

Microsoft Management Console (MMC) 2.0

NetShell

Settings Management Infrastructure

Software Inventory Logging

Software Licensing

Restart Manager

Settings Management Infrastructure

System Restore

System Shutdown

Task Scheduler

User Access Logging

Windows Virtual PC

Microsoft Virtual Server

Network Load Balancing Provider

Windows Defender WMI v2

Windows Deployment Services

Windows Genuine Advantage

Windows Management Infrastructure

Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI)

Windows Remote Management

Windows Resource Protection

Windows Server Update Services

Windows System Assessment Tool

Windows Update Agent

Networking and internet

The Networking APIs enable communication between applications over a network. You can also create and manage access to shared resources, such as directories and network printers.

Domain Name System (DNS)

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)

Fax Service

Get Connected Wizard

HTTP Server

Internet Connection Sharing and Firewall

IP Helper

IPv6 Internet Connection Firewall

Management Information Base

Message Queuing (MSMQ)

Multicast Address Dynamic Client Allocation Protocol (MADCAP)

Network Address Translation (NAT)