Win32 API

E37357
Windows API family application programming interface software development platform

Win32 API is Microsoft's core programming interface for developing native desktop applications that interact directly with the Windows operating system.

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Observed surface forms (6)

Surface form Occurrences
Win32 3
Windows API 2
Advapi32 1

Statements (61)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Windows API family ⓘ
application programming interface ⓘ
software development platform ⓘ
abstractionLevel low-level ⓘ
accessModel unmanaged code ⓘ
alsoKnownAs Win32 API ⓘ
surface form: Win32

Win32 API ⓘ
surface form: Windows API
callConvention stdcall ⓘ
callingStyle procedural API ⓘ
component Win32 API self-linksurface differs ⓘ
surface form: Advapi32

Comdlg32 ⓘ
Gdi32 ⓘ
Kernel32 ⓘ
Windows Script Components ⓘ
surface form: Ole32

Shell32 ⓘ
Win32 API self-linksurface differs ⓘ
surface form: User32

Ws2_32 ⓘ
designGoal backward compatibility across Windows versions ⓘ
developer Microsoft ⓘ
distribution Windows SDK ⓘ
documentation Microsoft Docs ⓘ
surface form: Microsoft Learn
headerFile windows.h ⓘ
introducedWith Windows 95 ⓘ
Windows NT ⓘ
license proprietary ⓘ
operatingSystem Windows ⓘ
surface form: Microsoft Windows
partOf Windows ⓘ
surface form: Microsoft Windows operating system
predecessor Win16 API ⓘ
primaryLanguageBinding C ⓘ
programmingLanguage C ⓘ
provides file system access functions ⓘ
graphics device interface (GDI) functions ⓘ
interprocess communication mechanisms ⓘ
low-level access to Windows operating system ⓘ
memory management functions ⓘ
message loop and event handling ⓘ
networking functions ⓘ
process and thread management functions ⓘ
registry access functions ⓘ
security and access control functions ⓘ
user input handling ⓘ
window management functions ⓘ
relatedTo .NET Framework ⓘ
Universal Windows Platform ⓘ
WinRT ⓘ
surface form: Windows Runtime (WinRT)
stableInterface yes ⓘ
supports ANSI character functions ⓘ
Unicode character functions ⓘ
supportsArchitecture 32-bit ⓘ
64-bit ⓘ
supportsLanguageBinding C# (via P/Invoke) ⓘ
C++ ⓘ
Delphi (programming language) ⓘ
surface form: Delphi

Visual Basic ⓘ
other .NET languages (via P/Invoke) ⓘ
targetPlatform Win32 API self-linksurface differs ⓘ
surface form: Win32 subsystem

Windows Shell ⓘ
surface form: Windows desktop
usedFor developing device and system management tools ⓘ
developing games ⓘ
developing native Windows desktop applications ⓘ
developing system utilities ⓘ

Referenced by (14)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Win32 API → alsoKnownAs → Win32 API ⓘ
this entity surface form: Windows API
Win32 API → alsoKnownAs → Win32 API ⓘ
this entity surface form: Win32
this entity surface form: Windows API
Win32 API → component → Win32 API self-linksurface differs ⓘ
this entity surface form: User32
Win32 API → component → Win32 API self-linksurface differs ⓘ
this entity surface form: Advapi32
ActiveX → platform → Win32 API ⓘ
this entity surface form: Win32
Windows 32-bit → supports → Win32 API ⓘ
Windows 95 → supports → Win32 API ⓘ
Windows NT → supports → Win32 API ⓘ
Windows → supportsAPI → Win32 API ⓘ
Windows 98 → supportsApi → Win32 API ⓘ
this entity surface form: Win32
WinUI → supportsAppModel → Win32 API ⓘ
this entity surface form: Win32 desktop
MinGW → target → Win32 API ⓘ
Win32 API → targetPlatform → Win32 API self-linksurface differs ⓘ
this entity surface form: Win32 subsystem