What is a Windows API? [closed]

Answer 1

The Windows API (Application Programming Interface) is the complete set of functions (exported by several DLLs) that enables each application to do what it has to do with almost no knowledge about the underlying hardware.

It consists of both functions and data structures (for example, each window has its own data structure).

A big difference between the Windows API and the (venerable) DOS API is that the DOS API only provided the basic OS functions like opening and closing files, and writing to the screen (which was slow, so most programs ignored this). A large portion of the Windows API has to do with Windows and its components (like buttons and edit boxes). That's why windows applications have a more or less similar look and feel. DOS applications were completely different in appearance.

Answer 2

It's a set of functions and data structures that a Windows program can use to ask Windows to do something, like opening a file, displaying a message, etc.

Pretty much everything that a Windows program does involves calling various API functions.

Collectively, all the API functions that Windows makes available are called "The Windows API".

Answer 3

The windows Application Programming Interface functions are all the functions that interact with the windows operating system. These functions are defined in dynamical linked libraries, .dll files in c:\windows\system32\ *.dll

• user32.dll

contains functions for interacting with buttons and windows on screen

• coredll.dll

interacts with the mouse and keyboard inputs

• gdi32.dll

graphical drawing functions

• kernel32.dll

interacts with kernel processes and threads and for example the system beep

For some examples directly imported from the dll's, see { c# examples } OpenAPI on GitHub and { VB.net examples } Andrea VB Programming

The windows API is documented on PInvoke.net - A wiki for .NET developers

Answer 4

It is not a Windows API, it is the Windows API, and in short it is the set of functions exposed by Windows that allows software to interact with the operating system.

Answer 5

API stands for Application Programming Interface.

It is the collection of visible functions in Windows that a programmer can call from his own application code.