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List of Microsoft Windows application programming interfaces and frameworks
open-in-new
<h2 id="apis">APIs</h2> <h3>Current</h3> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Component-based_software_engineering/eW5wvSHC">Component Model</a> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Component_Object_Model/2DtIAufW">Component Object Model</a> (COM)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Distributed_Component_Object_Model/mpDM1JXX">Distributed Component Object Model</a> (DCOM)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Component_Object_Model/2DtIAufW">COM+</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Microsoft_Data_Access_Components/eehu36jY">Microsoft Data Access Components</a> (MDAC), including: <a href="/facts/OLE_DB/YjelpY3o">OLE DB</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Cryptographic_API/yTtHjHhN">Cryptographic API</a> (CAPICOM)</li> <li><a href="/facts/ActiveX_Data_Objects/dU8V95sx">ActiveX Data Objects</a> (ADO)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Collaboration_Data_Objects/EnRlIwgT">Collaboration Data Objects</a> (CDO);</li> <li><a href="/facts/Windows_Runtime/82L9965U">Windows Runtime</a> (WinRT) <ul><li><a href="/facts/Universal_Windows_Platform/8mQ57pLM">Universal Windows Platform</a> (UWP)</li></ul></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/facts/DirectShow/d7dPeQ5W">DirectShow</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/DirectX/jyy75wVN">DirectX</a> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Direct2D/2wyAQnIz">Direct2D</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Direct3D/WHJ6DTcv">Direct3D</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/DirectDraw/abGMNIlP">DirectDraw</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/DirectInput/FXQWGmgy">DirectInput</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/DirectMusic/P5oLems1">DirectMusic</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/DirectPlay/gRafV8vw">DirectPlay</a></li> <li>DirectSetup</li> <li><a href="/facts/DirectSound/PHnM8BYK">DirectSound</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/DirectWrite/nSP4w7pj">DirectWrite</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Cross-platform_Audio_Creation_Tool/WHJYzhnu">XACT</a> (Cross-platform Audio Creation Tool)</li> <li><a href="/facts/DirectSound/PHnM8BYK">XAudio 2</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/facts/Media_Foundation/KNcV7zX0">Media Foundation</a> (<a href="/facts/Windows_Vista/IASEUCTB">Windows Vista</a> / <a href="/facts/Windows_7/tldLdbnX">Windows 7</a>)</li> <li>Interface <ul><li><a href="/facts/Graphics_Device_Interface/C8yuXxtL">Graphics Device Interface</a> (GDI) and GDI+</li> <li>Application Programming Interface (API) <ul><li><a href="/facts/Messaging_Application_Programming_Interface/Dpbq9ozA">Messaging Application Programming Interface</a> (MAPI)</li> <li>Remote Application Programming Interface (RAPI)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Speech_Application_Programming_Interface/vytkjp5K">Speech Application Programming Interface</a> (SAPI)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Telephony_Application_Programming_Interface/IdN9Tt4D">Telephony Application Programming Interface</a> (TAPI)</li></ul></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/facts/Extensible_Storage_Engine/PEqJ4Lhk">Extensible Storage Engine</a> (Jet Blue)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Object_linking_and_embedding/Eabu8Qnl">Object linking and embedding</a> (OLE) <ul><li><a href="/facts/OLE_Automation/9Nqpxz4z">OLE Automation</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/facts/Uniscribe/arPUqSCz">Uniscribe</a> (see Template:Microsoft APIs section: Software Factories)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Windows_Image_Acquisition/N6upIMtY">Windows Image Acquisition</a> (WIA)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Windows_Management_Instrumentation/ptLyNUuX">Windows Management Instrumentation</a> (WMI)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Winsock/lJxCA6sc">Winsock</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Win32_console/p8vz2Cdk">Win32 console</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Windows_API/RRw4RtTu">Windows API</a> (current <a href="/facts/Windows_API/RRw4RtTu">versions</a>: Win32; Win64)</li></ul> <h3>Deprecated</h3> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Active_Scripting/0v27X50A">Active Scripting</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/ActiveX/xJb7t7Eh">ActiveX</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Collaboration_Data_Objects_for_Windows_NT_Server/mA0e2Yey">Collaboration Data Objects for Windows NT Server</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Dynamic_Data_Exchange/0Ar2hzjA">Dynamic Data Exchange</a></li> <li>Older data access technologies <ul><li><a href="/facts/Jet_Database_Engine/txUPocha">Jet Database Engine</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Data_object/eX99dtAw">Data object</a> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Jet_Data_Access_Objects/7IbR8YY0">Jet Data Access Objects</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Remote_Data_Objects/Veoj9y2p">Remote Data Objects</a> (RDO)</li></ul></li> <li>Remote Data Services (RDS)</li></ul></li> <li>Setup API</li> <li><a href="/facts/Windows_API/RRw4RtTu">Windows API</a> (old <a href="/facts/Windows_API/RRw4RtTu">versions</a>: Win16; <a href="/facts/Win32s/TcGHsTgp">Win32s</a>)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Microsoft_XNA/s6FcgmV2">XNA</a> libraries for cross-platform <a href="/facts/Xbox_360/dYlE3mL5">Xbox 360</a>/Windows development</li></ul> <h2 id="frameworks">Frameworks</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/.NET_Framework/J6QDAUhP">.NET Framework</a> <ul><li><a href="/facts/.NET_Remoting/62V12d3N">Remoting</a>, <a href="/facts/Assembly_(CLI)/F4EGfYsU">Assemblies</a>, <a href="/facts/Metadata_(CLI)/IoJLcS0B">Metadata</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Common_Language_Runtime/4Y0cUdkd">Common Language Runtime</a>, <a href="/facts/Common_Type_System/CrFXeVHB">Common Type System</a>, <a href="/facts/Global_Assembly_Cache/6G9GeyuL">Global Assembly Cache</a>, <a href="/facts/Microsoft_Intermediate_Language/sBIaMXyW">Microsoft Intermediate Language</a>, <a href="/facts/Windows_Forms/H8VpGJxX">Windows Forms</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/ADO.NET_Entity_Framework/20FoR2zr">ADO.NET</a>, <a href="/facts/ASP.NET/xq7KM8mN">ASP.NET</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Windows_Communication_Foundation/IoErd0b4">Windows Communication Foundation</a> (WCF)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Windows_Presentation_Foundation/KTs9FcFn">Windows Presentation Foundation</a> (WPF)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Windows_Workflow_Foundation/mmyK1Qt1">Windows Workflow Foundation</a> (WF)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Windows_CardSpace/r0KLnH3A">Windows CardSpace</a> (WCS)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Universal_Windows_Platform/8mQ57pLM">Universal Windows Platform</a> (UWP)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Windows_PowerShell/G1d10lwn">Windows PowerShell</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/facts/Microsoft_Management_Console/SkY3jHFG">Microsoft Management Console</a> (MMC)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Text_Services_Framework/xLXVYgxu">Text Services Framework</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Windows_Driver_Model/uY5sVh84">Windows Driver Model</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Windows_Driver_Foundation/HdlLLRCE">Windows Driver Foundation</a></li></ul> <h2 id="libraries">Libraries</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Microsoft_Foundation_Class_Library/J2N5pas5">Microsoft Foundation Class Library</a> (MFC)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Active_Template_Library/e0U99NMS">Active Template Library</a> (ATL)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Framework_Class_Library/DtSqC9YS">Framework Class Library</a> (FCL)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Object_Windows_Library/b4CH0aNQ">Object Windows Library</a> (OWL)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Standard_Template_Library/IxqpRzWU">Standard Template Library</a> (STL)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Visual_Component_Library/YxGluXeP">Visual Component Library</a> (VCL)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Windows_Template_Library/u5V4oKl8">Windows Template Library</a> (WTL)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Windows_UI_Library/Igdd6vw8">Windows UI Library</a> (WinUI)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Text_Object_Model/NLpqhjPz">Text Object Model</a> (TOM)</li></ul> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/List_of_Microsoft_topics/ICUsMjvL">List of Microsoft topics</a></li></ul>