Unmanaged API Reference

This section includes information on unmanaged APIs that can be used by managed-code-related applications, such as runtime hosts, compilers, disassemblers, obfuscators, debuggers, and profilers.

In This Section

Common Data Types Lists the common data types that are used, particularly in the unmanaged profiling and debugging APIs.

ALink Describes the ALink API, which supports the creation of .NET Framework assemblies and unbound modules.

Authenticode Supports the Authenticode XrML license creation and verification module.

Constants Describes the constants that are defined in CorSym.idl.

Custom Interface Attributes Describes component object model (COM) custom interface attributes.

Debugging Describes the debugging API, which enables a debugger to debug code that runs in the common language runtime (CLR) environment.

Diagnostics Symbol Store Describes the diagnostics symbol store API, which enables a compiler to generate symbol information for use by a debugger.

Fusion Describes the fusion API, which enables a runtime host to access the properties of an application's resources in order to locate the correct versions of those resources for the application.

Hosting Describes the hosting API, which enables unmanaged hosts to integrate the CLR into their applications.

Metadata Describes the metadata API, which enables a client such as a compiler to generate or access a component's metadata without the types being loaded by the CLR.

Profiling Describes the profiling API, which enables a profiler to monitor a program's execution by the CLR.

Strong Naming Describes the strong naming API, which enables a client to administer strong name signing for assemblies.

WMI and Performance Counters Describes the APIs that wrap calls to Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) libraries.

Tlbexp Helper Functions Describes the two helper functions and interface used by the Type Library Exporter (Tlbexp.exe) during the assembly-to-type-library conversion process.