API reference for Windows desktop apps

The following collections of API frameworks can be used to build Windows desktop apps for Windows 11 and Windows 10.

Windows SDK

The Windows SDK ships with a corresponding release of the Windows OS and includes the latest headers, libraries, metadata, and tools for building Universal Windows Platform (UWP) and Win32 applications.

The following API frameworks ship with the Windows SDK:

• WinRT API reference
• WinUI 2 for UWP API reference
• Win32 API reference

Windows App SDK

The Windows App SDK provides a comprehensive set of Windows APIs with implementations that are decoupled from the operating system (OS) and the Windows SDK. The Windows App SDK ships independently as a NuGet package on a regular basis.

The following API frameworks ship with the Windows App SDK:

• WinRT API reference
• Win32 API reference
• COM interop APIs for WinUI reference
• C# Interop APIs for WinUI reference
• Bootstrapper C# APIs reference

.NET

.NET is a cross-platform, open source developer platform for building many different types of applications, including Windows desktop apps.

• .NET API reference

Schema specifications

Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps include various file and XML schema specifications.

• Schema reference

Important

For inquiries about Windows data access or interoperability related to the Digital Markets Act (DMA), please use the DMA Request Form.