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These are the new and updated technologies for use in desktop apps for Windows 8 and Windows 8.1:
For an alphabetical list of functions and interfaces that are new for desktop apps, see Windows 8 and 8.1 API List.
For info about Windows Store apps, see Learn to build Windows Store apps.
New Technologies
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| App Packaging and Deployment |
Enables developers to produce, consume, or interact with app packages. For more info, see App Packaging and Deployment. |
| Assessment Execution Engine |
Enables the management and execution of Windows system assessments. Assessments can help a person understand the state of a system and remedy problems with performance, reliability, or functionality. For more info, see Assessment Execution Engine. |
| Compression API |
Enables developers to manage versions, service, and extend the Windows MSZIP, XPRESS, XPRESS_HUFF, and LZMS compression algorithms. For more info, see Compression API. |
| Data Deduplication |
Enables backup applications to implement their own customized backup and restore methods that take advantage of the Data Deduplication feature. For more info, see Data Deduplication API. |
| DirectComposition |
Enables high-performance bitmap composition with transforms, effects, and animations. For more info, see DirectComposition. |
| Direct Manipulation |
Enables the user to interact with objects directly. For more info, see Direct Manipulation. |
| DirectXMath |
Provides an optimal and portable interface for arithmetic and linear algebra operations on single-precision floating-point vectors (2D, 3D, and 4D) or matrices (3 3 and 4 4). For more info, see DirectXMath |
| Help API |
Enables the retrieval of help content items from help catalogs for use in a custom help solution or viewer. For more info, see Help API. |
| iSCSI Software Target API |
Provides a WMI interface for managing the Microsoft iSCSI Software Target. For more info, see iSCSI Software Target API. |
| Operation Recorder |
Enables applications to speed up operations that repeatedly access the same file data. For more info, see Operation Recorder. |
| SMB Management API |
Provides a WMI interface for managing shares and share access. For more info, see SMB Management API. |
| User Access Logging |
Provides a common framework for Windows Server roles to report their respective consumption metrics. For more info, see User Access Logging. |
| User State Management API |
Provides a WMI interface for configuring and retrieving current status for user state management components, such as Folder Redirection, Offline Files, and Roaming Profiles. For more info, see User State Management API. |
| Web Socket Protocol Component API |
Enables asynchronous, bi-directional communication channels over HTTP that work across existing network intermediaries. For more info, see Web Socket Protocol Component API. |
| Windows Connection Manager |
Enables the creation and configuration of connection manager software. For more info, see Windows Connection Manager. |
| Windows Storage Management API |
Provides a WMI interface for managing a wide range of storage configurations, from single-disk desktops to external storage arrays. For more info, see Windows Storage Management API. |
| XAudio2 |
Provides a signal processing and mixing foundation for games. For more info, see XAudio2. |
| XInput |
Enables interact with the Xbox 360 Controller when it is connected to a Windows computer. For more info, see XInput. |
Updated Technologies
| Feature | See |
|---|---|
| Direct2D |
What's new in Direct2D |
| DirectWrite |
What's new in DirectWrite |
| Event Tracing |
What's New in Event Tracing |
| IP Helper |
What's New in IP Helper |
| MIB |
What's New in MIB |
| Native Wifi |
What's New in Native Wifi. |
| Network management |
What's New in Network Management |
| Printing |
What's New for Printing. |
| UI Automation |
What's New in UI Automation. |
| Windows Sockets |
What's New for Windows Sockets. |
Windows 8.1 Update API Notes
The following API can only be used in Windows 8.1 Update and later. In order to use these API in your apps, you must #define the following constant in your project.
#define WINBLUE_KBSPRING14
This macro must be defined before including the windows.h header file for the first time.
| Header | API |
|---|---|
| bcrypt.h | BCRYPT_MULTI_OBJECT_LENGTH |
| BCRYPT_MULTI_FLAG | |
| BCryptCreateMultiHashv | |
| BCryptProcessMultiOperations | |
| BCRYPT_HASH_INTERFACE_MAJORVERSION_2 | |
| BCRYPT_HASH_INTERFACE_VERSION_2 | |
| mdmrregistraion.h | DiscoverManagementServiceEx |
| memoryapi.h | OFFER_PRIORITY |
| OfferVirtualMemory | |
| ReclaimVirtualMemory | |
| DiscardVirtualMemory | |
| Mmdeviceapi.h | DEVINTERFACE_MIDI_OUTPUT |
| DEVINTERFACE_MIDI_INPUT | |
| urlmon.h | IEObjectType |
| SetAccessForIEAppContainer | |
| winnt.h | HEAP_INFORMATION_CLASS Only this new field: HeapOptimizeResources = 3 |
| HEAP_OPTIMIZE_RESOURCES_CURRENT_VERSION | |
| HEAP_OPTIMIZE_RESOURCES_INFORMATION |