Cloud and web programming in Microsoft C++

In C++, you have several options for connecting to the web and the cloud.

Microsoft Azure SDKs and REST services

• Azure SDK for C++

  The Azure SDK for C++ provides a set of client libraries that enable your C++ applications to interact seamlessly with Azure services, whether in local or cloud environments. These libraries, built on top of the Azure REST API, offer familiar C++ syntax and implement common cloud patterns such as authentication, logging, and retries. The SDK provides a consistent interface for working with Azure services including:

  • Azure Core
  • Azure Identity
  • Azure Attestation
  • Azure Event Hubs
  • Azure Storage
  • Azure Key Vault

  To get started, see Install and integrate from the Azure SDK for C++.

• The ANSI C99 Azure IoT Hub SDKs for Internet of Things enable IoT applications to run on the device or on the backend.

• OneDrive and SharePoint in Microsoft Graph

  The OneDrive API provides a set of HTTP services to connect your application to files and folders in Microsoft 365 and SharePoint Server 2016.

Windows and cross-platform networking APIs

• C++ REST SDK (Code name "Casablanca")

  Provides a modern, cross-platform, asynchronous API for interacting with REST services.

  • Perform REST calls against any HTTP server, with built-in support for JSON document parsing and serialization
  • Supports OAuth 1 and 2, including a local redirect listener
  • Make WebSockets connections against remote services
  • A fully asynchronous task API based on PPL, including a built-in thread pool

  Supports Windows Desktop (7+), Windows Server (2012+), Universal Windows Platform, Linux, OSX, Android, and iOS.

• Windows::Web::Http::HttpClient

  A Windows Runtime HTTP client class modeled on the .NET Framework class of the same name in the System.Web namespace. HttpClient fully supports asynchronous upload and download over HTTP, and pipeline filters that enable the insertion of custom HTTP handlers into the pipeline. The Windows SDK includes sample filters for metered networks, OAuth authentication, and more. For apps that target only Universal Windows Platform, use the Windows::Web::Http::HttpClient class.

• IXMLHTTPRequest2 interface

  Provides a native COM interface that you can use in Windows Runtime apps or Windows desktop apps to connect to the Internet over HTTP and issue GET, PUT, and other HTTP commands. For more information, see Walkthrough: Connecting Using Tasks and XML HTTP Requests.

• Windows Internet (WinInet)

  Windows API that you can use in Windows desktop apps to connect to the Internet.

See also

C++ in Visual Studio
Microsoft Azure C++ Developer Center
Networks and web services (UWP)