The DirectX Software Development Kit

The Microsoft DirectX software development kit is your backstage pass to multimedia applications that sizzle. DirectX is a set of low-level APIs for creating games and other high-performance multimedia applications. It includes support for high-performance 2D and 3D graphics, sound, and input.

The SDK contains information on the following DirectX components:

• The graphics component combines the latest in graphics components with Direct3D 10, the D3DX 10 utility library, and DXGI, and the older Direct3D 9 and the D3DX 9 utility library. The graphics components simplify many graphics programming tasks (see DirectX Graphics).
• DirectInput supports a variety of input devices, including full support for force-feedback technology. DirectInput will maintain its current status until new technology in these areas is made available (see XInput or DirectInput).
• Windows Games Explorer provides a customizable way to present your game to users of Windows Vista.

The SDK also contains a number of technical articles written by technology experts to help you with practical advice for using these components.

In addition, the following programming resources are available:

• The DirectX Developer Center has the latest information about what's happening in DirectX as well as lots of software downloads.
• XNA Game Studio Express is a set of tools and technologies aimed at helping students and hobbyists build games on both Windows and Xbox 360.
• GDI+ is a software technology designed for creating high-quality text.

Older Components

• DirectDraw is no longer recommended for use. With the release of Direct3D 9.0, all two-dimensional functionality is contained within Direct3D and its associated helper functions in D3DX. However, the DirectDraw documentation is still available and can be viewed by searching in the MSDN Library Archive.
• DirectMusic is no longer recommended for game development. DirectMusic Producer and the DirectMusic performance layer are deprecated. Documentation can be viewed by searching in the MSDN Library Archive.
• DirectPlay is deprecated, and Microsoft strongly recommends against using it to develop new applications. Game developers should use Windows Sockets (see Windows Sockets) and the Windows Firewall APIs (see Windows Firewall for Game Developers).
• DirectSound (see DirectSound) is no longer recommended for use, although it is still available for audio applications that play and capture waveform audio as well as audio capture. For core game development scenarios (mixing, rendering, and manipulating audio playback - not including capture), XAudio2 is the preferred technology. Other available technologies include: XACT, or WASAPI.
• DirectShow is no longer recommended for game development. All the DirectShow components (headers, libraries, utilities, tools, and samples) were removed from the DirectX SDK in the April 2005 release. DirectShow is available in the latest Platform SDK Install.
• These technologies were removed from the Nov 2007 release: DirectAnimation, Managed DX 1.1, Direct3D Retained Mode, and DirectPlay Voice.