Windows 8 and 8.1 Technologies

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