Windows Native API

Many programmers are familiar with the Windows "Win32" API that provides access to a large variety of services, from user interface to memory management; but far fewer have much idea about the Windows "Native" API which is the mechanism used to access the operating system services located in the kernel.

While it is rare to need to use these services directly (since the Win32 API provides a richer, better supported, and documented interface) it can be very useful to have some understanding of what is going on 'under the covers' inside this API.

I will look at the Native API from the application programmer’s point of view and will also touch on how Microsoft provides a 32bit subsystem in the 64bit version of Windows.

I hope this session will be of interest to all those who like to know more about how things work!