# microsoft/windows-rs

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12,413 stars · 628 forks · Rust · Apache-2.0

## Links

- GitHub: https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs
- Homepage: https://kennykerr.ca/rust-getting-started/
- awesome-repositories: https://awesome-repositories.com/repository/microsoft-windows-rs.md

## Topics

`rust` `windows`

## Description

This project provides a comprehensive set of language bindings that enable direct interaction with the Windows API and Windows Runtime components from Rust. It serves as a native interface for systems programming, allowing developers to execute system functions and access operating system services while maintaining memory safety and idiomatic language constructs.

The library utilizes metadata-driven code generation to map the entire Windows API surface area into type-safe wrappers. By employing a zero-cost abstraction layer, it ensures that these high-level calls compile to the same machine instructions as manual pointer manipulation, avoiding additional runtime overhead. The implementation relies on direct foreign function interfaces and binary-standard object communication to maintain compatibility with the operating system.

The project covers the full spectrum of Windows systems programming, from invoking low-level native commands to consuming complex runtime components. It is designed to support the development of applications that require deep integration with platform-specific features and services.

## Tags

### Programming Languages & Runtimes

- [Windows API Bindings](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/programming-languages-runtimes/programming-language-varieties/programming-languages/systems-languages/rust/windows-api-bindings.md) — Provides a comprehensive collection of language bindings for direct access to the entire Windows API surface.
- [Language Projections](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/programming-languages-runtimes/runtime-execution-environments/runtime-environments/language-runtimes/language-projections.md) — Consumes Windows Runtime components and system services using idiomatic language types and memory safety guarantees.
- [Foreign Function Interfaces](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/programming-languages-runtimes/language-interoperability/foreign-function-interfaces.md) — Provides direct foreign function interfaces to map high-level language calls to native Windows binary entry points.

### Operating Systems & Systems Programming

- [Windows System Integrations](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/operating-systems-systems-programming/kernel-core-internals/system-programming-primitives/system-abstractions/os-specific-integration-modules/windows-system-integrations.md) — Provides a low-level interface for executing Windows system functions and interacting with operating system services directly from code. ([source](https://kennykerr.ca/rust-getting-started/))
- [Operating Systems & Systems Programming](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/operating-systems-systems-programming.md) — Provides the foundational interface for high-performance systems programming on the Windows operating system.
- [Component Object Model Handlers](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/operating-systems-systems-programming/component-object-model-handlers.md) — Implements the binary standard for cross-language object communication and interface-based memory management on Windows.

### Development Tools & Productivity

- [API Binding Generators](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/development-tools-productivity/metadata-generators/api-binding-generators.md) — Generates language-specific bindings by parsing machine-readable metadata files describing the operating system API surface.
- [Runtime Development Kits](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/development-tools-productivity/platforms-runtimes-language-services/development-platforms/operating-system-environments/operating-systems/windows-development-environments/runtime-development-kits.md) — Supports building modern desktop applications that interact with Windows Runtime components using native language bindings.

### Data & Databases

- [System Type Mappings](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/data-databases/data-type-mappings/system-type-mappings.md) — Translates complex system-level data structures into idiomatic language constructs while preserving binary compatibility.

### Software Engineering & Architecture

- [Zero-Overhead Abstractions](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/software-engineering-architecture/zero-overhead-abstractions.md) — Provides type-safe wrappers that compile to efficient machine code without adding runtime overhead.