Microsoft DirectPlay

Welcome to the Microsoft® DirectPlay® Software Development Kit. DirectPlay is an API that simplifies application access to communication services. It provides a way for applications to communicate with each other independent of the underlying protocol, transport, or online service. This is especially useful for games. Real players, each on her or his own personal computer, can be gathered and launched into a game, without the game developer worrying about the connections.

About DirectPlay

Provides a brief description of the DirectPlay API.

What's New in DirectPlay 6.0?

Describes the new features in DirectPlay 6.0. These include security, improved connection, initialization, messaging, and asynchronous enumeration of sessions.

Writing a Network Application

Describes general requirements for successful network applications.

DirectPlay Overview

Describes the DirectPlay architecture, session management, player management, message management, and group management with DirectPlay. Also contains an overview of DirectPlay communications.

DirectPlay Lobby Overview

Describes the DirectPlay lobby architecture, lobby sessions, how players navigate in a lobby, and synchronized game launching. A lobby server's main use is to act as a central location where users can go to find and join sessions.

DirectPlay Providers

Describes how DirectPlay interacts with service providers and lobby providers.

Using DirectPlay

Describes how to use different aspects of DirectPlay, including working with globally unique identifiers (GUIDs), the DirectPlay interfaces, how to use callback functions, how to build lobby-aware applications, how to use messages, how to use security and authentication, how to use DirectPlay Addresses as connection shortcuts, and how to migrate from previous versions of DirectPlay. Also discusses the DirectPlay protocol, throttling, and asynchronous messaging.

DirectPlay Tools and Samples

Describes the tools and samples that ship with DirectPlay and how to use them.

DirectPlay Interface Overviews

Provides an overview of the IDirectPlay4 Interface and IDirectPlayLobby3 Interface interfaces, as well as previous versions of these interfaces. Also describes the difference between the Unicode and ANSI interfaces.

DirectPlay Tutorials

Contains four tutorials that provide step-by-step instructions about connecting applications with or without a lobby, overriding service provider dialog boxes, and creating a self-refreshing session list.

DirectPlay Reference

Provides detailed information about functions, callbacks, and the IDirectPlay4 Interface and IDirectPlayLobby3 Interface interface methods. Also describes the DirectPlay structures, system messages, lobby messages, defined properties, and error values.

DirectPlay Glossary

Defines basic DirectPlay terms.

Note The icon

indicates that the link takes you to a URL that is outside the microsoft.com site; you can return to the DirectPlay site by using the Back button. Note that most of these external links point to servers that are not under Microsoft's control. Please read Microsoft's official statement regarding other servers.