Creating a Basic IP Helper Application

To create a basic IP Helper application

1. Create a new empty project.

2. Add an empty C++ source file to the project.

3. Ensure that the build environment refers to the Include, Lib, and Src directories of the Platform Software Development Kit (SDK).

4. Ensure that the build environment links to the IP Helper Library file Iphlpapi.lib and the Winsock Library file WS2_32.lib.

   Note

   Some basic Winsock functions are used to return IP address values and other information.

    

5. Begin programming the IP Helper application. Use the IP Helper API by including the IP Helper header file.

   #include <winsock2.h>
   #include <iphlpapi.h>
   #include <stdio.h>
   
   int main() {
     return 0;
   }
   
   

   Note

   The Iphlpapi.h header file is required for applications that use the IP Helper functions. The Iphlpapi.h header file automatically includes other headers files with structures and enumerations used by the IP Helper functions.

   The new IP Helper functions introduced in Windows Vista and later are defined in the Netioapi.h header file which is automatically included by the Iphlpapi.h header file. The Netioapi.h header file should never be used directly.

   Many of the structures and enumerations used by IP Helper functions are defined in the Iprtrmib.h, Ipexport.h, and Iptypes.h header files. These header files are automatically included in the Iphlpapi.h header file and should never be used directly.

   On the Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) released for Windows Vista and later, the organization of header files has changed. Some of the structures are now defined in the Ipmib.h, Tcpmib.h, and Udpmib.h header files, not in the Iprtrmib.h header file. The Ipmib.h header file automatically includes the Ifmib.h header file. Note that these header files are automatically included in Iprtrmib.h, which is automatically included in the Iphlpapi.h header file.

   The Winsock2.h header file for Windows Sockets 2.0 is required by most applications using the IP Helper APIs. When the Winsock2.h header file is required, the #include line for this file should be placed before the #include line for the Iphlpapi.h header file.

   The Winsock2.h header file internally includes core elements from the Windows.h header file, so there is not usually an #include line for Windows.h header file in IP Helper applications. If an #include line is needed for the Windows.h header file, this should be preceded with the #define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN macro. For historical reasons, the Windows.h header defaults to including the Winsock.h header file for Windows Sockets 1.1. The declarations in the Winsock.h header file for Windows Sockets 1.1 will conflict with the declarations in the Winsock2.h header file required by Windows Sockets 2.0. The WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN macro prevents the Winsock.h header file from being included by the Windows.h header file. An example illustrating this is shown below.

    

   #ifndef WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
   #define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
   #endif
   
   #include <windows.h>
   
   #include <winsock2.h>
   #include <iphlpapi.h>
   #include <stdio.h>
   
   int main() {
     return 0;
   }
   
   

   Note

   This basic IP Helper application only uses some IP address data structures and IP address to string conversion functions from Windows Sockets 2.0. These Windows Sockets functions can be used without calling WSAStartup to initialize Windows Sockets resources and WSACleanup when done using these resources.

   In IP Helper applications that use other Winsock functions other than these IP address to string functions, the WSAStartup function must be called to initialize Windows Sockets resources before calling any Windows Sockets functions and WSACleanup should be called when the application is done using Windows Sockets resources.

    

   Note

   The Stdio.h header file is required for the use of various standard C functions in this basic IP Helper application.

    

   Next Step: Retrieving Information Using GetNetworkParams