Question

I want to use the CreateThread function from windows.h, but without all the #defines and crap that is included in the header file. Is there some way that i could import(I think thats what its called) just that function from the .dll or .lib?
tested and failed:

#pragma comment(lib,"Kernel32.lib")
__declspec(dllimport)
unsigned long
__stdcall
WaitForSingleObject(
    void* hHandle,
    unsigned long dwMilliseconds
    );


int main()
{
    WaitForSingleObject(0,0);
}

Answer 1

There are at least two options:

1. You don’t need to include the header. The definition of CreateThread is not going to change. You can just copy its declaration (and the declarations on which it depends) from the Windows headers into your own source file.

2. You can write wrappers around the Windows API functions that you use, then “pimpl” usage of the Windows API so that you don’t have to include Windows.h and other headers all over the place.

In my opinion, the latter option is probably preferable as it is less error-prone, simpler, and provides isolation of nonstandard functions, making it easier to port the code.