Accessing DDK Help from Visual Studio
by Tim Roberts
One of the biggest benefits of the Windows DDK is the bountiful
information included in the HTML help collections. Unfortunately,
there are a few pitfalls along the path toward help nirvana. In this
brief article, Tim explains some tricks for getting Visual Studio to
use the DDK help the way you want it to.
Read the whole article
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Remote Kernel Debugging with WinDbg
by Jolyon Wright
The standard way to use Microsoft's WinDbg debugger is to connect two PC's
with a null modem cable. This configuration is fine for the initial development
of a driver. As soon as you unleash your code on the unsuspecting world, you need
a slightly more sophisticated model. In this article, Jolyon illustrates a straightforward and extensible
way to integrate an additional Remote Host computer using a network connection.
Read the whole article
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Windows Driver Build Methods and Tools
by Mark Roddy
The choice of tools and methodologies for building drivers can be
the subject of nearly religious fervor. Mark surveys several free or
low-cost methods for building drivers, including the DDK, SRCTODSP,
WDMWIZ, and Mark's own DDKBUILD. In the end, the choice will be
yours, but Mark feels strongly that you ought to do something
that will leverage your productivity by letting you do most of your
development in the Visual Studio 6 integrated development
environment.
Read the whole article
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Serial Attached Devices
by Walter Oney
With the advent of the Universal Serial Bus, the
standard RS-232 serial port has become much less important as an attachment
point for PC hardware. One still finds devices that attach this way, though,
including SmartCard readers, bar code scanners, and one-off laboratory
instruments.
Read the whole article
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Next Time:
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Bill McKenzie on 1394 addressing
-
Gary Little on safe string functions
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More Gotcha! notes about traps for the unwary developer
-
Plus more!
You can write for WD-3. Check out the author
guidelines.
|
|
Gotcha! Every
issue, we tell you about things that will bite the unwary developer.
For example:
| Driver Model |
All |
| Title |
.INF Section
Name Length |
| Annoyance |
HIGH |
| Description |
In Win9x,
section names in an .INF file cannot be more than 19 characters, or the
installation will fail. |
| Workaround |
Throw away
Win9x and get a real operating system like WinXP (just kidding… well, not
really). Make sure your section names are not longer than 19 characters |
| Versions |
Win9x |
Read more
Gotcha! notes
|
| Letters Letters
from our readers
|
| The Architect
Ever wonder how to build a driver for a device that lives on
another computer on the net? In this issue, Thomas Divine explains
the architecture of -- what else? -- a remote toaster. Use Tom's
architecture for any sort of remote device where you don't need an
instantaneous link to the hardware. But be careful of overdone toast
if there are satellite links between you and your toaster in Punta
Arenas!
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