INF files

NTDEV
1

Hi, everyone. Does anybody can point out where can I find resources about
INF files? I mean white papers, books, howto etc.

Thank you, and have a nice day.

2

May be google or have a look at the inf files in the DDK, you will
come across directives and you can look at the documentation in
the DDK.There is geninf utility also.

Thanks

“Nikolas Stylianides” wrote in message news:xxxxx@ntdev…
> Hi, everyone. Does anybody can point out where can I find resources about
> INF files? I mean white papers, books, howto etc.
>
> Thank you, and have a nice day.
>
>
>

3

This is the reply I wrote to someone else asking the same thing:
I’m not sure if this covers what you need to know or not, but here’s a
web-page with simplistic explanation of .INF’s.

http://www.wd-3.com/archive/InfFiles.htm

P.S. I don’t know much about .INF’s, so no use asking me questions. I just
thought the page may come in handy at some point…

–
Mats

xxxxx@lists.osr.com wrote on 12/14/2004 09:30:13 AM:

Hi, everyone. Does anybody can point out where can I find resources about
INF files? I mean white papers, books, howto etc.

Thank you, and have a nice day.

Questions? First check the Kernel Driver FAQ at http://www.
osronline.com/article.cfm?id=256

You are currently subscribed to ntdev as: xxxxx@3dlabs.com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to xxxxx@lists.osr.com

ForwardSourceID:NT0000963E

4

I take an existing inf file that has something in common with my target inf
file and start hacking away until it works. As far as I can tell, this is
the method used by just about everybody. It raises the interesting question
of original genisis of inf files, but that is a mystery best left to
philisophes.

-----Original Message-----
From: xxxxx@lists.osr.com
[mailto:xxxxx@lists.osr.com] On Behalf Of Mats PETERSSON
Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2004 6:21 AM
To: Windows System Software Devs Interest List
Subject: Re: [ntdev] INF files

This is the reply I wrote to someone else asking the same thing:
I’m not sure if this covers what you need to know or not, but
here’s a web-page with simplistic explanation of .INF’s.

http://www.wd-3.com/archive/InfFiles.htm

P.S. I don’t know much about .INF’s, so no use asking me
questions. I just thought the page may come in handy at some point…

–
Mats

xxxxx@lists.osr.com wrote on 12/14/2004 09:30:13 AM:

> Hi, everyone. Does anybody can point out where can I find resources
> about INF files? I mean white papers, books, howto etc.
>
> Thank you, and have a nice day.
>
>
>
> —
> Questions? First check the Kernel Driver FAQ at http://www.
> osronline.com/article.cfm?id=256
>
> You are currently subscribed to ntdev as:
xxxxx@3dlabs.com To
> unsubscribe send a blank email to xxxxx@lists.osr.com

> ForwardSourceID:NT0000963E

Questions? First check the Kernel Driver FAQ at
http://www.osronline.com/article.cfm?id=256

You are currently subscribed to ntdev as:
xxxxx@hollistech.com To unsubscribe send a blank email to
xxxxx@lists.osr.com

5

MSDN Library, “Device Installation”.

Maxim Shatskih, Windows DDK MVP
StorageCraft Corporation
xxxxx@storagecraft.com
http://www.storagecraft.com

----- Original Message -----
From: “Nikolas Stylianides”
To: “Windows System Software Devs Interest List”
Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2004 12:30 PM
Subject: [ntdev] INF files

> Hi, everyone. Does anybody can point out where can I find resources about
> INF files? I mean white papers, books, howto etc.
>
> Thank you, and have a nice day.
>
>
>
> —
> Questions? First check the Kernel Driver FAQ at
http://www.osronline.com/article.cfm?id=256
>
> You are currently subscribed to ntdev as: xxxxx@storagecraft.com
> To unsubscribe send a blank email to xxxxx@lists.osr.com
>

6

I’ve met the three guys who actually write INFs from scratch. They’re
weird.

–
Jake Oshins
Windows Kernel Group

This posting is provided “AS IS” with no warranties, and confers no rights.

“Mark Roddy” wrote in message news:xxxxx@ntdev…
>I take an existing inf file that has something in common with my target inf
> file and start hacking away until it works. As far as I can tell, this is
> the method used by just about everybody. It raises the interesting
> question
> of original genisis of inf files, but that is a mystery best left to
> philisophes.
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: xxxxx@lists.osr.com
>> [mailto:xxxxx@lists.osr.com] On Behalf Of Mats PETERSSON
>> Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2004 6:21 AM
>> To: Windows System Software Devs Interest List
>> Subject: Re: [ntdev] INF files
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> This is the reply I wrote to someone else asking the same thing:
>> I’m not sure if this covers what you need to know or not, but
>> here’s a web-page with simplistic explanation of .INF’s.
>>
>> http://www.wd-3.com/archive/InfFiles.htm
>>
>> P.S. I don’t know much about .INF’s, so no use asking me
>> questions. I just thought the page may come in handy at some point…
>>
>> –
>> Mats
>>
>> xxxxx@lists.osr.com wrote on 12/14/2004 09:30:13 AM:
>>
>> > Hi, everyone. Does anybody can point out where can I find resources
>> > about INF files? I mean white papers, books, howto etc.
>> >
>> > Thank you, and have a nice day.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > —
>> > Questions? First check the Kernel Driver FAQ at http://www.
>> > osronline.com/article.cfm?id=256
>> >
>> > You are currently subscribed to ntdev as:
>> xxxxx@3dlabs.com To
>> > unsubscribe send a blank email to xxxxx@lists.osr.com
>>
>> > ForwardSourceID:NT0000963E
>>
>>
>> —
>> Questions? First check the Kernel Driver FAQ at
>> http://www.osronline.com/article.cfm?id=256
>>
>> You are currently subscribed to ntdev as:
>> xxxxx@hollistech.com To unsubscribe send a blank email to
>> xxxxx@lists.osr.com
>>
>
>
>
>

7

Wow! Talk about job security!

–
The personal opinion of
Gary G. Little

“Jake Oshins” wrote in message
news:xxxxx@ntdev…
> I’ve met the three guys who actually write INFs from scratch. They’re
> weird.
>
> –
> Jake Oshins
> Windows Kernel Group
>
> This posting is provided “AS IS” with no warranties, and confers no
rights.
>
>
> “Mark Roddy” wrote in message news:xxxxx@ntdev…
> >I take an existing inf file that has something in common with my target
inf
> > file and start hacking away until it works. As far as I can tell, this
is
> > the method used by just about everybody. It raises the interesting
> > question
> > of original genisis of inf files, but that is a mystery best left to
> > philisophes.
> >
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: xxxxx@lists.osr.com
> >> [mailto:xxxxx@lists.osr.com] On Behalf Of Mats PETERSSON
> >> Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2004 6:21 AM
> >> To: Windows System Software Devs Interest List
> >> Subject: Re: [ntdev] INF files
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> This is the reply I wrote to someone else asking the same thing:
> >> I’m not sure if this covers what you need to know or not, but
> >> here’s a web-page with simplistic explanation of .INF’s.
> >>
> >> http://www.wd-3.com/archive/InfFiles.htm
> >>
> >> P.S. I don’t know much about .INF’s, so no use asking me
> >> questions. I just thought the page may come in handy at some point…
> >>
> >> –
> >> Mats
> >>
> >> xxxxx@lists.osr.com wrote on 12/14/2004 09:30:13 AM:
> >>
> >> > Hi, everyone. Does anybody can point out where can I find resources
> >> > about INF files? I mean white papers, books, howto etc.
> >> >
> >> > Thank you, and have a nice day.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > —
> >> > Questions? First check the Kernel Driver FAQ at http://www.
> >> > osronline.com/article.cfm?id=256
> >> >
> >> > You are currently subscribed to ntdev as:
> >> xxxxx@3dlabs.com To
> >> > unsubscribe send a blank email to xxxxx@lists.osr.com
> >>
> >> > ForwardSourceID:NT0000963E
> >>
> >>
> >> —
> >> Questions? First check the Kernel Driver FAQ at
> >> http://www.osronline.com/article.cfm?id=256
> >>
> >> You are currently subscribed to ntdev as:
> >> xxxxx@hollistech.com To unsubscribe send a blank email to
> >> xxxxx@lists.osr.com
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>

8

> I’ve met the three guys who actually write INFs from scratch. They’re

weird.

Are they the authors of SETUPAPI which parses the INFs?

Maxim Shatskih, Windows DDK MVP
StorageCraft Corporation
xxxxx@storagecraft.com
http://www.storagecraft.com

9

While we’re on the topic of the setup API parsing the .inf files, I’ve
noticed a nasty oddity:

I was hoping that, considering many of the lines are of the form:

X = A, B, C, D, E, F

That the API call “SetupGetStringField” might actually parse the line
into fields via the “=” and “,” characters, and that it might also
understand quotes and nesting.

Unfortunately, it just seems to pay attention to spaces, and very little
else, so I’m going to have to write my own parsing algorithm.

Is there a better way?

MH.

-----Original Message-----
From: xxxxx@lists.osr.com
[mailto:xxxxx@lists.osr.com] On Behalf Of Maxim S.
Shatskih
Sent: 15 December 2004 16:48
To: Windows System Software Devs Interest List
Subject: Re: Re:[ntdev] INF files

I’ve met the three guys who actually write INFs from scratch. They’re

weird.

Are they the authors of SETUPAPI which parses the INFs?

Maxim Shatskih, Windows DDK MVP
StorageCraft Corporation
xxxxx@storagecraft.com
http://www.storagecraft.com

Questions? First check the Kernel Driver FAQ at
http://www.osronline.com/article.cfm?id=256

You are currently subscribed to ntdev as: xxxxx@snellwilcox.com To
unsubscribe send a blank email to xxxxx@lists.osr.com

This email and any attachments is confidential, may be legally privileged and is intended for the use of the addressee only. If you are not the intended recipient, please note that any use, disclosure, printing or copying of this email is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If received in error, please delete this email and any attachments and confirm this to the sender.

10

Take windows programming for e.g:-
At the beginning it is recommended to write the WinMain always by hand so
you know
what steps it do. Later when you move to the wizard the wizard builds the
“always part”
of the windows program.

The guys you met may want to be thorough with inf files, so they can
pinpoint the problem closing their eyes.

Thanks

“Jake Oshins” wrote in message
news:xxxxx@ntdev…
> I’ve met the three guys who actually write INFs from scratch. They’re
> weird.
>
> –
> Jake Oshins
> Windows Kernel Group
>
> This posting is provided “AS IS” with no warranties, and confers no
> rights.
>
>
> “Mark Roddy” wrote in message news:xxxxx@ntdev…
>>I take an existing inf file that has something in common with my target
>>inf
>> file and start hacking away until it works. As far as I can tell, this is
>> the method used by just about everybody. It raises the interesting
>> question
>> of original genisis of inf files, but that is a mystery best left to
>> philisophes.
>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: xxxxx@lists.osr.com
>>> [mailto:xxxxx@lists.osr.com] On Behalf Of Mats PETERSSON
>>> Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2004 6:21 AM
>>> To: Windows System Software Devs Interest List
>>> Subject: Re: [ntdev] INF files
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> This is the reply I wrote to someone else asking the same thing:
>>> I’m not sure if this covers what you need to know or not, but
>>> here’s a web-page with simplistic explanation of .INF’s.
>>>
>>> http://www.wd-3.com/archive/InfFiles.htm
>>>
>>> P.S. I don’t know much about .INF’s, so no use asking me
>>> questions. I just thought the page may come in handy at some point…
>>>
>>> –
>>> Mats
>>>
>>> xxxxx@lists.osr.com wrote on 12/14/2004 09:30:13 AM:
>>>
>>> > Hi, everyone. Does anybody can point out where can I find resources
>>> > about INF files? I mean white papers, books, howto etc.
>>> >
>>> > Thank you, and have a nice day.
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > —
>>> > Questions? First check the Kernel Driver FAQ at http://www.
>>> > osronline.com/article.cfm?id=256
>>> >
>>> > You are currently subscribed to ntdev as:
>>> xxxxx@3dlabs.com To
>>> > unsubscribe send a blank email to xxxxx@lists.osr.com
>>>
>>> > ForwardSourceID:NT0000963E
>>>
>>>
>>> —
>>> Questions? First check the Kernel Driver FAQ at
>>> http://www.osronline.com/article.cfm?id=256
>>>
>>> You are currently subscribed to ntdev as:
>>> xxxxx@hollistech.com To unsubscribe send a blank email to
>>> xxxxx@lists.osr.com
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>

11

Thanks everyone for their response. You are right about the quality of the
supplied documentation. It’s pure. Nevertheless, if one has the patience to
read the whole documentation about *.inf files, from the beginning, he will
figure out easy what it should be done in order to create a solid *.inf
file. Patience is the key.

Again, thank you very much.