APPENDIX B
Common PEN*KEY 6000 Series Information
B-32 PEN*KEY
R
6200/6300 Hand-Held Computer Programmer’s Reference Guide
Windows Device Drivers and APIs
The device drivers and the application programming interfaces (APIs) are the
real power of Windows as an operating environment. The book,
The Mother of
all Windows Books
, by Woody Leonhard and Barry Simon (AddisonĆWesley,
1994), does an excellent job of explaining the role of a device driver.
Applications
DLLs
INIs
APIs
Additional
Windows
Files
(optional)
Handwriting
Recognition
Pen Windows
Minimal Windows System Files
Windows Drivers
DOS
DOS Drivers
BIOS
Hardware
Windows device drivers have a filename extension of DRV. Like the DOS device
drivers, the Windows drivers are responsible for controlling access to the periphĆ
erals. But unlike DOS, Windows
must
have drivers that become intermediaries
for all peripherals. Windows does not allow the application to access the hardĆ
ware directly; that is the job of the device driver. By following this approach, the
application does not need to concern itself with details of the display or other peĆ
ripheral; as long as it conforms to the API, it works with any device driver. WinĆ
dows device drivers are typically provided by the hardware manufacturer. HowĆ
ever, Windows comes with a small number of generic drivers that are compatible
with the basic features of many brands of peripherals.
In the Windows environment for the PEN*KEY 6000 Series Computer, the reĆ
quired device drivers are provided with the minimal configuration. These inĆ
clude the Microsoft communications, the keyboard, the system, the sound drivĆ
ers; the Pen Windows mouse driver; and the INTERMEC display driver. To the
applications, the display appears as if it was a standard CGA; and the driver
handles the actual placement of pixels on the platform specific screen, as well as
rotation from landscape to portrait modes.
B. Common PEN*KEY
6000 Series Info.
