MDT – Microsoft Minidriver Development Tool

[This is preliminary documentation and subject to change.]

SUMMARY

The Microsoft Minidriver Development Tool (Microsoft MDT) is a Windows NT® software tool designed for easy development of minidrivers that enable the Microsoft Universal Printer Driver (Unidrv) to support new non-Postscript® printers.

The features that Microsoft MDT provides are described below.

Minidriver Conversion Wizard

The Minidriver Conversion Wizard converts binary minidrivers, used with previous versions of Windows and Windows NT, into text-based minidrivers for Windows 2000. When you use the Wizard, it creates a Windows 2000 minidriver by converting the following files.

Input files

File Contents

Output Files

 
Windows GPC files

Printer capability descriptions

Windows 2000 GPD files

Windows PFM files

Font descriptions

Windows 2000 UFM files

Windows CTT files

Glyph translations

Windows 2000 GTT files

Additionally, the wizard generates resource files (.rc files) with the correct file names and resource identifiers.

INF Wizard

Automatically creates INF files for installing minidrivers.

Generic Printer Description (GPD) Editor

Syntax-checking text editor for modifying the GPD files that make up Unidrv minidrivers.

Unidrv Font Metrics (UFM) Editor

Property sheet-based editor for modifying Unidrv Font Metrics files.

Glyph Translation Table (GTT) Editor

Property sheet-based editor for modifying Glyph Translation Table files.

String Resource Editor

Dialog box for modifying text strings contained in a minidriver's resource file (.rc file).

Minidriver Workspace

Window-based editing workspace for a Unidrv minidriver, providing access to the minidriver's GPD, UFM, GTT, and resource files.

For more information about the Microsoft Universal Printer Driver (Unidrv), see the Windows 2000 DDK.

File Manifest

Root:
Files          Description
MINIDEV.EXE	MDT Exe
COMMON.RC	Supporting Files
STDNAMES.GPD	Supporting Files

Release Notes

 Updates to this Beta version of MDT will be available. To receive notification of updates, send e-mail to mdtinfo@microsoft.com, using the following format:

Title: MDT: Request New Version
Contact Name:
Phone Number:
Email Address:

Product feedback can also be included in this email. If you are reporting a failure, please describe the failure scenario so it can be reproduced.

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© 1999 Microsoft Corporation