Platform Configuration Files
Platform Builder uses two general categories of configuration files: source code configuration files and image configuration files.
The Build tool uses source code configuration files to build modules and features, and to build the source code for your operating system (OS) image.
The Make Binary Image Tool calls a number of tools, which use image configuration files to create the OS image.
Source Code Configuration Files
Source code configuration files give the Build tool (Build.exe) information about what directories to traverse, which C and Microsoft® Visual C++® files to compile, and what type of binary file to build.
Based on this information, the Build tool builds the source code in a directory and in specified subdirectories.
The following table shows the source code configuration file types.
| File type | Description |
|---|---|
| Dirs File | Identifies subdirectories that contain source code. |
| Sources File | Contains the macro variables needed to build source code. |
| Makefile File | Contains the variables needed to compile and link the source code. |
The Build tool traverses a directory tree, searching for dirs and sources files, in that order.
Dirs files specify the sources files that contain source code to be built, or information on additional subdirectories that contain sources files.
When the Build tool locates a sources file in the current directory, it calls the Nmake tool (Nmake.exe), which compiles the specified C or C++ sources file or links an object module, according to the linking rules contained in the makefile file.
For more information about the Build tool, see Build Tool. For more information about the Nmake tool, see Nmake Tool.
Image Configuration Files
The Make Binary Image tool (Makeimg.exe) calls a number of applications and batch files, which use image configuration files to create an OS image.
For more information about the Make Binary Image tool, see Make Binary Image Tool.
The following table shows the image configuration file types.
| File type | Description |
|---|---|
| Binary image builder (.bib) file | Defines the modules and files to be included in the OS image. |
| Registry (.reg) file | Defines the registry keys and values for an OS image created during a cold boot. |
| File system (.dat) file | Defines the RAM file system directories, files, and links for an OS image created during a cold boot. |
| Database (.db) file | Defines the databases to be included in the object store of an OS image created during a cold boot. |
| String (.str) file | Defines locale-specific string replacements for text that is visible to a user in .reg, .dat, and .db files. Each line in the .str file must end with a <CR> to enable correct processing. |
Specific image configuration files apply to your hardware development platform; others apply to the projects that contain Microsoft Windows® CE-based modules and components.
Regardless of scope, you can use IF and ENDIF conditional blocks and environment variables in any OS image configuration file to modify what will be the resulting OS image. For more information about environment variables, see Environment Variables.
The following table shows the scope of the image configuration files.
| File name | Scope |
|---|---|
| Common.bib, Common.reg, Common.dat, Common.db, Common.str | These files apply to the Common project, which contains the core Windows CE-based modules and components. |
| IE.bib, IE.reg, IE.dat, IE.db, IE.str | These files apply to the IE project, which contains the components that support the Microsoft® Internet Explorer modules. |
| Wceappsfe.bib, Wceappsfe.reg, Wceappsfe.dat, Wceappsfe.db, Wceappsfe.str | These files apply to the Wceapps project, which contains the components that support WordPad word processing software and Inbox electronic messaging software. |
| Wceshellfe.bib, Wceshellfe.reg, Wceshellfe.dat, Wceshellfe.db, Wceshellfe.str | These files apply to the Wceshellfe project, which contains the components that support the Windows CE-based shell modules. |
| Msmq.bib, Msmq.reg, Msmq.data, Msmq.db, Msmq.str | These files apply to the MSMQ project, which contains Message Queuing Server modules. |
| Platform.bib, Platform.reg, Platform.dat, Platform.db, Platform.str | These files apply to the hardware development platform. |
| Project.bib, Project.reg, Project.dat, Project.db, Project.str | These files apply to the project that contains your Windows CE-based platform. |
| Config.bib | This file applies to your OS image. It contains MEMORY and CONFIG sections for the OS image. |
See Also
Build Tool | Make Binary Image Tool | Using Source Code Configuration File Macros | Windows CE ROM Image Data Formats | Platform Localization
Last updated on Friday, October 08, 2004
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