This chapter introduces the purpose of virtual devices. You create a virtual device for your hardware device or your 16-bit or 32-bit software if the standard virtual devices provide by Microsoft® Windows® 95 does not provide 100 percent, compatible support for your device or software. You also create a Windows virtual device if you want to offer Windows users access to unique features of your device or software.
This chapter explains how to write and build virtual devices. It describes the structures, procedures, and services you write to create a virtual device, and defines the steps you take to build and test the virtual device. Virtual devices can be either static or dynamically-loadable. The following sections specifically describe static virtual devices, but information about the format and function apply generally to both.