Windows 3.1 Application Compatibility (part 7 of 7)

ID: Q80902

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) 3.1

SUMMARY

Application Compatibility Document for Windows 3.1

Due to the amount of information in this document, it has been broken into seven pieces. To find all seven pieces of this document and the Windows 3.1 Compatibility Test checklist, query this knowledge base on the words:

prod(winsdk) and 31compattest

Printing

Most of the printing changes can be tested by printing documents from your application with Windows versions 3.0a and 3.1 and comparing the output. Try to print documents that represent the types of images your application is capable of printing. You must test with the printers listed below; you should try others.

Postscript

LaserJet II

LaserJet III

Dot matrix

RENAMED PRINTERS

The printer names have been renamed, and your application could have problems with an upgrade if your application or documents refer to a specific printer. For example, if your application explicitly looks for the printer name "PCL/HP LaserJet," it will no longer find this name. Note that renaming the printer does not affect soft fonts.

Test

Bring a document created with your Windows version 3.0a application to Windows versions 3.1 and print it. Be sure there are no error messages and that it prints correctly.

POSTSCRIPT DRIVER

The GETEXTENTABLE escape has been removed.

Test

Check your application code for this escape.

UNIVERSAL PRINTER DRIVER

In Windows version 3.1, with the exception of PostScript and a few other printer drivers, most printer drivers are based on Universal Printer Driver technology. This technology provides uniform support and behavior for drivers in areas such as font mapping, color mapping, escapes, and ExtDeviceMode and DeviceCapabilities functions. It also makes DIB support available for dot matrix printers.

Applications can now rely on the values that the DeviceCapabilities function returns to design their print dialog.

PCL 4 DRIVER

The PCL Driver changed in the following ways:

Default resolution is 300 DPI for Windows version 3.1. In Windows version 3.0, it was 75 DPI.

The driver no longer requires a separate text band when printing at 300 DPI if there is enough free memory for a full-page band.

The driver clips text vertically using the following formula:


   if (y + lpFont->dfInternalLeading < rcClip.top
          || y >= rcClip.bottom)
      return 0;

The driver automatically tracks memory. If you encounter an out-of- memory error, be sure you set memory configuration correctly. If the memory configuration is correct but the document still generates out-of-memory errors (even though it prints under Windows version 3.0), please send an electronic copy of the document when you return the checklist.

The following escapes are removed:


     EXT_DEVICE_CAPS
     EXTTEXTOUT
     FLUSHOUTPUT
     GETEXTENTABLE
     GETFACENAME
     GETSETPAPERORIENT (New ResetDC function provides
                        the same functionality)
     GETTECHNOLOGY
     SETALLJUSTVALUES

The following escapes still exist for compatibility, but we recommend that you get the same information by using the DeviceCapabilities function:


   Escape                     Replacement
   ------                     -----------

   ENUMPAPERBINS              Use DeviceCapabilities DC_BINNAMES.
   ENUMPAPERMETRICS           Use DeviceCapabilities DC_PAPERS,
                              DC_PAPERSIZE, DC_PAPERNAMES.

Printer settings are now saved in the WIN.INI file under the [device,port] section instead of under the [driver,port] section. For example, the WIN.INI file may now contain a [HP LaserJet IIP,LPT1] setting instead of [HPPCL,LPT1]. This implies that more than one printer within a driver can be connected to the same port at the same time while each retains its own settings.

A new [PrinterAliases] section in WIN.INI supports custom printer names.

The installation of HP/PCL soft fonts and external cartridges doesn't change -- the information is still saved under the [driver,port] section. Thus, if you install a soft font on LPT1, all HP laser printers connected to LPT1: see this soft font.

In Windows version 3.0, the HPPCL.DRV has GDI simulate a bold typeface for a device font if a bold version is not available; the Windows version 3.1 driver does not.

Applications that rely on the Windows version 3.0 driver always to enumerate the first full-page text band and subsequent graphics bands should remove this dependency. The Windows version 3.1 driver can put text into graphics bands and can put graphics into the first band.

OTHER DOT-MATRIX PRINTER DRIVERS

Dot-matrix drivers changed as follows:

Printable regions increased on many dot-matrix drivers.

Color support added for Fujitsu and NEC drivers

Some resolutions changed on some drivers. Removed "odd" aspect ratios and put in closer to one aspect ratios. For example, NEC24.DRV changed 60 x 180 to 120 x 180.

Because of black-and-white printer driver dependency on the screen, some changes may be the result of screen driver changes.

Applications should test for color DIB printing using a color driver.

Other Core Enhancements

Most core enhancements affect applications only if they make assumptions about internal structures or internal operations. Most of the testing for this section involves looking at the changes and reviewing the code for your application. Below is a list of the things you need to look for.

An application making assumptions about internal data structures.

An application building its own selectors.

Press CTRL+ALT+DEL while your application is running. Be sure windows continues to function after your application terminates.

There are the following changes:

Structure of kernel internal memory objects has changed. Applications that made assumptions regarding these internal structures will most likely be broken. TOOLHELP.DLL has been added to Windows version 3.1, which provides a documented interface for accessing internal data.

Kernel now runs at ring 3 (instead of ring 1 as in Windows version 3.0) to prevent ill-behaved applications from relying on the relationship between handles and selectors. This does not affect the IOPL (input/output privilege level) of applications and drivers.

GP-fault cleanup. If one application GP faults, Windows cleans up its internal state and allows the system to continue running after terminating that application.

Local CTRL+ALT+DEL. Users can kill a single Windows-based application or a single VM by pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL. The rest of the system should continue running.

Dr. Watson and continue button. Dr. Watson is included but not installed by default. If the user installs Dr. Watson, this application reports and logs data on application error. For some GP faults, Dr. Watson gives the user the option to continue running the application, resetting the IP to the instruction following the GP fault. Pressing the continue button bypasses GP faults until the next task switch.

Real mode is removed.

We correctly reflect floating-point exceptions to virtual mode, allowing applications that use their own floating-point packages to work correctly. Kernel correctly saves and restores the state of floating-point interrupt functions, allowing WIN87EM.DLL to coexist with other floating-point emulators.

UMB mechanisms defined for XMS are supported, allowing software such as EMM386, 386MAX, and QEMM to load networks and other devices in HIMEM. Windows is fully backward compatible with versions 5.x and 6.x of QEMM and 386MAX.

SMARTDrive 4

Windows version 3.1 includes a new high performance disk cache. Applications should test with this disk cache enabled (Setup enables this by default) to ensure that no side effects occur.

Tests

Read files from disk.

Write files to disk.

If your application uses the floppy drive or can read and write files to the floppy drive, try those operations with caching enabled on the floppy.

Additional query words: 3.10

Keywords : kb16bitonly
Version : WINDOWS:3.1
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type :