What Is Open Tools?

ID: Q74656

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) for Windows versions 3.1 and 3.0

SUMMARY

Open Tools is a program that Microsoft started in 1990. The purpose of the program is to create an environment that allows tool ISVs to create great Windows development tools. Open Tools is not a product you can buy; instead, Open Tools is documentation, utilities, and licenses that make it possible to create development tools for Windows.

MORE INFORMATION

The following is a list of the current components of Open Tools and how to obtain them:

1. Documentation: Through Open Tools, Microsoft is publishing a number

   of documents that describe previously undocumented information
   applicable to development tools. The following list of documents is
   available by contacting Developer Relations at Microsoft.

      - Printed documentation on creating Windows-hosted debuggers
      - Resource formats, as stored in the EXE file
      - EXE file format (more complete than "The MS-DOS Encyclopedia")
      - Compiler vendor documentation
         - Application startup
         - Prolog and epilog
         - Object module format
         - Library and import library format
         - WIN87EM operation
      - New symbol and type OMF documentation
      - Proposed object mapping documentation

2. Toolhelp library: The APIs provided in this library give

   debugger-type applications access to system state information, and
   allow easier trapping of events and interrupts. The following is a
   feature list of Toolhelp:

      - Event trapping (includes segment loaded, application started)
      - Interrupt trapping (includes Int 0, Int 1, Int 2, GP fault)
      - Class walking
      - User/GDI heap information
      - Global/Local heap walking
      - Module list
      - Task list
      - Read/Write task memory (code and data)
      - Stack walking
      - Application termination
      - High resolution timer (not affected by VM tasking)
      - Hard/soft mode debugging support

   Toolhelp shipped with Windows version 3.1 retail product, but will also
   run under Windows version 3.0. The version 3.1 Software Development Kit
   (SDK) contains the API documentation and information about
   redistribution.

3. Tool licenses: Tool vendors may want to redistribute tools

   developed by Microsoft. A license agreement has been created that
   will allow this. Some components may be redistributed free of
   charge and others require a licensing fee. Contact Developer
   Relations at Microsoft for licensing information.

Developer Relations can be reached at:

   One Microsoft Way
   Redmond, WA 98052-6399
   (206) 882-8080
   FAX: (206) 93MSFAX (936-7329)

Additional reference words: 3.10 KBCategory: kbprg KBSubcategory: GenSDK

Last Reviewed: March 9, 1995