Share via

Required Display Driver Functions

  • Article

At a minimum, every display driver must:

  1. Enable and disable the graphics hardware.

  2. Supply GDI with information about hardware capabilities.

  3. Enable the drawing surface.

The following table lists the functions that all display drivers must implement. Following DrvEnableDriver, the remaining functions are listed alphabetically. Note that except for DrvEnableDriver, which GDI calls by name, all other display driver functions do not have fixed names, and are listed with pseudonyms.

Function Description

DrvEnableDriver

As the initial driver entry point, provides GDI with the driver version number and entry points of optional functions supported.

DrvAssertMode

Resets the video mode for a specified video hardware device.

DrvCompletePDEV

Informs the driver about the completion of device installation.

DrvDisableDriver

Frees all allocated resources for the driver and returns the device to its initially loaded state.

DrvDisablePDEV

When the hardware is no longer needed, frees memory and resources used by the device and any surface created, but not yet deleted.

DrvDisableSurface

Informs the driver that the surface created for the current device is no longer needed.

DrvEnablePDEV

Enables a PDEV.

DrvEnableSurface

Creates a surface for a specified hardware device.

DrvGetModes

Lists the modes supported by a specified video hardware device.

A list of required functions for all graphics drivers appears in Required Graphics Driver Functions.