what's the difference between a ddk driver and wdf driver?

[andersod2]

I know the wdf way of doing it is just a higher level version of the wdm way, but you can also write a "NT legacy" driver with the ddk...but what is the practical difference here? What does wdf way of doing it have over the ddk way or vice versa?

thanks!

[ahoodin]

The WDF includes all the COM integration code and after you write a WDF driver, you should be able to install it right into your DeviceManager() and it will also have some power management functionality. It is good and it is bad. Good in the way you have this functionality with windows, bad in the way you are watering down your driver with COM in your device driver code.

HTH,

[andersod2]

Ok, thanks ahoodin...so are you saying then that drivers I make with the ddk and load with "net start" will not appear in the device manager? I'd like to make one of those virtual com port drivers that takes data over usb, but looks like a com port in the device manager...I'm looking for the easiest way to go about doing this.

Thanks

[ahoodin]

You will have to do some work to get your DDK driver to load.

WDF Drivers have all this ready to go.