Windows API database

[Dave Miller]

The project I am considering is mentioned on the contributing page here:
http://fgouget.free.fr/wine/contributing-en.shtml.  (Build a database of
Windows APIs and dependencies)  It sounds like less work to simply create
text files containing the imports and exports, although I think the point is
partially for the results to be easily cross referenced by developers.
Hence the suggestion of a database of some kind.  I've considered scanning
applications as well.  If I have any success with the Windows APIs I may try
tackling that at some point as well.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dan Kegel" <dank at kegel.com>
To: "David Miller" <compsol at ptd.net>
Cc: <wine-devel at winehq.com>
Sent: Thursday, January 23, 2003 3:38 PM
Subject: Re: Windows API database


> David Miller wrote:
> > I would be interested in knowing more about the goals of this project.
> > Don't consider me officially working on such a thing just yet.  I have
> > no real perl experience, but would like to learn.  First I'd like to
> > know more about what I'm up against.
>
> I'm not sure what project you're talking about, but I can make a few
> wild guesses...
>
> > 1.  Is there a specific set of dll's and exe's we want included in the
> > database or does it need to scan and gather a list of all dll and exe
> > files?  That would suggest a clean OS install is necessary.
>
> Sure, a clean OS install is probably good.  Many of the
> APIs exposed by even the clean OS install may not be
> needed if no application calls them, but it's hard to know
> that in advance.
>
> We might want to also scan applications to see what APIs
> they actually use, but that's real hard.
>
> > 2.  What information should be in the database? (OS ver, name of dll or
> > exe, name of imported dll, APIs and whether they are imported or
> > exported, etc.)
>
> Maybe use the same format as we use in the souce tree?  e.g.
> scanning advapi32.dll should produce something that looks very
> much like
http://cvs.winehq.com/cvsweb/wine/dlls/advapi32/advapi32.spec?rev=1.32
>
> > 3.  Will a single MySQL table do or does it need to be a relational
> > database with multiple tables?
>
> IMHO no SQL is needed.  The database should be plain text
> files checked into CVS.
>
> > 4.  Anything else you can tell me about this task?
>
> Compare with other standards which provide lists of API's, for example:
> http://www.linuxbase.org/spec/
> http://www.unix.org/
> http://www.ecma.ch/ecma1/STAND/ECMA-234.HTM
> to get some ideas.  Of course, these are formatted all fancily,
> and cover different operating systems, but the goal is similar:
> to provide an authoritative list of APIs.
> Ideally, the result could be part of a submission to a
> standards body.
> (See also http://www.kegel.com/remedy/remedy2.html#fix.info )
> - Dan
>
> --
> Dan Kegel
> http://www.kegel.com
> http://counter.li.org/cgi-bin/runscript/display-person.cgi?user=78045
>
>
>