.drv vs .dll

[Mike Hildner]

What's the difference between a .drv file and a .dll file? They both contain executable code, right? For instance, I'm wondering why EnumPrinters is contained in winspool.drv. In .NET, you call a .drv file just like a .dll - with the DllImport attribute. Is there any functional difference?

Thanks,
Mike

[Ideas Man]

.drv are supposed to be driver type files. DLL are librarys of routines and stuff such as the .NET code librarys, they are in DLL form, but aren't drivers.

[Mike Hildner]

Originally posted by Ideas Man
.drv are supposed to be driver type files. DLL are librarys of routines and stuff such as the .NET code librarys, they are in DLL form, but aren't drivers.

Umm, I appreciate the post, but, and I don't mean to be rude, but do you know what you're talking about?

.drv are supposed to be driver type files.

What does that mean? Open up a .drv file an the header looks just like a .dll or .exe, in particular, it says "This program cannot be run in DOS mode". And no doubt, the callable method, EnumPrinters, is located in winspool.drv and is accessed just like a .dll function.

So, apparently, there are code libraries inside of .drv files. As we know, there are callable methods inside of .dlls also.

So what's the difference?

[dglienna]

wouldn't a driver interface to hardware, while a dll would interface to software?

[Mike Hildner]

That's kinda what I thought, until I saw that EnumPrinters is in winspool.drv and you call it just like a .dll, that is, using p/invoke. Maybe it's just the extension.