3.4 [Defines] Section

This is a required section.

Summary

This describes the required [Defines] section used in EDK II INF files. This file is created during installation of a UEFI distribution package or by the developer and is an input to the new build tool parsing utilities. Elements may appear in any order within this section.

The version for this specification is "0x0001001B" and new versions of this specification must increment the minor (001B) portion of the specification code for backward compatible changes, and increment the major number for non-backward compatible specification changes. This value may also be specified as a decimal value, 1.27.

The [Defines] section assigns values to the symbols that describe the component. Some items are emitted to the output makefile, others are used to create filenames during the build. Some symbols are emitted to the generated C files.

The FILE_GUID is required for all EDK II modules. This GUID is used to build the FW volume file list used by build tools to generate the final firmware volume, as well as processed in some SMM, PEI or DXE DEPEX statements.

All new EDK II INF files must include one of the following statements: INF_VERSION = 0x0001001B or INF_VERSION = 1.27 in this section, where the number varies according to the release of this specification. It is a HexVersion type, where the 0x0001 is the major number, and the 001B is the minor number. This version of the specification provides full backward compatibility to all previous versions. This means that tools that process this version of the specification can also process earlier versions of EDK II INF files.

Note: Possible values for MODULE_TYPE, and their descriptions, are listed in the table, "EDK II Module Types." For each module, the BASE_NAME and MODULE_TYPE are required. The BASE_NAME definition is case sensitive as it will be used to create a directory name during a build.

Only the [Defines] section tag is valid for EDK II INF files - architectural modifiers for the [Defines] section tag are not permitted. The section is processed in order by the parsing utilities. Assignments of variables in other sections override previous assignments.

The SHADOW keyword is only valid for SEC, PEI_CORE and PEIM module types. It is an error to declare the SHADOW keyword in other module types. The default value of SHADOW is "FALSE" when the SHADOW keyword is not specified.

EDK II modules that provide different library class implementations must use multiple LIBRARY_CLASS statements. Each LIBRARY_CLASS statement must provide the name of the library class supported, followed by the pipe "|" field separator and then a space " " delimited list of module types the library instances supports. The following is an example of specifying multiple library classes.

LIBRARY_CLASS = FOO | PEI_CORE PEIM
LIBRARY_CLASS = BAR | DXE_CORE DXE_DRIVER DXE_SMM_DRIVER

Note: Each library class requires a header file defined in the package that declares the library class. Refer to the "EDK II Module Writer's Guide" for more information about writing drivers and libraries.

Additionally, a driver module may expose internal implementations of a library class, making the internal implementations public. As an example, a DXE_CORE implementation that uses internal functions that provide the functionality of the EDK II Base Memory Library. The DXE_CORE module that provides these functions (for example, DxeMain.inf) can expose them for use by other DXE drivers that depend on the BaseMemoryLib library class.

The OptionRom statements must be included for UEFI PCI Option ROMs, and can only be used with a MODULE_TYPE of UEFI_DRIVER.

The optional MODULE_UNI_FILE entry is used to locate an Unicode file which can be used for localization of the module's Abstract and Description from the header section. The content of the file can be generated by tools during the installation of a distribution package that conforms to the UEFI Platform Initialization Distribution Packaging Specification, or by module developers creating new content.

The FixedComments sections that follow a defines section are to permit tools to work with UEFI Distribution Packaging Specification requirements.

Prototype

Note: The entry, INF_VERSION, BASE_NAME, FILE_GUID and MODULE_TYPE are required for EDK II Modules. The VERSION_STRING entry is highly recommended.

<Defines>          ::= "[Defines]" <EOL>
                       <DefineStatements>+
<DefineStatements> ::= <TS> "INF_VERSION" <Eq> <SpecVersion> <EOL>
                       <TS> "BASE_NAME" <Eq> <BaseName> <EOL>
                       <TS> "FILE_GUID" <Eq> <RegistryFormatGUID> <EOL>
                       <TS> "MODULE_TYPE" <Eq> <Edk2ModuleType> <EOL>
                       [<TS> "UEFI_SPECIFICATION_VERSION" <Eq>
                       <VersionVal> <EOL>]
                       [<TS> "PI_SPECIFICATION_VERSION" <Eq>
                       <VersionVal> <EOL>]
                       [<TS> "LIBRARY_CLASS" <Eq> <LibClass> <EOL>]*
                       [<TS> "BUILD_NUMBER" <Eq> <UINT16> <EOL>]
                       [<TS> "VERSION_STRING" <Eq>
                       <DecimalVersion> <EOL>]
                       [<TS> "PCD_IS_DRIVER" <Eq>
                       <PcdDriverType> <EOL>]
                       [<TS> "ENTRY_POINT" <Eq> <CName> [<FFE>] <EOL>]*
                       [<TS> "UNLOAD_IMAGE" <Eq> <CName>
                       [<FFE>] <EOL>]*
                       [<TS> "CONSTRUCTOR" <Eq> <CName> [<FFE>] <EOL>]*
                       [<TS> "DESTRUCTOR" <Eq> <CName> [<FFE>] <EOL>]*
                       [<TS> "SHADOW" <Eq> <BoolType> <EOL>]
                       [<OptionRomInfo>]
                       [<TS> "CUSTOM_MAKEFILE" <Eq>
                       <CustomMake> <EOL>]*
                       [<TS> "DPX_SOURCE" <Eq> <Filename> <EOL>]
                       [<TS> "SPEC" <MTS> <Spec> <EOL>]*
                       [<TS> <UefiHiiResource> <EOL>]
                       [<TS> "MODULE_UNI_FILE" <Eq> <Filename> <EOL>]
                       [<MacroDefinition>]*
<BaseName>         ::= (a-zA-Z0-9)(a-zA-Z0-9_-.)*
<UefiHiiResource>  ::= "UEFI_HII_RESOURCE_SECTION" <Eq> <TrueFalse>
<CustomMake>       ::= [<Family> <FS>] <Filename>
<PcdDriverType>    ::= {"PEI_PCD_DRIVER"} {"DXE_PCD_DRIVER"}
<Spec>             ::= <Identifier> <Eq> <DecimalVersion>
<LibClass>         ::= {<KeywordType>} {"NULL"}
<KeywordType>      ::= <SimpleWord> [<FS> <ModuleTypes>]
<ModuleTypes>      ::= <ModuleType> [<Space> <ModuleType>]*
<FFE>              ::= <FS> <Expression>
<SpecVersion>      ::= {<HexVersion>} {(0-9))+ "." (0-9)+}
<OptionRomInfo>    ::= <TS> "PCI_VENDOR_ID" <Eq> <UINT16> <EOL>
                       <TS> "PCI_DEVICE_ID" <Eq> <UNIT16> [<MTS> <UINT16>]* <EOL>
                       <TS> "PCI_CLASS_CODE" <Eq> <UINT8> <EOL>
                       <TS> "PCI_REVISION" <Eq> <UINT8> <EOL>
                       [<TS> "PCI_COMPRESS" <Eq> <TruFal> <EOL>]
<TruFal>           ::= {"TRUE"} {"FALSE"}

Parameters

Filename

Filenames listed in the [Defines] section must be relative to the directory the INF file is in. Use of "..", "." and "../" in the directory path is not permitted. Use of an absolute path is not permitted. The file name specified in the MODULE_UNI_FILE entry must be a Unicode file with an extension of .uni, .UNI or .Uni.

MODULE_TYPE

Drivers and applications are not allowed to have a MODULE_TYPE of "BASE". Only libraries are permitted to a have a MODULE_TYPE of "BASE". A INF file can be used to specify other binary files types, such as logo images or legacy16 option ROMs. HOST_APPLICATION module should be used to sepcify host application that can run in OS environment directly. The USER_DEFINED module type must be used in all cases where the module type is not a member of <Edk2ModuleType>.

INF_VERSION

For new INF files, the version value must be set to 0x0001001B. Tools that process this version of the INF file can successfully process earlier versions of the INF file (this is a backward compatible update). There is no requirement to change the value in existing INF files if no other content changes. This may also be specified as decimal value, 1.27.

EDK_RELEASE_VERSION

This optional value may be set to the major/minor number of the EDK II release required for modules to function correctly.

UEFI_SPECIFICATION_VERSION

The UEFI_SPECIFICATION_VERSION must only be set in the INF file if the module depends on UEFI Boot Services or UEFI Runtime Services or UEFI System Table fields or UEFI core behaviors that are not present in the UEFI 2.1 version. The version number for the UEFI 2.3.1 specification is the hex value: 0x0002001F. The minor number of the specification version is a 2 digit number, where the 2.3.1 is actually: 2.31 The major number must be incremented on a revision that would result in a minor number greater than 99.

PI_SPECIFICATION_VERSION

The PI_SPECIFICATION_VERSION must only be set in the INF file if the module depends on services or system table fields or PI core behaviors that are not present in the PI 1.0 version. The version number for the 1.2 PI specification is the hex value: 0x00010014 The minor number of the specification version is a 2 digit number, where the 1.2 is actually: 1.20 The major number must be incremented on a revision that would result in a minor number greater than 99.

VERSION_STRING

This is typically a decimal number, and if not specified, an empty string will be provided. This value will be converted by the build tools from an ASCII string into a null-terminated Unicode string that contains a text representation of the version. A platform integrator may specify a different version string for an FFS version section in the FDF file if more than just this value is needed. It is recommended that the decimal number be used in such a manner as the integer portion of the value is considered the major number (changing when there is a functional, non-backward compatible change). The factional portion of the value is the considered the minor number (changing anytime there is a change in the code that would result in a binary image that was not identical to the binary image created prior to the change).

BuildNumber

The optional build number must be NumValUint16 If not present, the EDK II build tools will use the BUILD_NUMBER from the DSC file. If the DSC file does not include the build number, the EDK II build tools will use a value of 0 If the Build number is greater than 0, the generated INF file must contain this entry.

Spec

The user is required to ensure that a valid C name is used for the name of the specification, and provide the decimal version of the specification. For example, SPEC USB_SPECIFICATION_VERSION = 2.0 is a valid statement. These statements are used to generate #define statements in the auto generated C files.

UefiHiiResource

This is an optional tag used to identify UEFI compliant drivers that must have a UEFI_HII_RESOURCE_SECTION generated as part of the efi image file. If not specified, the default is false.

DPX_SOURCE

The path and filename must be relative to the INF file and located within the module's directory tree. The file must contain only DEPEX statements as defined in the UEFI PI Specification that are valid for the module type. C style Comments are not in the file. Contents of this file completely override any dependency expressions listed in [Depex] sections and all inherited dependency expressions that would normally have been inherited from libraries linked to the module. Use of this feature is not recommended for normal use.

OptionRomInfo

These statements are used by developers of stand-alone PCI Option ROM drivers.

They allow the developer to forego creation of an FDF file in the package directory. Only the INF file and a DSC file are required for pure PCI Option ROM development.

ENTRY_POINT CName

This is the name of the driver's entry point function. Refer to the UEFI Driver Writer's Guide for more information.

UNLOAD_IMAGE CName

If a driver chooses to be unloadable, then this is the name of the module's function registered in the Loaded Image Protocol. It is called if the UEFI Boot Service UnloadImage() is called for the module, which then executes the Unload function, disconnecting itself from handles in the database as well as uninstalling any protocols that were installed in the driver entry point. The CName is the name of this module's unload function. Refer to the UEFI Driver Writer's Guide for more information.

Example (EDK II Driver)

[Defines]
  INF_VERSION                = 1.27
  BASE_NAME                  = PlatformAcpiTable
  FILE_GUID                  = 7E374E25-8E01-4FEE-87F2-390C23C606CD
  MODULE_TYPE                = DXE_DRIVER
  VERSION_STRING             = 1.0
  EDK_RELEASE_VERSION        = 0x00020000
  UEFI_SPECIFICATION_VERSION = 0x00020014

Example (UEFI Driver)

[Defines]
  INF_VERSION    = 0x0001001B
  BASE_NAME      = Abc
  FILE_GUID      = DA87D340-15C0-4824-9BF3-D52286674BEF
  MODULE_TYPE    = UEFI_DRIVER
  VERSION_STRING = 1.0
  ENTRY_POINT    = AbcDriverEntryPoint
  UNLOAD_IMAGE   = AbcUnload

Example (EDK II Library)

[Defines]
  INF_VERSION    = 1.27
  BASE_NAME      = LzmaCustomDecompressLib
  FILE_GUID      = 22f8406f-43ee-492f-82f5-4e8a1a58e6d2
  MODULE_TYPE    = BASE
  VERSION_STRING = 1.0
  LIBRARY_CLASS  = CustomDecompressLib

3.4 [Defines] Section

EDK II Module Information (INF) File Specification

DRAFT [03/01/2024 01:46:49]

Revision 1.26