1 Introduction

1.1 Overview

Internal Forms Representation (IFR) is a binary encoding. This encoding is designed to be comparatively easy to parse and to manipulate programmatically.

To simplify the creation of IFR, a high-level Visual Forms Representation (VFR) language is defined below. Using this language syntax, a compiler can be designed to take an ordinary text file containing VFR as an input, and output IFR for use in a user's program. There are various methods to define the VFR language. This document sets out a method and describes it using BNF-style syntax.

1.2 Assumed Knowledge

A full understanding of the UEFI Specification is assumed throughout this document.

This document is a reference manual for developers adopting the VFR language to create products compliant with current UEFI Specification. It offers enough material to create infrastructure files for the user interface, and to create a driver to export setup- related information to the Human Interface Infrastructure programming interface.

1.4 Terms

The following terms are used throughout this document to describe varying aspects of input localization:

BNF

BNF is an acronym for "Backus Naur Form". John Backus and Peter Naur introduced for the first time a formal notation to describe the syntax of a given language.

HII

Human Interface Infrastructure. This generally refers to the database that contains string, font, and IFR information along with other pieces that use one of the database components.

IFR

Internal Forms Representation. This is the binary encoding that is used for the representation of user interface pages.

VFR

Visual Forms Representation. This is the source code format that is used by developers to create a user interface with varying pieces of data or questions. This is later compiled into a binary encoding