This document describes the process of compiling HII (Human Interface Infrastructure) elements in EDKII (EFI Development Kit II). It involves: 1. Compiling VFR (Visual Forms Representation) files into IFR (Internal Forms Representation) byte arrays included in .c files. 2. Compiling string package files into string identifier macros and byte arrays included in header and .c files. 3. The forms browser uses these compiled elements from the HII database to render the user interface.

1. HII Compile
Based on EDKII
Nov.21.2013
Boy.Wang

3. 1. The HII Database is the resource that serves as the
repository of all the form, string, image and font data for
the system.
2. The Driver Install elements (such as fonts, strings, images
and forms) into the HII Database.
3. The Forms Browser uses these elements to render the UI
on the display devices.
.vfr
.c
.uni
HII
database

4. HII String Pack (.uni)

5. HII String Pack - .uni to .h .c
1. The build.exe will get all the string IDs from the .uni files.
2. Macros will be generated in “$BASE_NAME + StrDefs.h” and included
by AutoGen.h for the string IDs used.
Those string IDs not used will be generated but commented out.
3. The HII string package data will be generated in AutoGen.c in the form
of a byte array, with array name “$BASE_NAME + Strings”.
.c
.h
.uni
.uni
.uni

6. Example

7. SetupUtilityLib.inf
[Defines]
BASE_NAME = SetupUtilityLib
...
[Sources]
CopyRightString.uni
SetupUtilityLibString.uni
SetupUtilityLibStrDefs.h
AutoGen.h AutoGen.c
Main.c, Language.c, ...
SetupUtilityLibString.uni
CopyRightString.uni

8. /=#
#include "Standard.uni"
#string STR_COPYRIGHT #language en-US “Copyrightn”
...
#ifndef _STRDEFS_912E59DC_
#define _STRDEFS_912E59DC_
...
#define STR_COPYRIGHT 0x0002
#define STR_CHANNELB_STRING 0x0003
#define STR_MISC_BIOS_VERSION 0x0004
#define STR_MAIN_TITLE 0x0005
#define STR_BLANK_STRING 0x0006
#define STR_BIOS_VERSION_STRING 0x0007
#define STR_CPU_TYPE_STRING 0x0008
#define STR_CPU_TYPE_STRING2 0x0009
#define STR_TIME_HELP 0x000A
#define STR_DATE_HELP 0x000B
#define STR_ENABLE_TEXT 0x000C
...
#endif
CopyRightString.uni
/=#
#include "Standard.uni"
#string STR_MISC_BIOS_VERSION #language en-US “Fake”
...
SetupUtilityLibString.uni
SetupUtilityLibStrDefs.h
In order to facilitate localization, users reference strings by an identifier
unique to the package list which the driver installed. Each identifier may
have several translations associated with it.

9. #ifndef _AUTOGENH_912E59DC_
#define _AUTOGENH_912E59DC_
#include "SetupUtilityLibStrDefs.h"
...
#endif
// 0x0002: STR_COPYRIGHT:0x0002
0x14, 0x43, 0x00, 0x6F, 0x00, 0x70, ...,
...,
// 0x0004: STR_MISC_BIOS_VERSION:0x0004
0x14, 0x44, 0x00, 0x69, 0x00, 0x73, ...,
...,
// PACKAGE DATA
// 0x0001: ???
...,
// 0x0002: STR_COPYRIGHT:0x0002
0x14, 0x46, 0x00, 0x72, 0x00, 0x61, ...,
...,
// 0x0004: STR_MISC_BIOS_VERSION:0x0004
0x14, 0x46, 0x00, 0x61, 0x00, 0x6B, ...,
...,
// PACKAGE DATA
...
};
AutoGen.h
unsigned char SetupUtilityLibStrings[36126 + 4096] = {
// STRGATHER_OUTPUT_HEADER
0x1E, 0x8D, 0x00, 0x00,
// PACKAGE HEADER
...,
// PACKAGE DATA
// 0x0001: ???
...,
AutoGen.c

10. VFR (.vfr)
Visual Forms Representation

11. VFR - .vfr to .c
1. VfrCompile.exe will compile VFR into IFR.
2. IFR will be generated in $FILE.c in the form of a byte array, with array
name “$FILE + Bin”.
3. IFR (Internal Forms Representation) is a bunch of byte-code in style of C
that is used for the representation of UI.
.vfr
.vfr
.vfr
.c
.c
.c

12. Example

13. SetupUtilityLib.inf - .vfr to .c
[Defines]
BASE_NAME = SetupUtilityLib
...
[Sources]
MainVfr.vfr
BootVfr.vfr
MainVfr.vfr
BootVfr.vfr
MainVfr.c
BootVfr.c

14. GLOBAL_REMOVE_IF_UNREFERENCED
unsigned char MainVfrBin[] = {
// ARRAY LENGTH
0xCC, 0x02, 0x00, 0x00,
// PACKAGE HEADER
0xC8, 0x02, 0x00, 0x02,
// PACKAGE DATA
0x0E, 0xA7, 0xF4, 0x27, 0x4A, 0xA0,
0x11, 0x3D, 0x05, 0x00, 0x06, 0x00,
0x5E, 0x32, 0xEB, 0x83, 0x26, 0x04,
...
};
MainVfr.c
GLOBAL_REMOVE_IF_UNREFERENCED
unsigned char BootVfrBin[] = {
// ARRAY LENGTH
0x69, 0x0F, 0x00, 0x00,
// PACKAGE HEADER
0x65, 0x0F, 0x00, 0x02,
// PACKAGE DATA
0x0E, 0xA7, 0xF4, 0x27, 0x4A, 0xA0,
0x11, 0x3D, 0x59, 0x00, 0x06, 0x00,
0x5E, 0x32, 0xEB, 0x83, 0x26, 0x04,
...
};
BootVfr.c

15. Appendix

16. Preprocess Option - /FI (cl.exe)
This option causes the preprocessor to process the header file specified by
filename before it processes any files specified by #include preprocessor
directives.
/FIfilename
If multiple /FI options are used, the associated files are processed in the
order they are found in the CL environment variable, on the command line, or
in any response file.