<s>
The	O
Windows	B-Application
Driver	I-Application
Kit	I-Application
(	O
WDK	B-Application
)	O
is	O
a	O
software	O
toolset	O
from	O
Microsoft	O
that	O
enables	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
device	B-Application
drivers	I-Application
for	O
the	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
platform	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
complete	O
toolset	O
for	O
driver	O
development	O
also	O
need	O
the	O
following	O
:	O
a	O
compiler	O
Visual	B-Application
Studio	I-Application
,	O
Windows	B-Application
SDK	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Windows	B-Application
HLK	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Previously	O
,	O
the	O
WDK	B-Application
was	O
known	O
as	O
the	O
Driver	O
Development	O
Kit	O
(	O
DDK	O
)	O
and	O
supported	O
Windows	B-Application
Driver	I-Application
Model	I-Application
(	O
WDM	O
)	O
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
got	O
its	O
current	O
name	O
when	O
Microsoft	O
released	O
Windows	B-Application
Vista	I-Application
and	O
added	O
the	O
following	O
previously	O
separated	O
tools	O
to	O
the	O
kit	O
:	O
Installable	B-Application
File	I-Application
System	I-Application
Kit	O
(	O
IFS	O
Kit	O
)	O
,	O
Driver	B-Application
Test	I-Application
Manager	I-Application
(	O
DTM	O
)	O
,	O
though	O
DTM	O
was	O
later	O
renamed	O
and	O
removed	O
from	O
WDK	B-Application
again	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
DDK	O
for	O
Windows	O
2000	O
and	O
earlier	O
versions	O
did	O
not	O
include	O
a	O
compiler	O
;	O
instead	O
one	O
had	O
to	O
install	O
Visual	B-Application
C++	I-Application
separately	O
to	O
compile	O
drivers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
From	O
the	O
version	O
for	O
Windows	O
XP	O
the	O
DDK	O
and	O
later	O
the	O
WDK	B-Application
include	O
a	O
command-line	O
compiler	O
to	O
compile	O
drivers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
of	O
the	O
reasons	O
Microsoft	O
gave	O
for	O
including	O
a	O
compiler	O
was	O
that	O
the	O
quality	O
of	O
drivers	O
would	O
improve	O
if	O
they	O
were	O
compiled	O
with	O
the	O
same	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
compiler	O
that	O
was	O
used	O
to	O
compile	O
Windows	O
itself	O
while	O
Visual	B-Application
C++	I-Application
is	O
targeted	O
to	O
application	O
development	O
and	O
has	O
a	O
different	O
product	O
cycle	O
with	O
more	O
frequent	O
changes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
WDK	B-Application
8.x	O
and	O
later	O
series	O
goes	O
back	O
to	O
require	O
installing	O
a	O
matched	O
version	O
of	O
Visual	B-Application
Studio	I-Application
separately	O
,	O
but	O
this	O
time	O
the	O
integration	O
is	O
more	O
complete	O
in	O
that	O
you	O
can	O
edit	O
,	O
build	O
and	O
debug	O
the	O
driver	O
from	O
within	O
Visual	B-Application
Studio	I-Application
directly	O
.	O
</s>
