The Windows API, as distributed, is written for Visual Studio 2008, using the Microsoft Foundation Class (MFC) library. As such, it is usable on a wide variety of Windows platforms, including all flavors of Windows Vista/XP/7. The API is written in C, and the demo application is written in C++. The Express version of Visual Studio is sufficient for the compiling the API. However, the full version is required to compile the demo application.

The API also requires the Windows Driver Kit (WDK) to be installed. This is available from Microsoft at no cost. Version 7 is recommended, because it results in speed gains relative to previous versions.

To link the API to the WDK:

1. Download and install the latest version of WDK from Microsoft.
2. Right click on HidDevice.c file → Properties
3. Navigate to C/C++ → General → Additional Include Directories
4. Include:
   1. c:\<WinDDK Install>\<Build Version>\inc\api\
   2. c:\<WinDDK Install>\<Build Version>\inc\crt\
5. Navigate to Linker → General → Additional Include Directories
6. Include c:\<WinDDK Install>\<Build Version>\lib\wxp\i386