Share via


Comparing ADM and ADMX Syntax

Applies To: Windows Server 2008

This section provides a high-level mapping of ADM syntax to the ADMX equivalents. ("Not applicable"in the ADM-to-ADMX conversion chart implies there is no equivalent syntax used in that file.)

ADM Language Reference .admx Equivalent .adml Equivalent Comments

ADM File Language Versions (#If Version)

resources minRequiredRevision

revision

Unlike ADM files, the ADMX file has versioning built in and is not be tied to an operating system version.

ADM File Language Versions (#If Version)

resources minRequiredRevision

Not applicable

The resources minRequiredRevision attribute provides the coordination between the .admx and .adml file versions

ADM File Language Versions (#If Version)

schemaVersion

schemaVersion

The schemaVersion attribute specifies the ADMX schema version assumed when creating the .admx and .adml files. The Windows Vista ADMX files assume a 1.0 schema version number.

comments (;)

<!-- -->

<!-- -->

For ADM files, all text following the ";" is considered a comment. For ADMX files, the XML comments will not be processed by GP tools.

Strings reference (!!)

string

Not applicable 

In ADM files, precede text with "!!" to reference a string.

<Strings> section of the .adm file

 Not applicable

stringTable

 

CLASS

class

Not applicable

ADMX files provide the ability to classify the policy definition as being for user, machine, or both. The "both" classification will allow you to create a single policy definition that applies to the machine and user registry keys.

CATEGORY

  • categories

  • category

  • parentCategory

Not applicable

ADM files assume categories are nested within the definitions. ADMX files specify a parentCategory element for each policy element defined in the .admx file. An individual category is defined within the "categories" element.

Duplicate Category Sections allowed in different ADM files.

Duplicate category sections are not allowed in different ADMX files.

Not applicable

If one .adm file includes a duplicate "CATEGORY" entry used in a different existing .adm file, the policy settings will be merged when the Group Policy Management Console or the Local Group Policy Editor processes the ADM files. ADMX files have unique namespaces. Defining the same "category" element names in two different .admx files will cause the category to be displayed twice. Instead for .admx files, you must define the "category" element name once and then reference the category element name with the "using" element.

SUPPORTED

supportedOn

Not applicable

 

POLICY

  • policies

  • policy

Not applicable

In the .admx file, the policies element contains individual policy elements that correspond to a policy setting.

PART

elements

presentation

In ADM files, the PART statement specifies various policy setting options, such as drop-down list boxes, text boxes, and text in the lower pane of the Group Policy snap-in. ADMX files aggregate policy setting options for one policy setting into the elements element in the .admx file and the presentation element in the .adml file.

CHECKBOX

boolean

checkbox

 

TEXT

 Not applicable

text

The text element in the .adml file provides the string used as the parameter text prompt.

EDITTEXT

text

textBox

 

NUMERIC

decimal

decimalTextBox

 

COMBOBOX

text

comboBox

 

DROPDOWNLIST

  • enum

  • item

dropdownList

 

LISTBOX

list

listBox

 

VALUEON

enabledValue

Not applicable

 

VALUEOFF

disabledValue

Not applicable

 

ACTIONLISTON

enabledList

Not applicable

 

ACTIONLISTOFF

disabledList

Not applicable

 

KEYNAME

key

Not applicable

 

EXPLAIN

explainText

Not applicable

 

VALUENAME

valueName

Not applicable

 

CLIENTEXT

clientExtension

Not applicable

 

END

Not applicable

Not applicable

XML syntax includes termination of all of its elements. There is no need to use special syntax to terminate an element.

DEFCHECKED

Not applicable

defaultChecked

 

Line Breaks \n or \n\n

Not applicable

Use line breaks or blank lines within the string definitions.

 

Maximum string length for EXPLAIN text

Not applicable

Limited by available memory only.

 

Maximum string length for CATEGORY EXPLAIN text

Not applicable

Limited by available memory only.

 

Maximum string length for EDITTEXT string

Not applicable

Maximum string length for EDITTEXT string = 1023 characters.