You can not select more than 25 topics
Topics must start with a letter or number, can include dashes ('-') and can be up to 35 characters long.
244 lines
8.1 KiB
244 lines
8.1 KiB
*****************************************************************************
|
|
INTRODUCTION
|
|
*****************************************************************************
|
|
|
|
This text file explains how to use the Resource Compiler (RC.EXE) to create
|
|
resource files (.RES) that can be added to your Microsoft (R)
|
|
Visual Basic (R) project.
|
|
|
|
For information on how to add the .RES file to your Visual Basic project and
|
|
replace string literals and binary data in code, please search Visual Basic
|
|
Help and Books On-Line.
|
|
|
|
*****************************************************************************
|
|
CONTENTS OF RESOURCE.TXT
|
|
*****************************************************************************
|
|
|
|
1. OVERVIEW
|
|
2. STRING RESOURCES
|
|
3. BINARY RESOURCES
|
|
4. RESOURCE COMPILER OPTIONS
|
|
|
|
*****************************************************************************
|
|
1. OVERVIEW
|
|
*****************************************************************************
|
|
|
|
The RC.EXE file located in the \TOOLS\RESOURCE directory can be
|
|
used for 32-bit resources used in applications under Windows 95 or later and
|
|
Windows NT 3.51 or later.
|
|
|
|
The resource sample project (ATM.VBP) in the \SAMPLES\RESOURCE directory of
|
|
your Visual Basic installation demonstrates most of the functionality
|
|
described in this file. The ATM.RC file is the resource definition file used
|
|
to create the .RES file for the ATM project. You won't be able to recompile
|
|
the ATM.RC without removing the references to bitmaps, sound files and
|
|
cursors not shipped in Visual Basic version 4.0
|
|
|
|
The Resource Compiler compiles the resource definition file and the resource
|
|
files (binary files such as icon, bitmap, and cursor files) into a binary
|
|
resource (.RES) file.
|
|
|
|
Resources can be divided into two groups:
|
|
|
|
- String resources (text strings such as "Hello World").
|
|
- Binary resources (icons, bitmaps, cursors, sounds, video, and so forth).
|
|
|
|
*****************************************************************************
|
|
2. STRING RESOURCES
|
|
*****************************************************************************
|
|
|
|
String resources are stored in a string table in the resource definition
|
|
file.
|
|
|
|
SYNTAX:
|
|
|
|
STRINGTABLE [load-option] [mem-option]
|
|
BEGIN
|
|
stringID string
|
|
.
|
|
.
|
|
.
|
|
END
|
|
|
|
The STRINGTABLE statement defines one or more string resources for an
|
|
application. String resources are simply null-terminated ASCII strings that
|
|
can be loaded when needed from the executable file, using the LoadResString
|
|
function.
|
|
|
|
PARAMETERS
|
|
|
|
- load-option. Specifies when the resource is to be loaded. This optional
|
|
parameter must be one of the following options:
|
|
|
|
Option Description
|
|
------ -----------
|
|
PRELOAD Resource is loaded immediately.
|
|
LOADONCALL (Default) Resource is loaded when called.
|
|
|
|
- mem-option. Specifies whether the resource is fixed or can be moved
|
|
and whether or not can be discarded. This optional parameter can
|
|
be one of the following options:
|
|
|
|
Option Description
|
|
------ -----------
|
|
FIXED Resource remains at a fixed memory location.
|
|
MOVEABLE Resource can be moved if necessary in order to compact
|
|
memory.
|
|
DISCARDABLE Resource can be discarded if no longer needed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
- stringID. Specifies an integer value that identifies the resource.
|
|
|
|
- string. Specifies one or more ASCII strings, enclosed in double quotation
|
|
marks. The string must be no longer than 255 characters and must occupy a
|
|
single line in the source file.
|
|
|
|
Grouping strings in separate segments allows all related strings to be read
|
|
once in a single reading and discarded together. When possible, you should
|
|
be able to move and discard the table. The Resource Compiler allocates
|
|
16 strings per segment and uses the identifier value to determine which
|
|
segment will contain the string. Strings with the same upper-12 bits in
|
|
their identifiers are placed in the same segment.
|
|
|
|
EXAMPLE
|
|
|
|
The following example demonstrates the STRINGTABLE statement:
|
|
|
|
#define IDS_HELLO 1
|
|
#define IDS_GOODBYE 2
|
|
|
|
STRINGTABLE
|
|
BEGIN
|
|
IDS_HELLO, "Hello"
|
|
IDS_GOODBYE, "Goodbye"
|
|
END
|
|
|
|
*****************************************************************************
|
|
3. BINARY RESOURCES
|
|
*****************************************************************************
|
|
|
|
Binary resources are not stored in the resource definition file. The
|
|
resource definition file includes only a pointer to the files containing
|
|
the binary resources, for example, icon (.ICO), bitmap (.BMP), cursor (.CUR),
|
|
sound (.WAV), and video (.AVI) files.
|
|
|
|
This pointer is called a Single-Line Statement in the resource definition
|
|
file.
|
|
|
|
SYNTAX
|
|
|
|
nameID keyword [load-option] [mem-option] filename
|
|
|
|
PARAMETERES
|
|
|
|
- nameID. Specifies either a name or an integer value identifying the
|
|
resource. This ID has to be unique for every category specified by the
|
|
keyword. In the category ICON the ID 0 is reserved for the Visual Basic
|
|
icon. Therefore you'll have to start ID for ICONS at 1.
|
|
|
|
- keyword. Specifies the type of file. The parameter must be one of the
|
|
following options:
|
|
|
|
Option Description
|
|
------ -----------
|
|
BITMAP Defines a bitmap (.BMP)
|
|
CURSOR Defines a cursor (.CUR)
|
|
ICON Defines an icon (.ICO)
|
|
SOUND Defines a wave file (.WAV)
|
|
VIDEO Defines a video file (.AVI)
|
|
|
|
|
|
- load-option. Specifies when the resource is to be loaded. The parameter
|
|
must be one of the following options:
|
|
|
|
Option Description
|
|
------ -----------
|
|
PRELOAD Resource is loaded immediately.
|
|
LOADONCALL (Default) Resource is loaded when called.
|
|
|
|
- mem-option. Specifies whether the resource is fixed or can be moved and
|
|
whether it can be discarded. The parameter must be one of the following
|
|
options:
|
|
|
|
Option Description
|
|
------ -----------
|
|
FIXED Resource remains at a fixed memory location.
|
|
MOVEABLE Resource can be moved if necessary in order to compact
|
|
memory.
|
|
DISCARDABLE Resource can be discarded if no longer needed.
|
|
|
|
The default for binary resources is MOVEABLE.
|
|
|
|
- filename. Specifies the name of the file that contains the resource.
|
|
The name must be a valid MS-DOS (R) filename; it must be a full path
|
|
if the file is not in the current working directory. The path can
|
|
be either a quoted or non-quoted string.
|
|
|
|
EXAMPLE
|
|
|
|
The following example specifies two bitmap resources:
|
|
|
|
disk1 BITMAP disk.bmp
|
|
12 BITMAP PRELOAD diskette.bmp
|
|
|
|
To load binary resources in your Visual Basic code use the LoadResBitmap
|
|
function for icons, bitmaps and cursor. Use the LoadResData function to
|
|
load wave files and AVI files.
|
|
|
|
For the creation of binary resource files, Microsoft provides the
|
|
following tools to make it easier to store sounds and graphics in a
|
|
format that is usable in the Resource Compiler:
|
|
|
|
- Imagedit is an image editor that supports icons (.ICO), bitmaps (.BMP)
|
|
and cursors (.CUR). You can find this tool in the \TOOLS\IMAGEDIT
|
|
directory on your Visual Basic CD-ROM.
|
|
|
|
- Microsoft Sound System is a multimedia application that supports
|
|
wave files (.WAV).
|
|
|
|
- Microsoft Video is a multimedia application that supports video
|
|
files (.AVI).
|
|
|
|
*****************************************************************************
|
|
4. RESOURCE COMPILER OPTIONS
|
|
*****************************************************************************
|
|
|
|
To start the Resource Compiler, use the rc command. What you need to
|
|
specify in the command line depends on whether you are compiling resources,
|
|
adding compiled resources to an executable file, or doing both.
|
|
|
|
However, to use the resources in your Visual Basic application, you
|
|
will only need to compile the resources into a .RES file and add it to
|
|
your Visual Basic project.
|
|
|
|
SYNTAX
|
|
|
|
rc /r [options] definition-file
|
|
|
|
|
|
PARAMETERS
|
|
|
|
- /r This parameter specifies that the .RC file will only be
|
|
compiled, not linked to any executable.
|
|
|
|
- options. You can use the following options with the rc command:
|
|
|
|
Option Description
|
|
------ -----------
|
|
/? Displays a list of rc command-line options.
|
|
/fo newname Uses newname for the name of the .RES file.
|
|
|
|
- definition-file. The definition-file parameter specifies the name of
|
|
the resource definition file (.RC) that contains the names, types,
|
|
filenames, and descriptions of the resources to be compiled.
|
|
|
|
|
|
EXAMPLE
|
|
|
|
RC /r /fo TEST32.RES TEST.RC
|
|
|
|
|
|
NOTE
|
|
|
|
You'll have to close your Visual Basic project or remove the .RES file from your
|
|
project when you recreate the resource file. |