I think that you don't know the answer but if you do answer!

[Arie]

Hi, everybody!

I want to ask a question:
There's any way to make an alone file
that won't be included in the EXE file.
for example:
I want to put some pictures in a DAT
(or whatever) and in the exe file they will be
called from that file.
that means, the exe file is smaller and I'll
have to use the two files to run the program.
If I don't have the other file beside the exe
the program doesn't have the pictures.
I don't know if you understand me, but I'll
try to explain:
project1.exe - the program
project1.dat - the pictures
when the program goes up she loads the pictures
from the DAT file.
It doesn't have to be a DAT file.

That's all I am asking,
Thank you,
Arie.

Visit: http://www.nip.to/camel2000

Well, if I understand correctly, you shouldn't have any problem doing it if you use the loadpicture command.
For example, instead of specifying a picture to a picturebox at design time (when coding), don't spécify any picture but include the following code in your initialization procedure (sub main or form_load):

Picturebox1.picture = loadpicture("c:\yourfile.dat")

Of course, you will need to have one file per picture.

I think that should do the trick.

[HarryW]

In C, you can use resource files for exactly this kind of thing. I don't know how you can access them from VB though. Anyone got any ideas?

[PaulLewis]

Very little error checking and documentation - but for a quick example of how you can do this, it should be enough.

With this sample, you will have to customise the hard coded directory names. To be robust, you should add error checking and possibly a method to allow a bitmap to be removed from the resource file. That's easy to do but if you get stuck, just ask.

The sample lets you select bitmaps to load into the resource file (maximum of 100 entries). Then, by entering an index in the text box and clicking a button, the picture box will be loaded with the bitmap file. A temp file of c:\tmp.bmp is used. It will work with any bitmap that SavePicture likes.

You can also make a dll out of the class if you want, then all your apps can use "resource files" you create.

Good luck. Let me know if you have any problems.

VERSION 5.00
Begin VB.Form Form1 
   Caption         =   "Form1"
   ClientHeight    =   4455
   ClientLeft      =   60
   ClientTop       =   345
   ClientWidth     =   6000
   LinkTopic       =   "Form1"
   ScaleHeight     =   4455
   ScaleWidth      =   6000
   StartUpPosition =   3  'Windows Default
   Begin VB.CommandButton Command2 
      Caption         =   "Command2"
      Height          =   375
      Left            =   120
      TabIndex        =   6
      Top             =   3840
      Width           =   1695
   End
   Begin VB.TextBox Text1 
      Height          =   285
      Left            =   2880
      TabIndex        =   4
      Text            =   "1"
      Top             =   3240
      Width           =   1095
   End
   Begin VB.CommandButton Command1 
      Caption         =   "Get"
      Height          =   375
      Left            =   4080
      TabIndex        =   2
      Top             =   3240
      Width           =   615
   End
   Begin VB.PictureBox Picture1 
      Height          =   2775
      Left            =   2520
      ScaleHeight     =   2715
      ScaleWidth      =   2955
      TabIndex        =   1
      Top             =   240
      Width           =   3015
   End
   Begin VB.FileListBox File1 
      Height          =   2820
      Left            =   120
      TabIndex        =   0
      Top             =   240
      Width           =   1695
   End
   Begin VB.Label Label2 
      Caption         =   "Type in index number and click get to see the bitmap"
      Height          =   375
      Left            =   2880
      TabIndex        =   5
      Top             =   3840
      Width           =   2055
   End
   Begin VB.Label Label1 
      Caption         =   "double click to add to resource file"
      Height          =   495
      Left            =   120
      TabIndex        =   3
      Top             =   3120
      Width           =   1695
   End
End
Attribute VB_Name = "Form1"
Attribute VB_GlobalNameSpace = False
Attribute VB_Creatable = False
Attribute VB_PredeclaredId = True
Attribute VB_Exposed = False
Option Explicit
Dim myResfile As pclResFile





Private Sub Command1_Click()
  With myResfile
    Set Picture1 = .GetBitmap(Text1)
  End With
End Sub

Private Sub Command2_Click()
  myResfile.PrintHeader
  
End Sub

Private Sub File1_DblClick()
  With myResfile
    .OpenFile "d:\!dev\vb-world\resfile\myfile.res"
    If .AddBitmap(File1.List(File1.ListIndex)) Then
      Debug.Print "OK"
    Else
      Debug.Print "problem"
    End If
  End With
End Sub

Private Sub Form_Load()
  Set myResfile = New pclResFile
  With myResfile
    .OpenFile "d:\!dev\vb-world\resfile\myfile.res"
  End With
  File1.path = "d:\!dev\bitmaps"
End Sub

Private Sub Form_Unload(Cancel As Integer)
  With myResfile
    .CloseFile
  End With
End Sub

and the class

VERSION 1.0 CLASS
BEGIN
  MultiUse = -1  'True
  Persistable = 0  'NotPersistable
  DataBindingBehavior = 0  'vbNone
  DataSourceBehavior  = 0  'vbNone
  MTSTransactionMode  = 0  'NotAnMTSObject
END
Attribute VB_Name = "pclResFile"
Attribute VB_GlobalNameSpace = False
Attribute VB_Creatable = True
Attribute VB_PredeclaredId = False
Attribute VB_Exposed = False
Option Explicit
Private Const MAX_ENTRIES = 100
Private Const RES_NO_SPACE = -1

Private Type ResInfo
  resType As Integer
  resSize As Long
  resOffset As Long
End Type

Private Enum ResTypes
  resEmpty = 0
  resBitmap = 1
End Enum

Private Type ResFile
  resData(1 To MAX_ENTRIES) As ResInfo
End Type

Dim mOffset As Long
Dim mFilename As String
Dim mResFile As ResFile
Dim hFile As Long
Dim mNextEntry As Integer


Public Sub OpenFile(file As String)
  ' note: no error checking - need to add this if you want to rely on the class
  mFilename = file
  If hFile <> 0 Then Close #hFile
  hFile = FreeFile
  Open mFilename For Binary As #hFile
    Get #hFile, , mResFile
  GetFirstFreeEntry
End Sub


Public Sub CloseFile()
  If hFile <> 0 Then
    Put #hFile, 1, mResFile
    Close #hFile
  End If
End Sub


Public Function AddBitmap(bitmapFile As String) As Boolean
  If hFile = 0 Then
    MsgBox "No resource file open"
    Exit Function
  End If
  ' now get the bytes of the pic
  ' could do this with CDIBSection instead but that would add alot
  ' more complexity for now.
  
  Dim f As Long
  f = FreeFile
  Dim mBytes() As Byte
  
  ReDim mBytes(FileLen(bitmapFile) - 1)
  Open bitmapFile For Binary As #f
    Get #f, , mBytes
  Close #f
  
  ' now store it
  Dim myResIndex As Integer
  Dim newOffset As Long
  myResIndex = GetFirstFreeEntry
  If myResIndex <> RES_NO_SPACE Then
    With mResFile.resData(myResIndex)
      .resSize = UBound(mBytes) + 1
      .resType = ResTypes.resBitmap
      ' offset from end of header
      newOffset = .resOffset + .resSize
    End With
    If myResIndex + 1 < MAX_ENTRIES Then
      ' set the offset for the next entry
      With mResFile.resData(myResIndex + 1)
        .resOffset = newOffset
      End With
    End If
    AddBitmap = True
  Else
    MsgBox "Cannot store bitmap because there is no more space in the res file"
  End If
    
  ' now we know where in the file to store data
  Put #hFile, 1, mResFile
  Put #hFile, mOffset + mResFile.resData(myResIndex).resOffset, mBytes
  
End Function
Public Function GetBitmap(index As Integer) As StdPicture
  If hFile = 0 Then
    MsgBox "No resource file open"
    Exit Function
  End If
  
  Dim f As Long
  f = FreeFile
  Dim mBytes() As Byte
  
  If index < 1 Or index > MAX_ENTRIES Then
    MsgBox "Bad index"
    Exit Function
  End If
  
  With mResFile.resData(index)
    If .resSize = 0 Then
      MsgBox "Bad res size"
      Exit Function
    End If
    ReDim mBytes(.resSize)
    Get #hFile, .resOffset + mOffset, mBytes
  
    Open "c:\tmp.bmp" For Binary As #f
      Put #f, , mBytes
    Close #f
  
    Dim myPic As StdPicture
    On Error Resume Next
      Set myPic = LoadPicture("c:\tmp.bmp")
      'kill "c:\tmp.bmp"
    On Error GoTo 0
  End With
  Set GetBitmap = myPic
  
End Function

Private Function GetFirstFreeEntry() As Integer
  ' loops through the entries and finds a space.
  mNextEntry = RES_NO_SPACE
  Dim c As Integer
  For c = 1 To MAX_ENTRIES
    If mResFile.resData(c).resType = ResTypes.resEmpty Then
      ' found one
      mNextEntry = c
      Exit For
    End If
  Next
  If mNextEntry = 1 Then
    mResFile.resData(1).resOffset = 1
  End If
  GetFirstFreeEntry = mNextEntry
End Function

Private Sub Class_Initialize()
  ' offset of the header
  mOffset = Len(mResFile)
End Sub

Private Sub Class_Terminate()
  If hFile <> 0 Then Close #hFile
End Sub
Public Sub PrintHeader()
  Dim c As Integer
  For c = 1 To MAX_ENTRIES
    Debug.Print c, mResFile.resData(c).resType, mResFile.resData(c).resOffset, mResFile.resData(c).resSize
  Next
End Sub

What you want to do is something similar to pak files?, like have kind of like zip files, with the pictures in them (ofcourse, you can't open these files using winzip) and then access the stuff, and use the files.


I understand what you're trying to do. BUT, you're going to have to learn some BINARY stuff, for example, "put, get, seek" and things like that, BINARY FILE I/O. Once you learn that, then u'll know how to make u're own file format. I know how to do it... but i want u to learn how to do it, rather than just copying code. if u're willing to learn, i'll tell u where to get more information from.