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INTRODUCTION
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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.
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CONTENTS OF RESOURCE.TXT
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1. OVERVIEW
2. STRING RESOURCES
3. BINARY RESOURCES
4. RESOURCE COMPILER OPTIONS
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1. OVERVIEW
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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).
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2. STRING RESOURCES
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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
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3. BINARY RESOURCES
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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).
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4. RESOURCE COMPILER OPTIONS
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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.
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