www.digitalmars.com [Home] [Contents] [Prev] [Next]

25. ResourceStudio Window


This ResourceStudio reference chapter contains details about the 
commands and options found in the Shell and Browser windows. 
For an introduction to ResourceStudio, see Chapter 7, "Adding Look 
and Feel with Resources." 


The Shell Window

The ResourceStudio Shell window is shown in Figure 25-1. 

	

Figure 25-1 The Shell window The Shell window is ResourceStudio's main control center. From this window you can open resource files, create new resource files, set preferences, arrange windows, and access online help. File menu commands The File menu (see Figure 25-2) contains commands to create and open resource files and to exit ResourceStudio. In addition to the commands listed below, the File menu contains a list of recently opened resource files. Any of these files may be reopened by choosing its name from the menu.

[Figure 25-2 Shell window File menu New Opens the New File dialog box (see Figure 25-3). Use this dialog box to create a new resource file.

[Figure 25-3 New File dialog box Type Specifies the type of resource file to create. Resource script: Creates a resource script (.rc) file. Binary resource: Creates a binary resource (.res) file. Icon: Creates an icon (.ico) file. Cursor: Creates a cursor (.cur) file. Bitmap: Creates a bitmap (.bmp) file. Font: Creates a font (.fnt) file. If you select Resource Script or Binary Resource, the new file opens in a Browser window; otherwise, the appropriate resource editor opens in a separate window. Platform Specifies the target platform for the resource file. Windows 3.1: Creates resources for Windows 3.1. Windows NT: Creates resources for Windows NT. Windows 95: Creates resources for Windows 95. Windows 95 resources use the MENUEX and DIALOGEX resource types for menus and dialogs, respectively. For more information, see your Windows 95 documentation. Support MFC Applies to resource script files; specifies that the file should include MFC resource headers. Check this box if you plan to use your resources in an MFC application. Open Opens the File Open dialog box (see Figure 25-4). This is a standard dialog box for opening files, with an extra field for specifying the target platform.

[Figure 25-4 File Open dialog box Target platform Specifies the target platform. Choices include Windows 3.1, Windows NT, and Windows 95. Exit Closes ResourceStudio. Edit menu commands The Edit menu (see Figure 25-5) contains a single command, used to set ResourceStudio preferences.

[Figure 25-5 Shell window Edit menu Preferences Opens the Preferences dialog box, used to set miscellaneous ResourceStudio options. This dialog box has three pages of options. Note The Controls page of options is not available when you run ResourceStudio on Windows 95 and Windows NT. The General page (see Figure 25-6) contains miscellaneous ResourceStudio options.

[Figure 25-6 General page of Preferences dialog box Undo Specifies the number of previous states that are saved and, therefore, the number of actions that can be undone. Each Browser window and each individual resource editor keeps a separate list of actions that were undone. Assume file platform These options specify default file platforms for creating and loading resource files. When creating files: Specifies default platform for new resource files. When opening files: Specifies default platform for opened resource files. 3d look for new dialogs If checked, new dialogs are given a 3-dimensional look by default. The RC Script page (see Figure 25-7) contains options for resource script files.

[Figure 25-7 RC Script page of Preferences dialog box Definitions Contains a list of symbols to be defined with a #define directive in each .rc file. Click on a symbol to copy its name and value to the textboxes below the list. You can edit the name or value, then click on the symbol in the list again to copy the new name and value back to the list. Name Contains a symbol name. Value Contains a symbol value. Add Adds the current symbol and value to the Definitions list. Delete Deletes the currently selected symbol from the Definitions list. The Controls page (see Figure 25-5) contains options for installing custom controls. A custom control resides in a DLL that implements the standard functions which allow a dialog editor (such as ResourceStudio) to manipulate and display the control. Note The Controls page of options is not available when you run ResourceStudio on Windows 95 and Windows NT.

[Figure 25-8 Controls page of Preferences dialog box Installed Controls Contains a list of custom control DLLs that are currently installed. Add Adds a custom control DLL to the list of installed controls. Remove Removes a custom control DLL from the list of installed controls. Window menu commands The Window menu (see Figure 25-8) contains commands to arrange ResourceStudio windows. These commands execute the standard Windows Cascade, Tile, and Close All functions. Attached to the bottom of the menu is a list of currently opened Browser and editor windows. Choose a window name to bring that window to the foreground or to restore it after it has been minimized.

[Figure 25-9 Shell window Window menu Help menu commands The Help menu (see Figure 25-9) contains commands to access online help and to display program information.

[Figure 25-10 Shell window Help menu Index Opens ResourceStudio online help to the index. Using Help Opens online help to information about how to use help. About ResourceStudio Opens a dialog box that displays ResourceStudio version and copyright information. Toolbar commands The Shell window toolbar (see Figure 25-10) provides quick access to menu commands and to context-sensitive help.

[Figure 25-11 Shell window toolbar New: Creates a new resource script file and opens it in a Browser window. The platform is set to the default platform for creating new files (as set in the Preferences dialog box). Open: Same as choosing Open from the File menu, except that the target platform for the resource is automatically set to the last platform chosen with File Open. About: Same as choosing About ResourceStudio from the Help menu. Context-sensitive help: Enters context-sensitive help mode. A question mark is appended to the cursor while in this mode. Select any component of ResourceStudio, such as a menu item or a toolbar icon, to open the online help for information about that component. The Browser Window The Browser window (see Figure 25-11) supervises the editing of a multiresource file, such as a resource script file. The resource types contained in the file are listed in the upper-left pane; when a type is selected, the resources of that type are listed in the lower-left pane. The right pane contains a preview of the currently selected resource.

[Figure 25-12 The Browser window Individual resources can be edited either in separate windows or in the right pane of the Browser window. In the latter case, the menu bar of the resource editor replaces the Browser window's menu bar during editing. File menu commands The File menu (see Figure 25-12) contains commands to save the resource file, to edit resources, and to perform other miscellaneous functions.

[Figure 25-13 Browser window File menu Save Saves the resource file. If the file is unnamed, this command executes Save As. Save As Opens a Windows File Save As dialog box, which can be used to save the resource file under a new name. Edit Resource Opens the selected resource in the right pane of the Browser window so that the resource can be edited. This command is also executed by double-clicking on a resource, or double-clicking in the right pane when a preview of the resource is displayed there. Edit in Separate Window Opens the selected resource in a separate window so that the resource can be edited. Export Resource Opens a dialog box that can be used to save the currently selected resource in a separate file. This command is only available when the current resource is a bitmap, icon, cursor, or font. Edit Resource IDs Opens the Resource ID Browser dialog box (see Figure 25-13). This dialog box is used to browse and modify resource IDs.

[Figure 25-14 Resource ID Browser dialog box For more information about managing resource IDs and using the Resource ID Browser dialog box, see "Managing Resource IDs," in Chapter 7, "Adding Look and Feel with Resources." ClassExpress Runs ClassExpress and passes the filename of the resource file as the project that ClassExpress should open. You should run ClassExpress, for example, after creating a dialog box. With ClassExpress you can create a class for the dialog box, set up a message map, and add member variables corresponding to controls. For more information, see Chapter 18, "More about ClassExpress," and Chapter 14, "Lesson 5: Add a Dialog Box with ClassExpress." Close Closes the Browser window. Edit menu commands The Edit menu (see Figure 25-15) contains standard editing commands. You can copy and paste entire resources, making it easy to move resources from one file to another.

[Figure 25-15 Browser window Edit menu Undo Undoes the last Browser window operation. Redo Redoes the last Browser window operation that was undone. Cut Copies the selected resource to the Clipboard, then deletes it from the resource file. Copy Copies the selected resource to the Clipboard. Paste Copies the resource in the Clipboard into the resource file. Delete Deletes the selected resource from the resource file. Resource menu commands Commands in the Resource menu (see Figure 25-16) are used to create new resources. In each case, a new ID is automatically created and assigned to the resource, and the resource is opened in the right pane of the Browser window so that the resource can be edited.

[Figure 25-16 Browser window Resource menu New Dialog Box Creates a new dialog box. As the resource is created, the DialogExpress dialog box lets you select a predefined dialog type to use as a starting point (see "Dialog Editor," in Chapter 26, "Dialog Editor"). New Bitmap Creates a new bitmap. As the resource is created, the BitmapExpress dialog box lets you specify initial bitmap parameters (see "Bitmap Editor," in Chapter 28, "Bitmap, Cursor, Icon, and Font Editors"). New Icon Creates a new icon. New Cursor Creates a new cursor. New Menu Creates a new menu. New Font Creates a new font. As the resource is created, the FontExpress dialog box lets you specify initial font parameters (see "Font Editor," in Chapter 28, "Bitmap, Cursor, Icon, and Font Editors"). New String Table Creates a new string table. New Accelerator Table Creates a new accelerator table. New Version Creates a new version information resource. New Other Opens the Create Resource dialog box (see Figure 25-17). Use this dialog box to select a custom resource type to create and to define new custom resource types.

[Figure 25-17 Create Resource dialog box To create one of the listed resource types, select it and click OK. To define a new resource type, click on Add Type. The New Resource Type dialog box opens (see Figure 25-18).

[Figure 25-18 New Resource Type dialog box Type a name for the new resource type in the textbox and click OK. The new type is added to the list in the Create Resource dialog box. Toolbar commands The Browser window toolbar (see Figure 25-19) provides quick access to frequently used menu commands.

[Figure 25-19 Browser window toolbar Save: Same as choosing Save from the File menu. Undo: Same as choosing Undo from the Edit menu. Right-click on this button to undo multiple operations at once. Redo: Same as choosing Redo from the Edit menu. Right-click on this button to redo multiple operations at once. Cut: Same as choosing Cut from the Edit menu. Copy: Same as choosing Copy from the Edit menu. Paste: Same as choosing Paste from the Edit menu. Resource ID browser: Same as choosing Edit Resource IDs from the File menu. New bitmap: Same as choosing New Bitmap from the Resource menu. New cursor: Same as choosing New Cursor from the Resource menu. New dialog box: Same as choosing New Dialog Box from the Resource menu. New icon: Same as choosing New Icon from the Resource menu. New menu: Same as choosing New Menu from the Resource menu. New font: Same as choosing New Font from the Resource menu. New string table: Same as choosing New String Table from the Resource menu. New accelerator table: Same as choosing New Accelerator Table from the Resource menu. New version information: Same as choosing New Version from the Resource menu. Resource properties When the Browser window is active and a resource in the lower-left pane is selected, the Property Sheet displays properties of the resource, which specify the resource ID and the resource memory options. Figure 25-20 shows the properties of a Menu resource.

[Figure 25-20 Resource properties ID Specifies the resource ID. You can do one of the following: ° Select an existing ID from the drop-down list. ° Type a new symbol for the resource ID. The ID is assigned a new, unique value. ° Type a new symbol, followed by an equal sign, followed by a value (for example, IDC_ NAME= 550). If you do not specify a value, one is supplied. The ID is assigned the value. ° Type a textual resource identifier, enclosed in double quotes (for example, "MenuOne"). Textual IDs cannot be assigned to font resources. Preload Specifies that the resource should be loaded into memory when the application is started. If this option is not checked, the resource is loaded when it is needed. Moveable Lets Windows move the resource in memory after it is loaded. Discardable Lets Windows remove the resource from memory when it is no longer needed. Pure Protects the resource in memory from being modified.