RESOURCEHEADER

The RESOURCEHEADER structure contains information about the resource header itself and the data specific to this resource. This structure is not a true C-language structure, because it contains variable-length members. The structure definition provided here is for explanation only; it is not present in any standard header file.

struct RESOURCEHEADER { 
    DWORD DataSize; 
    DWORD HeaderSize; 
    [Ordinal or name TYPE]; 
    [Ordinal or name NAME]; 
    DWORD DataVersion; 
    WORD MemoryFlags; 
    WORD LanguageId; 
    DWORD Version; 
    DWORD Characteristics; 
}; 
 

Members

DataSize

Specifies the size, in bytes, of the data that follows the resource header for this particular resource. It does not include any file padding between this resource and any resource that follows it in the resource file.

HeaderSize

Specifies the size, in bytes, of the resource header data that follows.

TYPE

Identifies the resource type. The TYPE member can either be a numeric value or a null-terminated Unicode string that specifies the name of the type. See the following Remarks section for a description of Name or Ordinal type members.

If the TYPE member is a numeric value, it can specify either a standard or a user-defined resource type. If the member is a string, then it is a user-defined resource type.

Following are the standard Win32 resource types.

Resource Type Name	Type number
RT_CURSOR	1
RT_BITMAP	2
RT_ICON	3
RT_MENU	4
RT_DIALOG	5
RT_STRING	6
RT_FONTDIR	7
RT_FONT	8
RT_ACCELERATOR	9
RT_RCDATA	10
RT_MESSAGETABLE	11
RT_GROUP_CURSOR	12
RT_GROUP_ICON	14
RT_VERSION	16
RT_DLGINCLUDE	17
RT_PLUGPLAY	19
RT_VXD	20
RT_ANICURSOR	21
RT_ANIICON	22
RT_HTML	23

Values less than 256 are reserved for system use.

NAME

Specifies a name that identifies the particular resource. The NAME member, like the TYPE member, can either be a numeric value or a null-terminated Unicode string. See the following Remarks section for a description of Name or Ordinal type members.

You do not need to add padding for DWORD alignment between the TYPE and NAME members because they contain WORD data. However, you may need to add a WORD of padding after the NAME member to align the rest of the header on DWORD boundaries.

DataVersion

Specifies a predefined resource data version. This will determine which version of the resource data the application should use.

MemoryFlags

Specifies a set of attribute flags that can describe the state of the resource. Modifiers in the .RC script file assign these attributes to the resource. The script identifiers can assign the following flag values.

Flag description	Value
MOVEABLE	0x0010
FIXED	~MOVEABLE
PURE	0x0020
IMPURE	~PURE
PRELOAD	0x0040
LOADONCALL	~PRELOAD
DISCARDABLE	0x1000

Win32-based applications do not use any of these attributes. The attributes are permitted in the script for backward compatibility with existing scripts, but they are ignored. Win32 resources are loaded when the corresponding module is loaded, and are freed when the module is unloaded.

LanguageId

Specifies the language for the resource or set of resources. Set the value for this member with the optional LANGUAGE Statement resource definition statement. The parameters are constants from the WINNT.H file.

Each resource includes a language identifier so the system or application can select a language appropriate for the current locale of the system. If there are multiple resources of the same type and name that differ only in the language of the strings within the resources, you will need to specify a LanguageId for each one.

Version

Specifies a user-defined version number for the resource data that tools can use to read and write resource files. Set this value with the optional VERSION resource definition statement.

Characteristics

Specifies user-defined information about the resource that tools can use to read and write resource files. Set this value with the optional CHARACTERISTICS resource definition statement.

Remarks

A variable type member is called a Name or Ordinal member, and it is used in most places in the resource file where an identifier appears. The first WORD of a Name or Ordinal type member indicates whether the member is a numeric value or a string. If the first WORD in the member is equal to the value 0xffff, which is an invalid Unicode character, then the following WORD is a type number. Otherwise, the member contains a Unicode string and the first WORD in the member is the first character in the name string. For additional information about resource definition statements, see Resource-Definition Statements.

QuickInfo

  Windows NT: Requires version 3.1 or later.
  Windows: Requires Windows 95 or later.
  Windows CE: Unsupported.

See Also

Resources Overview, Resource Structures, CHARACTERISTICS Statement, LANGUAGE Statement, VERSION Statement