The FindResourceEx function determines the location of the resource with the specified type, name, and language in the specified module.
HRSRC FindResourceEx(
HMODULE hModule, // resource-module handle
LPCTSTR lpType, // pointer to resource type
LPCTSTR lpName, // pointer to resource name
WORD wLanguage // resource language
);
Value | Meaning |
---|---|
RT_ACCELERATOR | Accelerator table |
RT_ANICURSOR | Animated cursor |
RT_ANIICON | Animated icon |
RT_BITMAP | Bitmap resource |
RT_CURSOR | Hardware-dependent cursor resource |
RT_DIALOG | Dialog box |
RT_FONT | Font resource |
RT_FONTDIR | Font directory resource |
RT_GROUP_CURSOR | Hardware-independent cursor resource |
RT_GROUP_ICON | Hardware-independent icon resource |
RT_HTML | HTML document |
RT_ICON | Hardware-dependent icon resource |
RT_MENU | Menu resource |
RT_MESSAGETABLE | Message-table entry |
RT_RCDATA | Application-defined resource (raw data) |
RT_STRING | String-table entry |
RT_VERSION | Version resource |
To specify a language other than the current language, use the MAKELANGID macro to create this parameter. For more information, see MAKELANGID.
If the function succeeds, the return value is a handle to the specified resource's info block. To obtain a handle to the resource, pass this handle to the LoadResource function.
If the function fails, the return value is NULL. To get extended error information, call GetLastError.
If the high-word of the lpType or lpName parameter is zero, the low-word specifies the integer identifier of the type or name of the given resource. Otherwise, those parameters are pointers to null-terminated strings. If the first character of the string is a pound sign (#), the remaining characters represent a decimal number that specifies the integer identifier of the resource's name or type. For example, the string "#258" represents the integer identifier 258.
Applications should reduce the amount of memory required for the resources by referring to them by integer identifier instead of by name.
When you are finished using an accelerator table, bitmap, cursor, icon, or menu, you can release its associated memory by calling one of the functions in the following table.
Resource | Release function |
---|---|
Accelerator table | DestroyAcceleratorTable |
Bitmap | DeleteObject |
Cursor | DestroyCursor |
Icon | DestroyIcon |
Menu | DestroyMenu |
The system automatically deletes these resources when the process that created them terminates, however, calling the appropriate function saves memory and decreases the size of the process's working set.
An application can use FindResourceEx to find any type of resource, but this function should be used only if the application must access the binary resource data when making subsequent calls to the LoadLibrary and LockResource functions.
To use a resource immediately, an application should use the following resource-specific functions to find and load the resources in one call:
Function | Action |
---|---|
FormatMessage | Loads and formats a message-table entry. |
LoadAccelerators | Loads an accelerator table. |
LoadBitmap | Loads a bitmap resource. |
LoadCursor | Loads a cursor resource. |
LoadIcon | Loads an icon resource. |
LoadMenu | Loads a menu resource. |
LoadString | Loads a string-table entry. |
For example, an application can use the LoadIcon function to load an icon for display on the screen. However, the application should use FindResourceEx and LoadResource if it is loading the icon to copy its data to another application.
String resources are stored in sections of up to 16 strings per section. The strings in each section are stored as a sequence of counted (not null-terminated) Unicode strings. The LoadString function will extract the string resource from its corresponding section.
Windows NT: Requires version 3.1 or later.
Windows: Requires Windows 95 or later.
Windows CE: Unsupported.
Header: Declared in winbase.h.
Import Library: Use kernel32.lib.
Unicode: Implemented as Unicode and ANSI versions on Windows and Windows NT.
Resources Overview, Resource Functions, FormatMessage, LoadAccelerators, LoadBitmap, LoadCursor, LoadIcon, LoadMenu, LoadString, LoadResource, MAKELANGID