UpdateResource

The UpdateResource function adds, deletes, or replaces a resource in an executable file.

BOOL UpdateResource(
  HANDLE hUpdate, // update-file handle
  LPCTSTR lpType, // address of resource type to update
  LPCTSTR lpName, // address of resource name to update
  WORD wLanguage, // language identifier of resource
  LPVOID lpData,  // address of resource data
  DWORD cbData    // length of resource data, in bytes
);
 

Parameters

hUpdate
Specifies an update-file handle. This handle is returned by the BeginUpdateResource function.
lpType
Pointer to a null-terminated string specifying the resource type to be updated. This parameter can also be an integer value passed to the MAKEINTRESOURCE macro, or it can be one of the following predefined resource types:
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

lpName
Pointer to a null-terminated string specifying the name of the resource to be updated. This parameter can also be an integer value passed to the MAKEINTRESOURCE macro.
wLanguage
Specifies the language identifier of the resource to be updated. For a list of the primary language identifiers and sublanguage identifiers that make up a language identifier, see the MAKELANGID macro.
lpData
Pointer to the resource data to be inserted into the executable file. If the resource is one of the predefined types, the data must be valid and properly aligned. Note that this is the raw binary data stored in the executable file, not the data provided by LoadIcon, LoadString, or other resource-specific load functions. All data containing strings or text must be in Unicode format; lpData must not point to ANSI data.

If lpData is NULL, the specified resource is deleted from the executable file.

cbData
Specifies the size, in bytes, of the resource data at lpData.

Return Values

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call GetLastError.

Remarks

An application can use UpdateResource repeatedly to make changes to the resource data. Each call to UpdateResource contributes to an internal list of additions, deletions, and replacements but does not actually write the data to the executable file. The application must use the EndUpdateResource function to write the accumulated changes to the executable file.

QuickInfo

  Windows NT: Requires version 3.1 or later.
  Windows: Unsupported.
  Windows CE: Unsupported.
  Header: Declared in winbase.h.
  Import Library: Use kernel32.lib.
  Unicode: Implemented as Unicode and ANSI versions on Windows NT.

See Also

Resources Overview, Resource Functions, BeginUpdateResource, EndUpdateResource, LoadIcon, LoadString, LockResource, MAKEINTRESOURCE, MAKELANGID, SizeofResource