PRB: Combining Multiple Compiled Resource Files Fails

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) for Windows versions 3.1 and 3.0

SYMPTOMS

An application is unable to load some of its resources, while other resources load properly.

CAUSE

Several small compiled resource (RES) files have been combined using the MS-DOS command "COPY /b".

RESOLUTION

Use the #include directive to combine the files at the source level.

MORE INFORMATION

The Resource Compiler that was shipped with the Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) versions 2.x ca not handle large resource files because of inherent memory limitations. To work around these limitations, it is recommended that programmers compile the resources into small RES files, and combine these files using the MS-DOS COPY /b command.

The Resource Compiler shipped with version 3.x of the Windows SDK has been enhanced to handle resource files much larger than its Windows 2.x counterpart. The format of the compiled resource files in Windows 3.x does not support concatenation of RES files.

If an application has a large number of resources, even the version 3.x Resource Compiler can run out of memory. If this occurs, modify the design of the application to use a resource-only dynamic-link library (DLL). The following three steps outline the required process to perform this type of functionality:

1. Use the Resource Compiler to create a resource-only DLL that contains some of the application's resources. See the note below regarding resource-only DLLs under Windows 3.x.

2. In the application, load the resource library using the LoadLibrary function.

3. Use the LoadBitmap, LoadMenu, and so forth, functions to load resources from the DLL as required.

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