PRB: Dialog Editor Does Not Modify RC File Dialog Box Resource

• Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) for Windows versions 3.1 and 3.0
• Microsoft Win32 SDK, versions 3.1 and 3.5

SYMPTOMS

If the Windows Dialog Editor (DIALOG.EXE) is used to edit a dialog box, when the associated application is built, the previous version of the dialog box is used.

CAUSE

The dialog resource used by the program is stored in the application's resource file (which has the extension RC). The Dialog Editor stores the updated dialog box resource in a file with the .DLG extension.

RESOLUTION

Modify the resource file to use the RCINCLUDE statement to include the updated dialog box resource, as follows:

   RCINCLUDE DIALOG.DLG

MORE INFORMATION

Suppose an application is written that uses a dialog box. The developer creates a dialog box template manually in the application's resource file. After building the application, the developer decides to modify the dialog box using the Dialog Editor.

When the Dialog Editor edits an existing dialog box, it reads the application's compiled resources stored in a compiled resource file (with the extension .RES). However, when the developer saves any changes, the Dialog Editor creates a file with the .DLG extension.

When the application is built for a second time, the Resource Compiler uses the original definition for the dialog box stored in the resource file. The resolution provided above avoids this problem because the Resource Compiler always includes the latest version of the dialog box template.

For more information about this topic, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q40958
   TITLE     : PRB: DIALOG.EXE Reads Compiled .RES Files, Not .DLG Files