Using DLLs to Share Menus and Other Resources

ID: Q11352

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) versions 3.0, 3.1

SUMMARY

IconLib.exe is a sample that demonstrates how to create a dynamic-link library (DLL) of shared resources for use in multiple applications.

MORE INFORMATION

The following files are available for download from the Microsoft Download Center. Click the file names below to download the files:

IconLib.exe

For more information about how to download files from the Microsoft Download Center, please visit the Download Center at the following Web address

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/search.asp

and then click How to use the Microsoft Download Center.

Resources may be loaded from Windows DLLs as well as from Windows applications. The module handle returned by the GetModuleHandle() function may be used as an "instance handle" for finding, loading, and locking resources.

The technique illustrated in this example is the use of a DLL as the repository of all shared icons, menus, dialog boxes, and so on.

Some resources are machine dependent and must be transformed before being passed to an application. Normally, an application gets a default procedure during task startup, which transforms any machine-dependent resources. Libraries are not tasks and thus do not get a default procedure. The application must install a transformation procedure for a library if it wants to access machine-dependent resources in the DLL.

Additional query words:

Keywords : kbfile kbsample KrDll
Version : WINDOWS:3.0,3.1
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type :