Changing Resources While Copying Them

Home |  Overview |  How Do I

With Visual C++, in addition to copying resources exactly, you can also copy them while changing the resource’s language, its property condition, or both. When you create or copy a resource with a different language or condition, this is displayed after the symbol name in the Project window.

Language

The language identifies the language used for text in the resource.

Property Condition

The condition is a symbol that identifies a condition under which this copy of the resource is used.

Note   You can also copy from a template (see Using Resource Templates).

What do you want to do?

• Copy an existing resource exactly
  
  
• Change a resource’s language or property condition while copying the resource.
  
  
• Edit a resource’s language or property conditions (no copying).
  
  
• Copy resources from one file to another

To copy an existing resource and change the language or condition

1. Select the resource you want to copy.
   
   
2. From the Insert menu, choose Resource Copy.
   
   
3. In the Language list box, select the language.

   –or–

   In the Condition box, type the condition.

To modify the language or property conditions of a resource

1. Right-click the resource you want to edit and select Properties.
   
   
2. In the Dialog Properties window, edit the Language or Condition properties.

Tip   The easiest way to copy resources from either an existing resource or an executable file to your current resource file is to have both .rc files open at the same time. Then use the drag-and-drop method to move items from one file to another, as illustrated in Copying Resources.

Notes   To avoid conflicts with symbol names or values in the existing file, the development environment may change the transferred resource’s symbol value, or symbol name and value, when you copy it to the new file.

Visual C++ includes sample resource files that you can use in your own application. For more information, see COMMON.RES Sample Resources.