Basic resource file use

The basic concepts involved with using resource files are as follows:

• in a resource file, define structs or use appropriate pre-defined structs and then define resources that use those structs.

• run the resource compiler to produce both a generated header file and a resource file. The generated header file defines the symbols which a program uses to refer to the resources.

A program which wishes to use the resource file then does the following:

• it includes the generated header file in the appropriate source file to get symbolic access to the ids of the resources contained within the file

• opens a RResourceFile object, specifying the generated resource file name

• reads any resource it wishes; the resource is identified by a symbolic id which has been #defined as a number; the content of the resource is read into a binary descriptor, derived from TDesC8.

• converts the binary descriptor into whatever target format is appropriate for the data in the resource file

• discards the descriptor, if appropriate, when the binary descriptor has been fully converted into its target format

• closes the RResourceFile when all operations on the resource file are complete

The resource text can be changed and the resources recompiled without altering or recompiling the C++ program. For example, to alter the language used by text strings.