Subj : Re: resource files
To   : borland.public.cpp.borlandcpp
From : Ed Mulroy [TeamB]
Date : Fri Nov 19 2004 08:28 pm

The resource compiler only compiles resources.  It cannot 
merge them into the exe because of a quirk in the Windows 
API (which says the NT line has a function that can replace 
resources but it doesn't).  You must link your program to 
bind the resource file to the executable. 

> ...I don't know what to use for "startup" on the 
> command line ...

I tried plugging "static run-time libraries" into the 
help index and it only came up with the 16 bit versions. 
Later compilers have help which shows the startup code 
names for 32 bits. 

startup code
c0x32.obj  console mode
c0w32.obj  gui mode

libraries
noeh32.lib  stubs out exception handling and runtime 
   type id for programs that do not use classes or 
   new and delete
import32.lib  import library for what Windows provides
cw32.lib  single threaded runtime library
cw32mt.lib  multi threaded runtime library
cw32i.lib  single threaded runtime import library
   for when you are dynamic linked
cw32mti.lib  multi threaded runtime import library
   for when you are dynamic linked

So, assuming 
  Your program is a GUI program (graphical, starts at
    the function WinMain)
  Your program uses A.CPP and B.CPP
  You want the output to be C.EXE
  The resource file is D.RC 
  D.RC uses E.RH and F.ICO 

A make file which would build C.EXE might look like the 
text between the dashed lines below.  Note that anything 
on a line which follows a '#' is a comment, blank lines are
ignored, a backslash is a line continuation character and 
what is indented versus what starts in column 1 is VERY 
important. 

--------------------
# the line below causes make.exe to handle the 
# C/C++ header file dependencies itself 
..autodepend 

# macro below, '$(OBJ)' below becomes this list
OBJS=a.obj b.obj  

# c.exe depends upon the list and upon d.res
c.exe : $(OBJS) d.res
  import32 /Tpe/aa/Gn/x/c/v c0x32 $(OBJS),c,, \
    import32 cw32,,d

d.res : d.rc e.rh f.ico   # what d.res depends on
  brcc32 d  # command line to build d.res from d.rc

..cpp.obj :  # how to make a *.obj from a *.cpp
  bcc32 -c -W -v $<  
  # the '$<' above translates to the *.cpp name
--------------------

For console mode:
  Replace c0w32 with c0x32 
  Replace -W with -WC 

Assuming that the make file is named 'BuildIt.MAK' then 
a command line to build the program would look like this: 

make -f buildit.mak
(where the space following the '-f' and the extension '.mak'
are optional)

Using a make file is nice because it detects which items 
are newer than the target you are trying to build and doesn't 
rebuild those items which are already up to date.  For 
example, if you changed only 

..  Ed

>Jack Sawatzky wrote:
>...
>When I use the shell  BCC32 everything functions well.
>But it won't let me pass .res files to the linker.  
>When I try to use the linker separately, I don't know 
>what to use for "startup" on the command line.
>I have never been able to use the linker separately, so 
>I can't link .res files.

.