What is advantage of using a resouce file as opposed to a string variable?
in [Visual Basic]
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From: MM on 6 Dec 2009 10:05 On Sat, 5 Dec 2009 13:47:02 -0500, "Jim Mack" <jmack(a)mdxi.nospam.com> wrote: >MM wrote: >> >> Using LoadResString, it does work quite nicely. >> >> I've now created a string table with the first few rows as a test: >> >> ID English (United Kingdom) >> 105 16,0,0,8,1,20,0 >> 107 11,0,0,8,1,20,0 >> 108 6,0,0,9,1,10,0 >> >> and >> >> Private Sub Command1_Click() >> Dim v >> Dim i As Integer >> v = Split(LoadResString(107), ",") >> For i = 0 To UBound(v) >> Debug.Print v(i), IsNumeric(v(i)) >> Next >> End Sub >> >> I assume this is more efficient than storing a very long string >> literal? > >Any efficiencies in one area may be counterbalanced in others. > >If you're using this technique for non-Western languages, then you're >likely storing Unicode strings in the resource, so that potential >advantage goes away. > >A benefit for i18n is that the resource can be tinkered with, >translated or modified after the program is compiled. In a program >designed to accommodate this, it means that you don't have to supply >all possible translations yourself -- anyone with a resource editor >can do it at a later date. Or, you can supply resource-only DLLs that >contain different languages. > >Whether any of that counts toward efficiency is a call you'd have to >make based on the particulars of the situation. Since using the VB6 add-in Resource Editor for a few hours now, isn't this a bit flaky? I find I click the wong button and I suddenly have an extra string table. Then I click another button and both string tables disappear! Also, no matter how often I click on the Save button in the Resource Editor, when I exit VB6 I get a warning to save the resource file. I've had a look at the .res file in HexEdit and it is a binary file. I'd be much more confident to use an external resource file editor, rather than the add-in. Is there such a thing for VB6 ..res files or is the inbuilt resource editor the only way? MM
From: Nobody on 6 Dec 2009 10:25 Approximately how many characters are you talking about? To me, using a resource file is not worth it, unless it for adding international languages support, or embedding binary files within the EXE.
From: Nobody on 6 Dec 2009 10:27 "MM" <kylix_is(a)yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message news:lthnh5985meco6163dlei7bldsfp57gpj4(a)4ax.com... > binary file. I'd be much more confident to use an external resource > file editor, rather than the add-in. Is there such a thing for VB6 > .res files or is the inbuilt resource editor the only way? If you have VC6, then you can use it's resource editor. It compiles to RES file that you can add to your project.
From: Jim Mack on 6 Dec 2009 10:47 MM wrote: > > Since using the VB6 add-in Resource Editor for a few hours now, > isn't this a bit flaky? I find I click the wong button and I > suddenly have an extra string table. Then I click another button > and both string tables disappear! Also, no matter how often I click > on the Save button in the Resource Editor, when I exit VB6 I get a > warning to save the resource file. I've had a look at the .res file > in HexEdit and it is a binary file. I'd be much more confident to > use an external resource file editor, rather than the add-in. Is > there such a thing for VB6 .res files or is the inbuilt resource > editor the only way? I rarely use the VB resource editor. A lot can be done with a text editor and .rc files, but I do have a program called (I think) ResEdit or ResMaker that can operate on / add resources even after compiling -- and not just on VB programs. -- Jim
From: Ralph on 6 Dec 2009 10:49
"MM" <kylix_is(a)yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message news:lthnh5985meco6163dlei7bldsfp57gpj4(a)4ax.com... > > Since using the VB6 add-in Resource Editor for a few hours now, isn't > this a bit flaky? I find I click the wong button and I suddenly have > an extra string table. Then I click another button and both string > tables disappear! Also, no matter how often I click on the Save button > in the Resource Editor, when I exit VB6 I get a warning to save the > resource file. I've had a look at the .res file in HexEdit and it is a > binary file. I'd be much more confident to use an external resource > file editor, rather than the add-in. Is there such a thing for VB6 > .res files or is the inbuilt resource editor the only way? > In addition to Nobody's suggestion there are also several bannerware and shareware versions you can download. And yes I'll agree the VB Resource Editor is a bit "flaky". There are many 'utilities' in VB6 that are apparently the result of "stop here and ship". (As hindsight is 20/20 it is now obvious that the demise of VB was in the works even before VB6 shipped.) It does work well for its stated purpose - once you get the hang of it. The problem is once you get the hang of using resource files - you'll quickly out grow it. -ralph |