Preprocessor directives - resources
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You can add preprocessor directives (
#define, #if, #endif) to your resource files as long as you do it outside of any blocks that are managed by the IDE. If you open the project's.rcfile you should be able to figure out where to do it. In fact, if memory serves, there is a second user editable resource (projectname.rc2I think) in MFC projects.Looks like that will work for the strings and maybe a few other things as I'm not getting any errors. I was hesitant because I've had nothing but trouble over the years when messing with the .rc files. Usually I was trying to copy dialogs from one project to another and tended to get corrupt looking results when I did that. I needed some peer support to know that technique is common enough to carry on. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.
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You can add preprocessor directives (
#define, #if, #endif) to your resource files as long as you do it outside of any blocks that are managed by the IDE. If you open the project's.rcfile you should be able to figure out where to do it. In fact, if memory serves, there is a second user editable resource (projectname.rc2I think) in MFC projects.Ah crud. I spoke too soon. (I had only compiled it and did not try to run it when I replied earlier) I removed those two string resources, IDR_MAINFRAME and AFX_IDS_APP_TITLE, from the .rc file and put them in the .rc2 file. If I simply place them in there, in a STRINGTABLE, the application works correctly (has the correct title and such). However, once I try to put a preprocessor directive in there, it compiles but the values will be incorrect sometimes depending on which value is in the if branch and the else branch. After some experimentation, it appears that the last string assigment wins. I'm guessing that means it is ignoring the preprocessor directives or my symbol is not defined yet. I defined the symbol way up toward the top in my stdafx.h file but I'm guessing this isn't early enough? You don't happen to remember where you defined your symbol when you had the need to do something like this? I apologize for the extra question.
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Ah crud. I spoke too soon. (I had only compiled it and did not try to run it when I replied earlier) I removed those two string resources, IDR_MAINFRAME and AFX_IDS_APP_TITLE, from the .rc file and put them in the .rc2 file. If I simply place them in there, in a STRINGTABLE, the application works correctly (has the correct title and such). However, once I try to put a preprocessor directive in there, it compiles but the values will be incorrect sometimes depending on which value is in the if branch and the else branch. After some experimentation, it appears that the last string assigment wins. I'm guessing that means it is ignoring the preprocessor directives or my symbol is not defined yet. I defined the symbol way up toward the top in my stdafx.h file but I'm guessing this isn't early enough? You don't happen to remember where you defined your symbol when you had the need to do something like this? I apologize for the extra question.
bob16972 wrote:
I removed those two string resources, IDR_MAINFRAME and AFX_IDS_APP_TITLE, from the .rc file and put them in the .rc2 file.
Probably not a good idea as these are auto generated and maintained; especially be careful with anything with the prefix
AFX.bob16972 wrote:
I defined the symbol way up toward the top in my stdafx.h file
I don't think
stdafx.hgets included into the.rcfie. You should use some other header, or put the values direct into the resource script. -
Ah crud. I spoke too soon. (I had only compiled it and did not try to run it when I replied earlier) I removed those two string resources, IDR_MAINFRAME and AFX_IDS_APP_TITLE, from the .rc file and put them in the .rc2 file. If I simply place them in there, in a STRINGTABLE, the application works correctly (has the correct title and such). However, once I try to put a preprocessor directive in there, it compiles but the values will be incorrect sometimes depending on which value is in the if branch and the else branch. After some experimentation, it appears that the last string assigment wins. I'm guessing that means it is ignoring the preprocessor directives or my symbol is not defined yet. I defined the symbol way up toward the top in my stdafx.h file but I'm guessing this isn't early enough? You don't happen to remember where you defined your symbol when you had the need to do something like this? I apologize for the extra question.
You can also have the symbol defined as part of the project's settings as part of the command line. Since it sounds like you have different solutions, building different targets, but using a lot of common source files, this might provide more convenient. :)
Chris Meech I am Canadian. [heard in a local bar] In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is. [Yogi Berra] posting about Crystal Reports here is like discussing gay marriage on a catholic church’s website.[Nishant Sivakumar]
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bob16972 wrote:
I removed those two string resources, IDR_MAINFRAME and AFX_IDS_APP_TITLE, from the .rc file and put them in the .rc2 file.
Probably not a good idea as these are auto generated and maintained; especially be careful with anything with the prefix
AFX.bob16972 wrote:
I defined the symbol way up toward the top in my stdafx.h file
I don't think
stdafx.hgets included into the.rcfie. You should use some other header, or put the values direct into the resource script.I hear you on the caution. I'm not feeling too great about messing with these but the boss want miracles and I'm running out of tricks so I guess I'm desperate to try this as I'm sure to screw up manually changing stuff back and forth for every release. changing a single define is so much easier in the long run. I went ahead and put all my custom preprocessor symbol definitions in a stdafx2.h file and reference it from the top of the stdafx.h and the .rc2 file. This appears to have done the trick. I kicked it a few times and my Resource symbols (including the "readonly" Afx... ones are showing being used by string tables so I'm guessing "she might hold together captain". I'll probably regret this later but I'm game to try it out and see. :~ Thanks again for all the advice.
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You can also have the symbol defined as part of the project's settings as part of the command line. Since it sounds like you have different solutions, building different targets, but using a lot of common source files, this might provide more convenient. :)
Chris Meech I am Canadian. [heard in a local bar] In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is. [Yogi Berra] posting about Crystal Reports here is like discussing gay marriage on a catholic church’s website.[Nishant Sivakumar]
Thanks for the ideas. This was already a single solution with a single project, that compiled into two different apps based on preprocessor symbols. Now it needs to have two identities for each so this might get interesting. Boy what a mess. :~ (I posted the approach I'm going to try in a different thread for this post) Thanks again for taking some time out to help!
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I have a typical MFC MDI application that was built with the wizards. I have been using the resources as they are provided but I am now faced with the need to be able to compile/maintain the same code base with multiple application identities (this includes company name, application name, application title, file extensions, icons, verbs, etc...). Some of this will be handled by maintaining multiple installer solutions to handle file associations, registry stuff, verbs, etc...) but I have not figured out how to handle the stuff that exists in the resource files. For example, the string for IDR_MAINFRAME and AFX_IDS_APP_TITLE need to be sensitive to a preprocessor directive or something similar in nature. I'm guessing if I try messing with the .rc file directly, I will have trouble as I edit stuff via the GUI down the road. Is there a way to modify some of those resources based on a preprocessor directive(or something similar) without introducing maintenance isssues?
Not sure what version of VS you are using, but in VS2005 you could: - extract the particular strings to a separate string table - in VS, highlight the string table in Resource View, right click and show properties - in the Condition field you can specify some preprocessor define - e.g BUILD1, this should now be added to the name of the string table - right click on the string table and Insert Copy, and add your new condition on the copy - e.g. BUILD2 - create multiple builds of the project, and set the preprocessor defines in Project Properties / Resources / General
Peter "Until the invention of the computer, the machine gun was the device that enabled humans to make the most mistakes in the smallest amount of time."
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I hear you on the caution. I'm not feeling too great about messing with these but the boss want miracles and I'm running out of tricks so I guess I'm desperate to try this as I'm sure to screw up manually changing stuff back and forth for every release. changing a single define is so much easier in the long run. I went ahead and put all my custom preprocessor symbol definitions in a stdafx2.h file and reference it from the top of the stdafx.h and the .rc2 file. This appears to have done the trick. I kicked it a few times and my Resource symbols (including the "readonly" Afx... ones are showing being used by string tables so I'm guessing "she might hold together captain". I'll probably regret this later but I'm game to try it out and see. :~ Thanks again for all the advice.
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Not sure what version of VS you are using, but in VS2005 you could: - extract the particular strings to a separate string table - in VS, highlight the string table in Resource View, right click and show properties - in the Condition field you can specify some preprocessor define - e.g BUILD1, this should now be added to the name of the string table - right click on the string table and Insert Copy, and add your new condition on the copy - e.g. BUILD2 - create multiple builds of the project, and set the preprocessor defines in Project Properties / Resources / General
Peter "Until the invention of the computer, the machine gun was the device that enabled humans to make the most mistakes in the smallest amount of time."
Thanks for the idea as it sounds a bit more elegant. I'm using VS 2003 and unfortunately if I try and create a second string table it reads... "There cannot be more than one instance of this type. The instance of this object already created will be opened." I've tried to add a string table at various nodes of the resource tree but I get the same error. I'll keep your idea in mind when(if) I migrate this project to VS 2008 (we skipped 2005). thanks for the tip.
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Thanks for the idea as it sounds a bit more elegant. I'm using VS 2003 and unfortunately if I try and create a second string table it reads... "There cannot be more than one instance of this type. The instance of this object already created will be opened." I've tried to add a string table at various nodes of the resource tree but I get the same error. I'll keep your idea in mind when(if) I migrate this project to VS 2008 (we skipped 2005). thanks for the tip.
We've been using this since VC6 to have customised menus, dialogs, bitmaps etc in different builds. I just checked VC6 and it appears that in VC6 you can add a preprocessor condition to any resource item EXCEPT string tables, these seem to only depend on language. We skipped VS2003 so I can't comment on what you can do there, but if there is no Condition field in the Properties window on string tables then I guess it isn't supported yet. Just look at the properties windows for other resources (e.g. menus) and you should see the Condition field. You should be able to use the same syntax in the .rc file that VS uses for other resources dependent on preprocessor definitions, and use the same in string tables. For example, a menu that is only included when DEFINE1 is defined appears as:
#if defined(APSTUDIO_INVOKED) || defined(DEFINE1)
#if defined(APSTUDIO_INVOKED)
IDR_MENU1$(DEFINE1) MENU DISCARDABLE
#else
IDR_MENU1 MENU DISCARDABLE
#endif
BEGIN
POPUP "Menu1"
BEGIN
MENUITEM "Help", ID_HELP_X
...
...
END
END
#endifI'm not sure about the APSTUDIO_INVOKED, it seems to use two different mechanisms for the conditional inclusion, one for the IDE and the other for a command line version. You should be able to create a couple of conditional menus or other resources and check the syntax of the .rc file. Don't forget that you specify these defines under the Resources settings in the Project settings.
Peter "Until the invention of the computer, the machine gun was the device that enabled humans to make the most mistakes in the smallest amount of time."