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CLARION FOR WINDOW RESOURCE FILE EDITOR

Version 1.0
Documentation
© Copyright 1998 - Innovative Software Creations

The following is the documentation for Clarion for Windows Resource File Editor 1.0. (CWRes) Please read all of the documentation before using the CWRes program.

If you are using NOTEPAD to view the information, please click the maximize button to properly view the documentation.

Warranty, Copyright, and Liability.

• (Clarion for Window Resource File Editor) CWRES IS SUPPLIED AS-IS. IT IS NOT GUARANTEED FOR FITNESS OR SUITABILITY FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

• INNOVATIVE SOFTWARE CREATIONS WILL NOT BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES--ACTUAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR OTHERWISE--FROM THE USE OF, OR THE INABILITY TO USE, CWRES. INNOVATIVE SOFTWARE CREATIONS WILL NOT BE HELD LIABLE FOR ERRORS IN ITS DOCUMENTATION.INNOVATIVE SOFTWARE CREATIONS HEREBY EXPLICITLY DISCLAIM ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED.

• CWRES AND ITS DOCUMENTATION ARE COPYRIGHTED. INNOVATIVE SOFTWARE CREATIONS RETAIN ALL LEGAL RIGHTS TO BOTH.

TopSpeed is a registered trademark of TopSpeed Corporation.
Microsoft Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
All other products and company names are trademarks of their respective owners.

How to Install CWRes.

To install CWRes, please do the following steps:

• Create a CWRES folder (You can name the folder any name you want.)

• Unzip CWRES10.ZIP into the folder that was created above.

• Create a Short-Cut to the CWRES.EXE program or double click on the CWRES.EXE program to start the program.

CWRes is Windows Registry Friendly, so to remove the program:

• Delete the CWRES folder.

• Remove any short-cuts that you may have made.

What is CWRES?

CWRes is a program that creates a compiled resource file (RES) that can be linked into your 32bit Clarion for Windows APPs. The RES file that is created has the version information. So when you select properties on the EXE within Windows 95, you will see a version tab. Clicking on this version tab will show the information that you entered using CWRes.

Some of the features of CWRes at a glance:

• Creates a 32-bit compiled RES file that can be linked directly into your Clarion for Windows APPs.

• Fully compatible with Clarion for windows 2.003, Clarion for Windows 4 BETA 5, and Clarion for Windows 4 GOLD (Clarion for windows 1.5 should work, but have not tried it.)

• Easy to use user interface. Allows you to create a RES file and link into your APP within a few minutes. No C++ programming experience needed. Just simply fill in the information and click the Save button. (It couldn't be any easier!)

• Automatically creates an external project file that can be added to your existing project file.

• How To Guide Wizard shows you how to use CWRes. (Includes screen shots to help you get started quickly.)

When your APP is being compiled, all the information is linked into the final EXE. Clarion supports linking in a compiled RES file during the linking phase. However, you need a resource compiler to create the compiled RES file. Well not any longer, CWRes creates the compiled RES file for you. Just simply fill in the information that you want in the version tab and click the Save button. A compiled RES file will then be created for you.

A special project file will also be created for you. Simply add this project file to your existing project file and recompile your APP. The RES file will be linked in automatically.

Where can you get the latest and greatest version of CWRes?

Visit the main home page at http://homepage.rconnect.com/jronning/cwres/. If you require further information, please contact me by one of the following ways:

Email: jronning@rconnect.com

Mail: Innovative Software Creations
PO Box 184,
Fountain City, WI 54629-0184

The current version or CWRes is 1.0. Version 2.0 is planned for sometime first quarter in 1998.

All ideas and suggestions about the CWRes program are welcome. Let me know if you have some ideas about improving the program or have ideas that could make the program even better.

Tech Support.

If you encounter a problem with the CWRes program, or require some additional information, please feel free to contact me by one of the following way:

Email: jronning@rconnect.com
Mail: Innovative Software Creations
PO Box 184, Fountain City, WI 54629-0184

Be sure to attach the *.CWR, *_RES.PRJ, and *.RES files if there is a problem. Also mention what you were doing to cause the error and any messages that were on the screen.

How to Purchase CWRes.

CWRes is being sold as Shareware. You may use CWRes for 30 days for evaluation purposes. If after 30 days, you decide that you don't want to purchase the program, you must uninstall the program and discontinue the use of the CWRes program.

CWRes uses a 10 digit access key to unlock the program. Once you send in the registration form, I will e-mail you (or snail mail you) the 10 digit access code.

To enter the Registration information, click the About button, then the Register button.

Registration is just $10. (Check or money order. Do not send cash) Please refer to the ORDER.TXT document for more information on how to purchase CWRes. When you register, you will qualify for a free upgrade to version 2.0 of CWRes when it becomes available.

Why use CWRes?

Using CWRes will give your Clarion for Windows APPs a more professional looking appearance. You can use the information when doing technical support. For example, have the user click on the version tab to see what version they are using of your software. Most of the other programming languages support the version information, so I thought it would be great to also have Clarion for Windows support it.

It's also adds the "cool" factor to your existing Clarion for Windows APPs.

Program Requirements.

CWRes requires the following:

• Windows 95. (or NT)

• 32-bit APPs during compiling. (Make sure the APP is set to compile to 32bit not 16bit. Failure to do this will result in a GPF during the linking phase.)

• Compile to an EXE only. (Doesn't support DLL's or LIB's yet.)

• Works with local or stand alone with (CWRUNxx.DLL) programs.

• Tested with Clarion for windows 2.003, Clarion for Windows 4.0 BETA 5, and Clarion for Windows 4.0 GOLD. (Should work with Clarion 1.5, but have not tested.)

It very important that you make sure your APP is set to be compiled to 32-bit EXE's before trying to use CWRes. Failure to do this will result in a GPF during the linking stage of the compiling process. Please refer to the Setting Up the APP section on how to check this setting.

If there is a demand for 16-bit RES file, please speak up. The CWRes program could be easily modified to create 16 or 32 bit RES files. This would give you the "best of both worlds". Send your request to jronning@ronnect.com.

Running the Program

Create a short-cut to the CWRes program or double click on the CWRES.EXE program. After the splash screen you will be taken to the main screen. Simply fill in the information and click the Save CWR file.

How To Wizard.

Click on the How To button to show some information on how to use CWRes with Clarion for Windows. Screen shots will show exactly what you need to do in Clarion for Window to add the compiled RES files into your APPs.

CWR, RES, PRJ files

CWRes doesn't read a compiled RES file directly. (Not in this version, but later versions will have this feature.) So to save the information in a readable format that CWRes can use, a CWR file is used. It's a simple INI file that I use to read the information into memory. When you click the save button, you will be asked for the location to put the file. A CWR file will then be created. Next the actual compiled RES file will be created. Then the final project file will be created. The project file ends with _RES.PRJ.

I opted to use a external project file that can be added to existing project files. I thought this would be the "less painful" approach to add the compiled RES file to existing project files. The project file is not that complicated, just a simple message that is displayed when the RES file is being linked and the actual link command: #pragma link(RESFILE.RES)

Setting up the APP File.

Once you create the RES and PRJ file, do the following steps:

• Start Clarion for Windows.

• Open the APP file. (If this is a "hand coded" project, only open the Project File and skip over the next step.)

• Click on the Project Button.

• The Project File for your APP file should be shown.

• Highlight the Projects to include section.

• Click the Add file... button.

• Find the PRJ file that CWRes created. The name will be the left 4 characters of the project file that you created and "_RES.PRJ". Example: CWRES.PRJ would be CWRE_RES.PRJ

• Now highlight the top most part of the project file.

• Click the Properties... button.

• The Global Options Dialog box should be activated.

• Change the Target Type to be EXE. (This version of CWRes doesn't support DLL or LIB files yet.)

• Target OS MUST be Windows - 32bit. If you leave this as Windows - 16bit, CW will GPF during the linking phase. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THIS BE CHANGED TO WINDOWS - 32BIT.

• SEE ABOVE STATEMENT ONE MORE TIME. If you forget this step, the next time you start CW and open the APP file, you will be asked to recover your APP file or use last saved. It should be safe to use the "Last Saved".

• Run-Time Library can be set to Standalone (C4RUNxx.DLL) or Local.

You only have to do the above mentioned steps once for each APP file. If you want to make changes to the RES file, make your changes and then recompile your EXE within CW. The new RES information will be automatically linked into the final EXE.

If you want to remove the RES file from your APP:

• Access the Project File.

• Highlight the *_RES.PRJ file.

• Click the Remove file button.

• Recompile your APP and the version information will not be linked into the EXE.

What information can I supply for the version information?

Right now I only allow the standard segments. Future versions will allow you to enter any segment name.

File and Product versions.

Enter the file and product versions. You may use from 0 to 99 for each section. I had some difficulties with a version number that is 3 characters wide, so I have limited the file and product versions to being 2 wide max. (This problem will be fixed in version 2.0 of CWRes)

Comments.

Enter any Comments that you want to help describe the program. You may enter up to 255 characters for the Comments. If you leave the Comments blank, it will not be created in the compiled RES file.

Company Name.

Enter your Company Name. You may enter up to 255 characters for the Company Name. If you leave the Company Name blank, it will not be created in the compiled RES file.

File Description.

Enter the File Description for the program. It is recommended that the File Description be filled in. This information is displayed in a different location when viewing the properties within Windows 95. You may enter up to 255 characters for the File Description. If you leave the File Description blank, it will not be created in the compiled RES file.

Internal Name.

The Internal Name is not required. If you want to fill this segment in, use the EXE file name. You can enter any information that you want in the Internal Name. You may enter up to 255 characters for the Internal Name. If you leave the Internal Name blank, it will not be created in the compiled RES file.

Legal Copyright.

Enter your Legal Copyright in this segment. You can use ALT+0169 for the copyright symbol or ALT+0174 for the registered trade mark symbol.

To get these special characters:

• Make sure your number lock is on.

• Press and hold the ALT on the keyboard.

• Type the above mentioned numbers on the keypad. (Yes. You have to type all 4 digits. The first "0" is required to get it to work.)

• Then release the ALT key.

It only works using the number pad on your keyboard, don't use the number located on the top of your keyboard. To see other special symbols that windows supports, use the CHARMAP.EXE program located in the \windows folder. Change the font to Arial.

You may enter up to 255 characters for the Legal Copyright. If you leave the Legal Copyright blank, it will not be created in the compiled RES file.

Legal Trade Mark.

Enter your Legal Trademark in this segment. See the above section on information on how to add special characters using the ALT and the number pad. You may enter up to 255 characters for the Legal Trademark. If you leave the Legal Trademark blank, it will not be created in the compiled RES file.

Original File Name.

The Original File Name is not required. If you want to fill this segment in, use the EXE file name. You can enter any information that you want in the Original File Name. You may enter up to 255 characters for the Original File Name. If you leave the Internal Name blank, it will not be created in the compiled RES file.

Private Build.

If this is a Private Build, enter that information here. You may enter up to 255 characters for the Private Build. If you leave the Private Build blank, it will not be created in the compiled RES file.

Product Name.

Enter the Product Name. You may enter up to 255 characters for the Product Name. If you leave the Product Name blank, it will not be created in the compiled RES file.

Special Build.

If this is a Special Build, enter that information here. You may enter up to 255 characters for the Special Build information. If you leave the Special Build blank, it will not be created in the compiled RES file.

Example Files.

I have included a sample APP file called EXAMPLE.APP that has a resource file already setup in the project file for you. NOTE: This is a Clarion for Windows 2.003 APP file. It doesn't use the ABCTemplates, so you may  have to convert it or register the older Templates before you can open the project in Clarion for Windows 4.0.

For the "hand-coders", there is a sample project file called HANDCODE.PRJ. This project also links in a compiled RES file.

Please refer to the above mentioned examples to see how CWRes works with Clarion for Windows.

What's the future of CWRes?

I plan on making a "shell" for the program that will allow saving the RES information into a TPS file. I will also allow adding additional segment names. I also want to have the ability to read a RES file directly and also extract information from EXE's. And finally, add support for international versions of windows.

I will also have global templates or source code for hand coders, examples that will show you how to access the RES information within your programs. Using the API, this information could then be used inside your program.

I also could possibly add other resource types.

If you have some ideas for the future of CWRes, please e-mail them to me: jronning@rconnect.com.

Thanks.

Thanks for taking the time to evaluate CWRes. I hope you feel that the program is useful and you register the program. If you have some comments on the program, please feel free to send me e-mail at jronning@rconnect.com.

If you find this program useful, please register it. Refer to the ORDER.TXT file for information about registering Clarion for Windows Resource File Editor 1.0. Thanks.

Jody Ronning, jronning@rconnect.com
Innovative Software Creations,
PO Box 184
Fountain City, WI 54629-0184