The XML-based resource system, known as XRC, allows user interface elements such as
dialogs, menu bars and toolbars, to be stored in text files and loaded into
the application at run-time. XRC files can also be compiled into binary XRS files or C++
-code, so an XML parser does not need to be linked with the application and load times
-are faster.
+code (the former makes it possible to store all resources in since file and the latter
+is useful when you want to embed the resources into the executable).
There are several advantages to using XRC resources.
\begin{itemize}\itemsep=0pt
\item Include the appropriate headers: normally "wx/xrc/xmlres.h" will suffice;
+\item If you are going to use \helpref{XRS files}{binaryresourcefiles}, install
+wxFileSystem ZIP handler first with {\tt wxFileSystem::AddHandler(new wxZipFSHandler);}
\item call {\tt wxXmlResource::Get()->InitAllHandlers()} from your wxApp::OnInit function,
and then call {\tt wxXmlResource::Get()->Load("myfile.xrc")} to load the resource file;
\item to create a dialog from a resource, create it using the default constructor, and then
to a suitable integer identifier, for example {\tt EVT\_MENU(XRCID("quit"), MyFrame::OnQuit)}.
\end{itemize}
-To create an XRC file, use one of the following methods.
+To create an XRC file, you can use one of the following methods.
\begin{itemize}\itemsep=0pt
\item Create the file by hand;
\item use \urlref{wxDesigner}{http://www.roebling.de}, a commercial dialog designer/RAD tool;
-\item use \urlref{XRCed}{http://www.mema.ucl.ac.be/~rolinsky/xrced/}, a wxPython-based
+\item use \urlref{DialogBlocks}{http://www.anthemion.co.uk/dialogblocks}, a commercial dialog editor;
+\item use \urlref{XRCed}{http://xrced.sf.net}, a wxPython-based
dialog editor that you can find in the {\tt wxPython/tools} subdirectory of the wxWindows
CVS archive;
-\item use \urlref{wxWorkshop}{http://wxworkshop.sourceforge.net} (under development);
+\item use \urlref{Glade}{http://wxglade.sf.net}, a GUI designer written in wxPython. At the moment it can generate Python, C++ and XRC;
\item use wxrcedit ({\tt utils/contrib/wxrcedit}) (under development);
\item convert WIN32 RC files to XRC with the tool in {\tt contrib/utils/convertrc}.
\end{itemize}
-It is highly recommended that you use a tool such as wxDesigner, since it's fiddly writing
+A complete list of third-party tools that write to XRC can be found at \urlref{www.wxwindows.org/lnk_tool.htm}{http://www.wxwindows.org/lnk_tool.in}.
+
+It is highly recommended that you use a resource editing tool, since it's fiddly writing
XRC files by hand.
You can use \helpref{wxXmlResource::Load}{wxxmlresourceload} in a number of ways.
-You can pass an XRC file (XML-based text resource file), an XMB file (compiled binary file)
-or a zip-compressed file (extension ZIP or RSC) containing other XRC or XMB files.
+You can pass an XRC file (XML-based text resource file)
+or a \helpref{zip-compressed file}{binaryresourcefiles} (extension ZIP or XRS) containing other XRC.
-TODO: is the compiled binary format XMB or XRS? How do you handle a C++ resource file?
+You can also use \helpref{embedded C++ resources}{embeddedresource}
\subsection{Using binary resource files}\label{binaryresourcefiles}
-To compile binary resource files, use the command-line wxrc utility. It takes a single file parameter (the
-input XRC file) and the following switches and options.
-
+To compile binary resource files, use the command-line wxrc utility. It takes one or more file parameters
+(the input XRC files) and the following switches and options:
\begin{itemize}\itemsep=0pt
\item -h (--help): show a help message
\item -v (--verbose): show verbose logging information
-\item -c (--cpp-code): write C++ source rather than a RSC file
+\item -c (--cpp-code): write C++ source rather than a XRS file
\item -u (--uncompressed): do not compress XML files (C++ only)
\item -g (--gettext): output .po catalog (to stdout, or a file if -o is used)
\item -n (--function) <name>: specify C++ function name (use with -c)
\end{itemize}
For example:
-
\begin{verbatim}
% wxrc resource.wrc
% wxrc resource.wrc -o resource.wrs
% wxrc resource.wrc -v -c -o resource.cpp
\end{verbatim}
+\wxheading{Note}
+
+XRS file is esentially a renamed ZIP archive which means that you can manipulate
+it with standard ZIP tools. Note that if you are using XRS files, you have
+to initialize \helpref{wxFileSystem}{wxfilesystem} ZIP handler first! It is a simple
+thing to do:
+\begin{verbatim}
+ #include <wx/filesys.h>
+ #include <wx/fs_zip.h>
+ ...
+ wxFileSystem::AddHandler(new wxZipFSHandler);
+\end{verbatim}
+
+\subsection{Using embedded resources}\label{embeddedresource}
+
+It is sometimes useful to embed resources in the executable itself instead
+of loading external file (e.g. when your app is small and consists only of one
+exe file). XRC provides means to convert resources into regular C++ file that
+can be compiled and included in the executable.
+
+Use the {\tt -c} switch to
+{\tt wxrc} utility to produce C++ file with embedded resources. This file will
+contain a function called {\it InitXmlResource} (unless you override this with
+a command line switch). Use it to load the resource:
+\begin{verbatim}
+ extern void InitXMLResource(); // defined in generated file
+ ...
+ wxXmlResource::Get()->InitAllHandlers();
+ InitXmlResource();
+ ...
+\end{verbatim}
+
\subsection{XRC C++ sample}\label{xrccppsample}
This is the C++ source file (xrcdemo.cpp) for the XRC sample.
MyFrame *frame = new MyFrame("XML resources demo",
wxPoint(50, 50), wxSize(450, 340));
- frame->Show(TRUE);
- return TRUE;
+ frame->Show(true);
+ return true;
}
// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
// event handlers
void MyFrame::OnQuit(wxCommandEvent& WXUNUSED(event))
{
- // TRUE is to force the frame to close
- Close(TRUE);
+ // true is to force the frame to close
+ Close(true);
}
void MyFrame::OnAbout(wxCommandEvent& WXUNUSED(event))
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