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 call \verb$wxXmlResource::Get()->InitAllHandlers()$ from your wxApp::OnInit function,
-and then call \verb$wxXmlResource::Get()->Load("myfile.xrc")$ to load the resource file;
+\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
-load using for example \verb$wxXmlResource::Get()->LoadDialog(&dlg, this, "dlg1")$;
-\item set up event tables as usual but use the \verb$XRCID(str)$ macro to translate from XRC string names
-to a suitable integer identifier, for example \verb$EVT\_MENU(XRCID("quit"), MyFrame::OnQuit)$.
+load using for example {\tt wxXmlResource::Get()->LoadDialog(\&dlg, this, "dlg1");}
+\item set up event tables as usual but use the {\tt XRCID(str)} macro to translate from XRC string names
+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.
-\begin{itemize}\itemsep=0
+\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
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.
-
-\begin{itemize}\itemsep=0
+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}
+ wxXmlResource::Get()->InitAllHandlers();
+ InitXmlResource();
+ ...
+\end{verbatim}
+
\subsection{XRC C++ sample}\label{xrccppsample}
This is the C++ source file (xrcdemo.cpp) for the XRC sample.
\begin{verbatim}
<?xml version="1.0"?>
-<resource>
+<resource version="2.3.0.1">
<object class="wxMenuBar" name="mainmenu">
<style>wxMB_DOCKABLE</style>
<object class="wxMenu" name="menu_file">
- <label>$File</label>
+ <label>_File</label>
<style>wxMENU_TEAROFF</style>
<object class="wxMenuItem" name="menu_about">
- <label>$About...</label>
+ <label>_About...</label>
<bitmap>filesave.gif</bitmap>
</object>
<object class="separator"/>
</object>
<object class="separator"/>
<object class="wxMenuItem" name="menu_quit">
- <label>E$xit\tAlt-X</label>
+ <label>E_xit\tAlt-X</label>
</object>
</object>
</object>
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