Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!ncar!boulder!kassarji
From: kassarji@boulder.Colorado.EDU (KASSARJIAN STEVEN J)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: The Mac's resource fork: does Win 3 have one?
Summary: old hat stuff to mac programmers
Message-ID: <23070@boulder.Colorado.EDU>
Date: 3 Jul 90 19:23:42 GMT
References: <2322.268f7cca@csc.anu.oz> <2964@gmdzi.UUCP> <7705@jarthur.Claremont.EDU> <2966@gmdzi.UUCP>
Sender: news@boulder.Colorado.EDU
Reply-To: kassarji@tramp.Colorado.EDU (KASSARJIAN STEVEN J)
Organization: University of Colorado, boulder
Lines: 13

In article <2966@gmdzi.UUCP> strobl@gmdzi.UUCP (Wolfgang Strobl) writes:
>Why would one want to modify the resource file on the fly? I can think

One reason is the ability for the user to easily change the functionality of
the program.  For instance, a number of the readily available text editors 
for programmers have what I consider inconvenient command key equivalents.
ResEdit allows users to alter these.
One of Apple's major reasons for the resource was to make modifying a program
for use in different countries much easier.  Instead of changing all the text
in a program from English to French, and then recompiling and relinking, the
translater merely has to modify the text (e.g., menu titles) in the resource.
Apologies to those to whom this is old hat.
Steve.