Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcsun!unido!gmdzi!strobl From: strobl@gmdzi.UUCP (Wolfgang Strobl) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc Subject: Re: The Mac's resource fork: does Win 3 have one? Message-ID: <2977@gmdzi.UUCP> Date: 3 Jul 90 21:19:04 GMT References: <2322.268f7cca@csc.anu.oz> <2964@gmdzi.UUCP> <7705@jarthur.Claremont.EDU> <2966@gmdzi.UUCP> <7417@dayton.UUCP> Organization: GMD, Sankt Augustin, F. R. Germany Lines: 37 mike@dayton.UUCP (Mike Baillargeon) writes: >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 >> >>Wolfgang Strobl >The most obvious reason is for different language types. The same program >will work in english, french, german even korean without significant changes >if all the text and window definitions are in separate resources. As far as PROGRAMS are concerned, there seems to be not much difference in resource handling between MS Windows and the Macintosh OS, because in both environments string constants, menue descriptions, dialog boxes, etc. (i.e. most of the visible stuff) is contained in separate resources. My above question about the uses for modifying resource files on the fly has since been answered, mostly. But your above statement isn't an answer. Normally there is no need to switch a program between languages ON THE FLY. >Other reasons are for user options, instead of keeping a preference file, >some programs update their own resources for different menu options or >command keys. Several major packages also use a preferences file also. The advantage of having configuration information in a program's resources seems to be that it gets copied with the program, automatically, and one does not have to remember the location of the preference file. This is nice, indeed. MS Windows has a mechanism to store keyword=value pairs for applications and has access functions to update them, which serves a similar purpose. The table is stored in one place (file) in plain text. Easy to edit with a simple text editor, but inefficient, and not very usable for large amounts of data. Wolfgang Strobl #include