How to load text file from Resources in VC++?

Question

I'm writing a DLL in VC++ and I need to use external text file. I have something like this right now:

 ifstream file;
 string line;

 file.open("C:\\Users\\Me\\Desktop\\textfile.txt");
 getline(file,line);
 file.close();

I understand that I can have this file in Resources right?

I added my text file by going to "ResourceView" -> "Add Resource" -> "Import". I chose my text file and created custom resource type.

How can I access to this file to use similarly to the code above ? I have Resource.h but what should I do with it? Can I edit my resource text file too?

score 15 · Accepted Answer · answered Dec 03 '10 at 11:48

15

Assumptions:

The resource type is "TEXT"
The resource ID is MY_RESOURCE_ID (this would be a constant from your resource.h)
You have stored the hInstance for your EXE or DLL (whichever contains the resource) into m_hInstance.

Loading a resource into memory and getting a pointer to it is done like this:

HRSRC hResource = FindResource(m_hInstance, MAKEINTRESOURCE(MY_RESOURCE_ID), L"TEXT");

if (hResource)
{
    HGLOBAL hLoadedResource = LoadResource(m_hInstance, hResource);

    if (hLoadedResource)
    {
        LPVOID pLockedResource = LockResource(hLoadedResource);

        if (pLockedResource)
        {
            DWORD dwResourceSize = SizeofResource(m_hInstance, hResource);

            if (0 != dwResourceSize)
            {
                 // Use pLockedResource and dwResourceSize however you want
            }
        }
    }
}

Note: You do not have to unload or unlock the resource on 32-bit or 64-bit vesions of Windows, and if you obtain the resource again you will not leak memory; you always get the same piece of memory.

For updating a resource, see Updating Resources in MSDN.

answered Dec 03 '10 at 11:48

Leo Davidson

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Thanks! This is what I was looking for. I'm using ATL so I put `_AtlBaseModule.m_hInst` in `hInstance` place and it's working well. I wonder how to use this chunk of memory like a file or a stream. If you know please answer here: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4346240/ – Mariusz Pawelski Dec 03 '10 at 16:00
@CichyK24 stream as in IStream or a different kind of stream? – Leo Davidson Dec 03 '10 at 16:05
Oh, like an ifstream; don't know that, sorry. – Leo Davidson Dec 03 '10 at 16:05
Hello again! I have small [question](http://stackoverflow.com/q/5065457/350384) about updating resources. Can you take a look at it? – Mariusz Pawelski Feb 21 '11 at 11:42
Dear Leo ,How would i get the name of fileName inside the C++ code , in similar situation? – PeerPandit Jun 23 '16 at 10:38

How to load text file from Resources in VC++?

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