Resources

Revision as of 18:03, 17 March 2021

Incorporating non-executable data into a progam's source code can be inconvenient. A variety of techniques, and associated resource formats, exist to address this issue.

Resource formats often store user interface elements (dialog boxes, menus, etc.), graphics, sound, or text. There is usually also a way to store arbitrary custom data.

Formats listed here may include:

• Formats that are embedded in executable files
• Stand-alone file formats that are loaded into memory at runtime
• Intermediate file formats used in development
• Specialized source code formats that contain, or refer to, resource data

Resource formats

• AMOS AmBs
• AMOS Memory Bank (.abk)
• Borland Delphi form (.dfm)
• DFF
• Dynamic-link library (Windows) - Some DLLs are resource-only.
• GEM resource file (Atari) (.rsc)
• Macintosh resource file (Mac OS Classic development) (.rsrc)
• PRC (Palm OS)
• STOS memory bank (.mbk)
• Strings File (OS-X, iOS) (.strings)
• VisualBasic form (.frm)
• Windows resource (.res)
• Windows resource script (.rc, .rc2)
• Xcode Core Data Model (.xcdatamodel, .xcdatamodeld)

Language and Translation

• Gettext PO (Portable Object) file (.po)
• Gettext MO (Machine Object) file (.mo)

Hybrid source code formats

These formats are valid source code in some programming language (often C), and can also be read by some resource editors and viewers.

• DEGAS Elite icon
• XBM
• XPM