Store txt file in program

hey...i was wondering, can i somehow store a text file in my program? that way if the user wanted to, they could restore the original file. i dont want to do a zip exe because this is a game, but yea...otherwise i'm going to have to create a rather large 2 dim array, lol. thanks

Embed your text file in a resource file

Create a resource file with the following assuming new.txt is the name of your text file:

Code:

---

#define IDR_MYNEW                1000

IDR_MYNEW            MYNEW_TXT DISCARDABLE    "C:\\temp\\new.txt"

---

Assuming myRC.RC is the name of your resource file
Compile the resource file: RC myRC.RC

Assuming my.cpp is the name of your source file, then:
cl my.cpp myRC.res

In your my.cpp execute the following functions to extract the embedded text file named new.txt:

FindResource (find embedded text file in resource file)
LoadResource
LockResource
//Now copy embedded text file to hard drive
CreateFile
WriteFile

sweet.

thanks

i dont think i understand how to copy the embedded text file to the hard drive. this is what i have so far, but i'm pretty sure theres a bit wrong...

Code:

---

res.h: #define ID_TXTFILE 500
res.rc: ID_TXTFILE  TXTFILE_TXT DISCARDABLE    "ext.txt"
main.c: case ID_TOOLS_REPLACE:
                {
                      HRSRC rsTxt;
                      HANDLE hExe;
                      HGLOBAL glTxt;
                      char *lpLock;
                     
                      // Load the .EXE file that contains the file to copy.
                      hExe = LoadLibrary("FindText.exe");
                      if(hExe == NULL)
                      {
                          MessageBox(NULL, "There was an error accessing the extensions file.",
                            "Error!", MB_OK | MB_ICONEXCLAMATION);
                      }
                     
                      rsTxt = FindResource(hExe, "ext.txt", RT_RCDATA);
                      if(rsTxt != NULL)
                      { 
                          glTxt = LoadResource(hExe, rsTxt);
                          if(glTxt != NULL)
                          {
                              lpLock = LockResource(glTxt);
                              if (lpLock = NULL)
                                  MessageBox(NULL, "Could not lock extensions file.", "Error!", MB_OK | MB_ICONEXCLAMATION);
                             
                              HANDLE hFile;
                              BOOL bSuccess = FALSE;
                              TCHAR fileName[8] = "ext.txt";
                              DWORD dwWritten;

                              hFile = CreateFile(fileName, GENERIC_WRITE, 0, 0,
                                CREATE_ALWAYS, FILE_ATTRIBUTE_HIDDEN | FILE_ATTRIBUTE_READONLY, 0);
                              if(hFile != INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
                              {
                                if(WriteFile(hFile, glTxt, (DWORD)strlen(glTxt), &dwWritten, NULL))
                                    bSuccess = TRUE;
                              }
                          }
                      }
                      // Clean up.
                      if (!FreeLibrary(hExe))
                      {
                          MessageBox(NULL, "Could not free extensions file.", "Error!", MB_OK | MB_ICONEXCLAMATION);
                      }
                }
                break;

---

help? please? lol thanks

I'm wondering about the strlen thing. I'd try SizeofResource(..)

i changed it to use that but the file still isn't being written. ??

Code:

---

if (lpLock = NULL)
if (lpLock == NULL)

---

And then write the lpLock, not glTxt (which is just a handle to the resource)

i modified that and it still wasn't working, so i added some messagebox's for errors and now it wont compile.

Code:

---

case ID_TOOLS_REPLACE:
                {
                      HRSRC rsTxt;
                      HANDLE hExe;
                      HGLOBAL glTxt;
                      char *lpLock;
                     
                      // Load the .EXE file that contains the file to copy.
                      hExe = LoadLibrary("FindText.exe");
                      if(hExe == NULL)
                      {
                          MessageBox(NULL, "There was an error accessing the extensions file.",
                            "Error!", MB_OK | MB_ICONEXCLAMATION);
                      }
                     
                      rsTxt = FindResource(hExe, "ext.txt", RT_RCDATA);
                      if(rsTxt != NULL)
                      { 
                          glTxt = LoadResource(hExe, rsTxt);
                          if(glTxt != NULL)
                          {
                              lpLock = LockResource(glTxt);
                              if (lpLock == NULL)
                                  MessageBox(NULL, "Could not lock extensions file.", "Error!", MB_OK | MB_ICONEXCLAMATION);
                             
                              HANDLE hFile;
                              BOOL bSuccess = FALSE;
                              TCHAR fileName[8] = "ext.txt";
                              DWORD dwWritten;

                              hFile = CreateFile(fileName, GENERIC_WRITE, 0, 0,
                                CREATE_ALWAYS, FILE_ATTRIBUTE_HIDDEN | FILE_ATTRIBUTE_READONLY, 0);
                              if(hFile != INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
                              {
                                if(WriteFile(hFile, lpLock, (DWORD)SizeofResource(hExe, rsTxt), &dwWritten, NULL))
                                {
                                    MessageBox(NULL, "The file has been successfully been restored.", "Success",
                                      MB_OK | MB_ICONINFORMATION);
                                }
                                else
                                {
                                    MessageBox(NULL, "There was an error restoring the file.", "Error",
                                      MB_OK | MB_ICONEXCLAMATION);
                                }
                              }
                              else
                                  MessageBox(NULL, "hFile had an error", "ok" MB_OK); 
                          }
                          else
                              MessageBox(NULL, "glTxt == NULL", "ok", MB_OK);
                      }
                      else
                          MessageBox(NULL, "rsTxt == NULL", "ok", MB_OK);
                      // Clean up.
                      if (!FreeLibrary(hExe))
                      {
                          MessageBox(NULL, "Could not free extensions file.", "Error!", MB_OK | MB_ICONEXCLAMATION);
                      }
                }
                break;

---

it stops at the else, messagebox right after trying to write the file MessageBox(NULL, "hFile had an error", "ok" MB_OK);
the error is "main.c: In function `WindowProcedure':
main.c:397: error: syntax error before numeric constant"

A console example compiled with your resource file (res.rc)

Code:

---

#pragma comment( lib, "user32.lib" ) 
#include <windows.h>
#include <winbase.h>
#include <objbase.h>
#include <shlobj.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include "res.h"

#define TXTFILE_TXT        "ext.txt"

int main(void)
{
    HGLOBAL glTxt;
    CHAR *lpLock;
    HANDLE hFile;
    HRSRC rsTxt;
    HMODULE hInstance;
    DWORD dwSizeofResource;
    CHAR szTextFilePath[MAX_PATH];
    DWORD dwWritten = 0;
    hInstance = GetModuleHandle(NULL);
    rsTxt = FindResource(hInstance, MAKEINTRESOURCE(ID_TXTFILE), "TXTFILE_TXT" );
    if(rsTxt != NULL)
    { 
        glTxt = LoadResource(hInstance, rsTxt);
        if(glTxt != NULL)
        {
            lpLock = LockResource(glTxt);
            if (lpLock == NULL)
                return -1;
            dwSizeofResource = SizeofResource(hInstance, rsTxt);
            sprintf(szTextFilePath,("C:\\Temp\\%s"), "ext.txt");
            hFile = CreateFile(
                szTextFilePath,
                GENERIC_WRITE,
                0,
                NULL,
                CREATE_ALWAYS,
                FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL,
                NULL );
            if (hFile == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
                return -1;
            WriteFile(hFile, lpLock, dwSizeofResource, &dwWritten, NULL);
            CloseHandle(hFile);
            return dwWritten == dwSizeofResource;
        }
        else
            return -1;
    }
    else
        return -1;
}

---

The problem in your code is just that

Code:

---

MessageBox(NULL, "hFile had an error", "ok" MB_OK);
MessageBox(NULL, "hFile had an error", "ok", MB_OK);

---

YESS, you guys rock. lol the combination of the
rsTxt = FindResource(hInstance, MAKEINTRESOURCE(ID_TXTFILE), "TXTFILE_TXT" );
and the messagebox error b/c i'm dumb made it work like a charm.

thanks guy