reswrap(1)

NAME
reswrap - wrap icon and image resources into C or C++ code

SYNOPSIS
reswrap [options] [-o[a] outfile] files...

DESCRIPTION
Reswrap is a tool to turn binary files into C or C++ data arrays. This allows various resources such as icons, images, or other data to be embedded into source code and compiled into an application. When used in text mode, normal printing characters are passed normally while control characters or non-ascii are automatically escaped. In development of graphical applications with FOX, it is customary to embed icons, images, online help, or OpenGL fragment shader programs into the executable file, thus removing the need to distribute such files separately with the application. Reswrap is typically invoked as a part of the application build process to generate additional C++ source files from collections of icons, images, or other binary resources. This can be easily accomplished using a special Makefile Rule or Custom Build Rule, as part of the normal compile process of an application. Reswrap supports a variety of options to facilitate inclusion into an automated build process. Given a list of resource files, reswrap can automatically generate header files containing just the declarations, adorn the generated symbols with namespaces, prefixes and/or postfixes, file-extensions, and apply extern or static linkage attributes. Resource filenames containing unsafe characters are automatically transformed into legal C or C++ identifiers. By default reswrap will interpret the files listed as a stream of raw bytes and output them as an initialized data array to stdout.

OPTIONS

-?, --help
    Print summary usage information of all the supported options.

-v, --version
    Print the version number and license information.

-h, --header
    Generate an output file containing only declarations suitable for including as a header file. This also enables the --extern option automatically.

-s, --source
    Generate an output file containing data arrays. This option disables the --extern option. This option is the default when no directives are given.

-V, --verbose
    Print a list of the filenames, and the corresponding resource declarations generated as reswrap processes the resource files.

-i file, --include file
    Generate a #include "file" directive in the output file, to make the declarations available when compiling the data source file.

-o file, --output file
    Write the output of the conversion into file instead of writing to stdout.

-oa file, --append file
    Append the output of the conversion to file instead of writing to stdout. If file does not exist yet, it is created, and the optional comment line will be written, followed by the optional #include "file" directive. If the file already exists then it will be opened for appending.

-e, --extern
    Places the storage modifier extern in front of the data array, ensuring that the data array can be linked with other compilation units. Normally, constant declarations are not visible in other compilation units. This option is automatically turned on when --header is passed.

-S, --static
    Places the storage modifier static in front of the data array. This makes the symbols invisible outside the compilation unit.

-z, --size
    Output the size of the resource in the declaration of a resource-array. This allows the sizeof() operator to return the correct size of the resource even for external declarations. Note that in text mode, (--text or --ascii options), an extra byte is added to the size for the end of string character.

-d, --decimal
    Write data as decimal numbers instead of using the default hexadecimal numbers.

-x, --hex
    Write data as hexadecimal numbers. This option is the default.

-t, --text
    Write data as a text string, with each byte represented as a hexadecimal excape sequence, as in "\x33". The C++ compiler appends a nul-character at the end of the text string, thus making the data array one character longer than the resource file.

-a, --ascii
    Write data as a text string, with each byte printed normally unless it must be escaped, as in "\x33". Use this option if you need to embed large chunks of text (for example, on-line help) into the application. This lets you keep the original text in a plain text file, and obviates the need to manually escape special characters to embed them into source code. The C++ compiler appends a nul-character at the end of the text string, thus making the data array one character longer than the resource file. With the --ascii option, printable ascii characters are passed unescaped, while special characters like tabs and newlines are given the usual escape codes.

-k, --keep-ext
    This option causes reswrap to keep the file extension, replacing the "." with an underscore "_". For example, image.gif generates const unsigned char image_gif[]. This option is recommended as it reduces errors when using the data arrays.

-nk, --drop-ext
    This option causes the declaration to be based only on the basename of the resource file. For example, image.gif generates const unsigned char image[].

-m, --msdos
    Read files with MS-DOS mode. This replaces "\r\n" with "\n" when reading the resource file. Only use this if the resource is actually text!

-b, --binary
    Read files in BINARY mode. Data other than text should always be read in using binary mode. This option is the default.

-u, --unsigned
    Generate unsigned char declaration, even when --text or --ascii was specified.

-N, --no-const
    Do not generate const declarations.

-C, --const
    Force generation of const declarations.

-cc, --comments
    Add comments to the output files. This option is the default. At the top of each output file, write the current date, and the reswrap version number.

-nc, --no-comments
    Suppress generations of comments in the output files.

-p name, --prefix name
    Prepend the given prefix in front of the name of the resource; this may be used to generate class names or namespace names in front of symbols.

-f name, --suffix name
    Prepend the given prefix in front of the name of the resource; this may be used to generate class names or namespace names in front of symbols.

-n name, --namespace name
    Generate all declarations inside the given C++ namespace declaration. Using a namespace may be used to ensure that declarations are only accessible within the given scope, and thus won't clash with symbols.

-c cols, --columns cols
    Writes cols columns instead of the default number of columns in the data statements generated by reswrap. The default number of columns for decimal is 10 columns, while the default for hexadecimal printout is 16 columns. For text string printout, the default is 80 characters. When the number of columns is set to 0, decimal or hexadecimal output is printed without breaking columns, while text output lines are broken only at the newlines.

-r name, --resource name
    Instead of using a resource name based on the filename, reswrap substitutes name for the resource name used in the declaration or definition for the following resource file. This is useful if the filename can not be used as an identifier, for example if the filename happens to be a reserved word in C or C++, like "while.gif".

CAVEATS
When using the text string mode, please remember the C compiler appends one nul-character after the string, making the data array one element longer than the resource file.

AUTHOR
This manpage was originally written by Torsten Landschoff (torsten@debian.org) for the Debian distribution of the FOX Toolkit, and is currently maintained by Jeroen van der Zijp (jeroen@fox-toolkit.net).

COPYRIGHT
Copyright © 1997,2022 Jeroen van der Zijp.
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions. There is NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

SEE ALSO
The reswrap program is a part of the FOX GUI Toolkit. Further information about reswrap can be found at: http://www.fox-toolkit.org The FOX Toolkit website includes detailed information about reswrap and its use.