1. Description
CSelfXResource presents binary resources contained in specified module and
extracts them into local file
2. Purpose
Assuming you need special version of the DLL for your program but do not want
or cannot install this DLL before your application starts and cannot deinstall
this DLL after your application ends. Or you need an output of an other
application, but cannot or do not want to install this application before yours.
Or you need support from your customized driver, but again cannot or do not want
to install and deinstall this driver separately. In any these cases you can use
CSelfXResource:
- developing your application insert needed binary (.DLL, .EXE, .SYS etc.)
as custom binary resource in your project - instantiate CSelfXResource with resource ID and resource type you assigned
to binary(-ies) - extract and save the needed resource to local file
- use this binary as you need
- on destruction of the CSelfXResource object the local file containing
extracted resource will be also deleted
3. Sample
There is small sample application included: one useful utility ListDll.EXE
(thanks to Mr. Mark Russinovich www.sysinternals.com)
inserted as binary resource. This Application will be extracted on runtime in
local file, started, the output will be redirected int output file and the
contents of this file will be shown in the main application window.
The same way you can use CSelfXResource for DLL: insert DLL as binary
resource, extract into local file on runtime, call LoadLibrary, GetProcAddress
and so on.
Also drivers can be used this way: on Win9x – insert VxD into application as
binary resource, extract on runtime, and call CreateFile() etc. to load and call
the driver. On WindowsNT – insert SYS as binary resource, extract on runtime,
call CreateService(), StartService() and call the driver.
…just try!…Sure, the application executable (or DLL – if your application
is an DLL) will grow, but for 1-2 binary files this is sometimes preferrable
against need to create installation/deinstallation.
4. Credits
Thanks to Dr. Mark Russinovich www.sysinternals.com
for tools
5. Contact
For questions and bugfixes use mailto:mike_becker@freenet.de