Resource Files

This section describes the syntax for the resource language using railroad syntax, and describes the formats used.

Resource files are used to build dialog templates, menu templates, accelerator tables, extended attribute association tables, keyboard scancode mapping tables, keyboard names and fonts. The files must be compiled before they can be used by application programs.

How to Read the Syntax Definitions

Throughout this reference, syntax is described using the following structure.

• Read the syntax diagrams from left to right, from top to bottom, following the path of the line.

  The ─── symbol indicates the beginning of a statement.

  The ─── symbol indicates that the statement syntax is continued on the next line.

  The ─── symbol indicates that a statement is continued from the previous line.

  The ─── symbol indicates the end of a statement.

  Diagrams of syntactical units other than complete statements start with the ─── symbol and end with the ─── symbol.

• Required items appear on the horizontal line (the main path).

  ───STATEMENT───────required_item───────────
  

• Optional items appear below the main path.

  ───STATEMENT─────┬───────────────┬─────────
                     └─optional_item─┘
  

• If a choice can be made from two or more items, they appear vertically, in a stack.

  If one of the items must be chosen, one item of the stack appears on the main path.

  ───STATEMENT───┬──required_choice1──┬──────
                   └──required_choice2──┘
  

  If choosing one of the items is optional, the entire stack appears below the main path.

  ───STATEMENT───┬────────────────────┬──────
                   ├──optional_choice1──┤
                   └──optional_choice2──┘
  

• An arrow returning to the left above the main path indicates an item that can be repeated.

                   ┌──────────────────┐
                                     │
  ───STATEMENT─────repeatable_item──┴────────
  

  A repeat arrow above a stack indicates that a choice can be made from the stacked items, or a single choice can be repeated.

• Keywords appear in uppercase, for example:

  PARM1
  
  

  They must be spelled exactly as shown. Variables appear in all lowercase letters, for example:

  parmx
  
  

  They represent user-supplied names or values.

• If punctuation marks, parentheses, arithmetic operators, or such symbols are shown, they must be entered as part of the syntax.