Options for ARC.EXE Foundation

The resource compiler is started on the command line using the following syntax:

ARC [<options>] <file1> [<fileN>] 

ARC.EXE creates one RES file from all ARC files specified on the command line. If the #include directive appears in an ARC file, the resource compiler searches for the include files in the current directory and in the directories listed in the INCLUDE environment variable. The files containing the external resources - like bitmaps or icons - are searched in the current directory and in the directories listed in the XPPRESOURCE environment variable.

The resource compiler accepts the following command line options:

/? | /h

Displays information about ARC options.

/d<id>[=<val>]

The /d option specifies the #define constant <id> to the resource compiler on the command line. The #define constant is valid within the ARC file. Optionally, the constant can be assigned the value <val>. If the value is to be a string literal (eg. #if LANG == "GER"), it must be enclosed in single or double quotation marks. Single quotation marks are recommended however, because command shell-specific escape rules must be considered for double quotation marks.

/ga

When the /ga option is used, all literal character strings in the ARC file are treated as code points of the ANSI code page and when converting to the internal format of the resource.

/go

When the /go option is used, all literal character strings in the ARC file are treated as code points of the OEM code page and when converting to the internal format of the resource.

/i:<path>

The /i option specifies the search directory <path>for the resource compiler to use when locating #include files. Normally, ARC.EXE only searches for these files in the directories specified by the INCLUDE environment variable.

/o:<name>

Normally, the resource compiler creates a RES file which has the same file name as the ARC file it is created from. The /o switch is used to rename the resulting RES file to <name>.

/q

Suppresses screen output while compiling (quiet mode).

/rc

Translates an ARC file to an RC file that can be compiled by the OS/2 resource compiler RC.EXE.

/v

The switch /v activates the verbose mode of the resource compiler.

/x:<path>

The /x option specifies other search directories <path> for resource files. The default search path is determined by the XPPRESOURCE environment variable. Multiple directories are to be delimited by a semicolon.