Name: resfile

Type: keyword

Syntax: resfile

Summary: Used as a URL type with such commands as <load> and <get> to designate the resource fork of a Mac OS file.

Introduced: 1.0

OS: mac

Platforms: desktop,server,web

Example:
get URL "resfile:/Disk/System Folder/Apple Menu Items/Calculator App"

The result: >*Important:*  Unlike the <file> and <binfile> <URL> types, the <resfile> <keyword> cannot be used to create a <file>. If the <file> "myFile" doesn't yet exist, attempting to use it with the <resfile> <keyword> will fail and the <result> <function> will be set to "file not found". To create a new resource file, first use a <file> <URL> to create the <file> with an empty <data fork>, then write the needed data to its <resource fork>:.

Description:
Use the <resfile> <keyword> to work with <Mac OS> <resource fork|resource forks>.

On Mac OS systems, files consist of either or both of a data fork and a resource fork. The resource fork contains defined resources such as icons, menu definitions, dialog boxes, fonts, and so forth.

A URL container can be used anywhere another container type is used. The LiveCode-specific scheme "resfile" indicates the resource fork of a file which is located on the user's system. The file is specified by either an absolute path starting with "/", or a relative path from the defaultFolder.

A <resfile> <URL> specifies the entire <resource fork>, not just one <resource>. The most common use for this <URL> <URL scheme|scheme> is to copy an entire <resource fork> from one <file> to another. To modify the data from a <resfile> <URL>, you need to understand the details of Apple's <resource fork> format.

  put empty into URL "file:myFile" -- creates an empty file
  put myStoredResources into URL "resfile:myFile"

References: URL (keyword), file (keyword), binfile (keyword), resfile (keyword), get (command), load (command), revCopyFile (command), result (function), setResource (function), keyword (glossary), resource fork (glossary), resource (glossary), Mac OS (glossary), URL scheme (glossary), data fork (glossary), function (control_st)

Tags: file system
