Explanation of Resources Stored in Macintosh QuickBASIC 1.00 (35762)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft QuickBASIC Compiler for the Apple Macintosh 1.0
This article was previously published under Q35762

SUMMARY

This article explains the resources that are stored in the resource fork of Microsoft QuickBASIC (b) or (d) Version 1.00 for Apple Macintosh.

When you run ResEdit and open Microsoft QuickBASIC (b) or (d), you will see a list of resource types. You can change some of these resources to customize QuickBASIC. Please note that customizing QuickBASIC can be risky because it requires modifying QuickBASIC itself. The following are some possible changes:

  1. Define or change COMMAND-key equivalents for QuickBASIC's menu items.
  2. Change run-time error messages.
  3. Define new page sizes for the printer.
  4. Change the creator type of QuickBASIC so the Finder can distinguish the desktop icons of QuickBASIC's files from the icons of earlier versions of the BASIC Interpreter (2.00, 2.10, and 3.00). For a separate article describing the change, search on the following words:

    icon and MSBB and MSBA

MORE INFORMATION

Note that the Finder uses the BNDL, ICN#, FREF, MSBB (or the lowercase msbb), and MSBA (or the lowercase msba) resources to give appropriate icons to QuickBASIC and the files created by QuickBASIC.

The following is an alphabetically-ordered list of the resources that are stored in the resource fork of Microsoft QuickBASIC (b) and (d) Version 1.00 for Apple Macintosh: 
  Name     Description
   ----     -----------

   BNDL    Bundle resource.
           id# 128 standard bundle.
           id# 129 alternate bundle.
           The alternate bundle is automatically used if the creator
           type of QuickBASIC is changed to msbb (for binary
           QuickBASIC) or msba (for decimal QuickBASIC) (lower case is
           required). You may wish to change QuickBASIC's creator type
           if you plan to use both QuickBASIC and an older version of
           Microsoft BASIC Interpreter on the same disk.

   CODE    QuickBASIC Interpreter CODE.

   CURS    Stopsign CURSor used in QuickBASIC interpreter breakpoints.

   DITL    Dialog ITem Lists.

   DLOG    DiaLOG. The DITL and DLOGs are used together for
           QuickBASIC's various dialogs.

   FREF    File REFerence.

   ICN#    ICoN list. Icons for QuickBASIC's files and the QuickBASIC
           application.

   ICON    ICONs used in QuickBASIC's animated dialog that displays
           whenever you compile a program.

   MBAB    Application BNDL.

   MBAF    Application FREF.

   MBAI    Application ICN#.

   MBCB    Application signature resource. The MBAB, MBAF, MBAI, and
           MBCB resources are copied to the resource fork of the
           compiled application, and their type is changed to BNDL,
           FREF, ICN#, and MBCB, respectively.

   MBCC    Compiler Code.

   MBCO    Default Compiler Options.

   MBCS    Compiler extenSions. Filename extensions for compiler
           output files: lst, sym, and apl. WARNING: these are NOT
           Pascal strings, and your computer may hang if you Open
           As... STR in ResEdit. Instead, just double-click to open
           the desired extension resource, then click in the text area
           of the dump. You may simply type the desired extension.

   MBCV    Compiler Version number.

   MBKI    Keyword Information. Resources of type MBKI are named
           resources that contain the information that is displayed
           when you select Get Info... from the Search menu in
           QuickBASIC for help concerning a QuickBASIC statement. To
           edit one, select Open As... in ResEdit, and select STR.
           This allows you to add multiple lines to the information.
           Since these are Pascal strings, they are limited to 255
           characters.

   MBLC    Library Code. This resource contains library routines (for
           example, the ToolBox and DrawText statements). These are
           automatically copied to the resource fork of a compiled
           application if the "Include MBPCs & MBLCs" compiler option
           is selected in the Options... dialog box in the QuickBASIC
           Run menu.

   MBNC    Null Code. MBNC resources become the CODE resources of an
           application that did not compile successfully. This code
           quits as soon as it starts.

   MBPC    Pure Code. There is just one Pure Code resource shipped
           with QuickBASIC: the Eject routine. MBPC executable
           resources may be created with other high-level languages.
           These are automatically copied to the compiled application
           if the "Include MBPCs & MBLCs" compiler option is selected
           in the Options... dialog box in the QuickBASIC Run menu.

   MBRL    Run-time Library, which contains support code necessary to
           make a compiled QuickBASIC program run. The appropriate
           QuickBASIC run-time library is automatically copied to the
           resource fork of the application if the "Include The
           Runtime Code" compiler option is selected in the Options...
           dialog box in the QuickBASIC Run menu. There are three
           different run-time libraries: Decimal Math; Binary Math;
           and 68881 Coprocessor Binary Math.

   MBSC    Startup Code.

   MBTI    Toolbox Information. Named resources with a type of MBTI
           contain the information that is displayed when you select
           Get Info... from the Search menu in QuickBASIC for help
           concerning the toolbox library and ROM routines. You may
           edit these the same way you do MBKI resources, selecting
           Open As... STR in ResEdit.

   MBTS    ToolBox Syntax. This is the type-checking resource used by
           the ToolBox statement. (Note that the "ToolBox" statement
           is a routine of type MBLC). The QuickBASIC User's Guide
           contains instructions on editing the MBTS resource to
           provide type checking for more ROM traps.

   MENU    QuickBASIC's menu templates. You may edit this resource to
           add or change command key equivalents for QuickBASIC's
           menus. You cannot change the hidden command keys like
           OPTION+COMMAND+I and OPTION+COMMAND+K, you can only change
           the ones where a command key is listed in the menu item.
           The following are some additions that you may find useful:

           Command Key  Menu item
           -----------  ---------

           N            New
           OPTION+F     Find Next (appears as a script 'f')
           P            Print...
           =            Find Selected text (find equivalent text)
           A            Save As...
           \            Options... (or use - or / which are traditional
                                   option symbols in other environments)

           The ID numbers for QuickBASIC's menus are as follows:

           Menu           MENU ID
           ----           -------

           Apple          256
           File           262
           Edit           258
           Search         259
           Windows        260
           Run            261
           File (runtime) 257

   MSBB    Microsoft BASIC signature resource for binary math version.
           This resource contains a Pascal string that is displayed
           when you highlight Microsoft QuickBASIC (b) on the desktop
           and choose Get Info... from Finder's File menu.

   msbb    Alternate signature resource for binary math version. This
           is automatically used when the creator type of QuickBASIC
           (b) is changed to lowercase msbb.

   MSBA    Microsoft BASIC signature resource for decimal math
           version. This resource contains a Pascal string that is
           displayed when you highlight Microsoft QuickBASIC (d) on
           the desktop and choose Get Info... from Finder's File menu.

   msba    Alternate signature resource for decimal math version. This
           is automatically used when the creator type of QuickBASIC
           (d) is changed to lowercase msba.

   PREC    PRint RECord. This resource may be edited to define
           different page sizes. This lets you print mailing labels or
           checks more easily. This resource is automatically copied
           to the resource fork of your compiled application. The
           QuickBASIC user's guide contains more information about
           changing this resource.

   SIZE    MultiFinder memory allocation information. This may be
           changed to enable QuickBASIC to load larger source files.
           The README file on the distribution disks contains more
           information about changing this resource.

   STR     STRing resources, such as error messages, etc. Note that
           the type "STR " has a space character after the R. These
           are Pascal strings.

   vers    QuickBASIC version number. (Note that "vers" is lowercase.)

   WIND    Default WINDow templates.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:1/8/2003
Keywords:KB35762
©2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.