Loading 16 bits dll (ICL icon library file)

[MsNews]

Hi,

I'm creating a free Icon library in C# with source code include, it already
support .ico/.dll../exe and I'd like to support .ICL format too, I need to
load a file .ICL (Icon Library) that basically it is a 16-bit dll and then
after that I can extracts and insert icons inside.

I tried the only function in Win32API left for 16bit (LoadModule), it loads
the library but Windows starts to give strange message boxes, as "Not enough
memory to run 16-bit applications" or things like that.

So, do you know a way to load 16bit dll (New Executable format) in Win32? Or
how to read/write .ICL files?
Any kind of information RFC/Articles/News everything related to ICL file can
be useful and will be apreciated.

Thanks a lot.
Gustavo.

[Chris Becke]

You know, I was under the impression that Win32 apps could load 16bit
resource dlls by calling LoadLibraryEx with the LOAD_LIBRARY_AS _DATAFILE
flag.

"MsNews" <so*****@hotmai l.comwrote in message
news:uw******** ********@TK2MSF TNGP02.phx.gbl. ..

Hi,

I'm creating a free Icon library in C# with source code include, it

already

support .ico/.dll../exe and I'd like to support .ICL format too, I need to
load a file .ICL (Icon Library) that basically it is a 16-bit dll and then
after that I can extracts and insert icons inside.

I tried the only function in Win32API left for 16bit (LoadModule), it

loads

the library but Windows starts to give strange message boxes, as "Not

enough

memory to run 16-bit applications" or things like that.

So, do you know a way to load 16bit dll (New Executable format) in Win32?

Or

how to read/write .ICL files?
Any kind of information RFC/Articles/News everything related to ICL file

can

be useful and will be apreciated.

Thanks a lot.
Gustavo.

[news.microsoft.com]

When I tried that, the library (ICL) did not load and it gives, the
following error on GetLastError();

193 - ERROR_BAD_EXE_F ORMAT (Is not a valid application.)

Then to make sure was not because of the ICL, I uncompress a Win3.1
installation and I tried to load some dlls as PBRUSH.DLL and I got the same
result.

So, I don't know what else to use to load this kind of resources.

Gustavo.
"Chris Becke" <ch*********@gm ail.comwrote in message
news:uM******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP02.phx.gbl...

You know, I was under the impression that Win32 apps could load 16bit
resource dlls by calling LoadLibraryEx with the LOAD_LIBRARY_AS _DATAFILE
flag.

"MsNews" <so*****@hotmai l.comwrote in message
news:uw******** ********@TK2MSF TNGP02.phx.gbl. ..

>Hi,

I'm creating a free Icon library in C# with source code include, it

already

>support .ico/.dll../exe and I'd like to support .ICL format too, I need
to
load a file .ICL (Icon Library) that basically it is a 16-bit dll and
then
after that I can extracts and insert icons inside.

I tried the only function in Win32API left for 16bit (LoadModule), it

loads

>the library but Windows starts to give strange message boxes, as "Not

enough

>memory to run 16-bit applications" or things like that.

So, do you know a way to load 16bit dll (New Executable format) in Win32?

Or

>how to read/write .ICL files?
Any kind of information RFC/Articles/News everything related to ICL file

can

>be useful and will be apreciated.

Thanks a lot.
Gustavo.

[Tim Roberts]

"news.microsoft .com" <gustavo_[remove]fr****@hotmail. comwrote:

>When I tried that, the library (ICL) did not load and it gives, the
following error on GetLastError();

193 - ERROR_BAD_EXE_F ORMAT (Is not a valid application.)

Then to make sure was not because of the ICL, I uncompress a Win3.1
installation and I tried to load some dlls as PBRUSH.DLL and I got the same
result.

So, I don't know what else to use to load this kind of resources.

The NE file format is not really very complicated. Just open the file
using the standard file APIs and read it yourself. There must still be a
bunch of NE resources on the web.
--
- Tim Roberts, ti**@probo.com
Providenza & Boekelheide, Inc.

[news.microsoft.com]

I was reading this excellent article about NE

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;EN-US;q65122

Doesn't look too complicate, the problem is if I open and process the file I
won't get a valid Windows Handle, and will not be able to use the APIs like

LoadResource, FindResource, BeginUpdateReso urce, LoadIcon, etc.

I was reading that those APIs works under 32 and 16 bits, the problem is how
to get a handle to the module.

If I don't load the NE in the way Windows does, then I will have to
implement all those APIs myself, that means also I have to know and parse
the Resources format too inside the NE.

If I can get a 16bits load in memory as a DataFile and get a HMODULE handle
to it, the rest should be piece of cake using standards Windows APIs

Gustavo.

"Tim Roberts" <ti**@probo.com wrote in message
news:7v******** *************** *********@4ax.c om...

"news.microsoft .com" <gustavo_[remove]fr****@hotmail. comwrote:

>>When I tried that, the library (ICL) did not load and it gives, the
following error on GetLastError();

193 - ERROR_BAD_EXE_F ORMAT (Is not a valid application.)

Then to make sure was not because of the ICL, I uncompress a Win3.1
installatio n and I tried to load some dlls as PBRUSH.DLL and I got the
same
result.

So, I don't know what else to use to load this kind of resources.

The NE file format is not really very complicated. Just open the file
using the standard file APIs and read it yourself. There must still be a
bunch of NE resources on the web.
--
- Tim Roberts, ti**@probo.com
Providenza & Boekelheide, Inc.

[Ben Voigt]

"news.microsoft .com" <gustavo_[remove]fr****@hotmail. comwrote in message
news:e%******** *******@TK2MSFT NGP04.phx.gbl.. .

>I was reading this excellent article about NE

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;EN-US;q65122

Doesn't look too complicate, the problem is if I open and process the file
I won't get a valid Windows Handle, and will not be able to use the APIs
like

LoadResource, FindResource, BeginUpdateReso urce, LoadIcon, etc.

By parsing the file yourself, you would need to write your own LoadResource
function, however after reading the raw data into memory you can still use
for example CreateIconFromR esource for all the image manipulation.

All the functions that work on HMODULEs are designed for PE-format
executables.

>
I was reading that those APIs works under 32 and 16 bits, the problem is
how to get a handle to the module.

The file doesn't contain a PE module.

>
If I don't load the NE in the way Windows does, then I will have to
implement all those APIs myself, that means also I have to know and parse
the Resources format too inside the NE.

The way Windows loads 16-bit programs is through wowexec. You can probably
use its APIs. See http://www.microsoft.com/msj/0898/hood0898.aspx

>
If I can get a 16bits load in memory as a DataFile and get a HMODULE
handle to it, the rest should be piece of cake using standards Windows
APIs

Gustavo.

"Tim Roberts" <ti**@probo.com wrote in message
news:7v******** *************** *********@4ax.c om...

>"news.microsof t.com" <gustavo_[remove]fr****@hotmail. comwrote:

>>>When I tried that, the library (ICL) did not load and it gives, the
following error on GetLastError();

193 - ERROR_BAD_EXE_F ORMAT (Is not a valid application.)

Then to make sure was not because of the ICL, I uncompress a Win3.1
installati on and I tried to load some dlls as PBRUSH.DLL and I got the
same
result.

So, I don't know what else to use to load this kind of resources.

The NE file format is not really very complicated. Just open the file
using the standard file APIs and read it yourself. There must still be a
bunch of NE resources on the web.
--
- Tim Roberts, ti**@probo.com
Providenza & Boekelheide, Inc.

[news.microsoft.com]

Thanks for the info... I keep researching on the article you sent me.

I just wanted to create a .ico file and now I'm swimming in deep waters to
understand MZ files and how to parse obsolete executables....

How I came here :)... the worst think is that the curiosity doesn't let me
go back to the library, I'm not interested in continue or publish it without
first at least know how to parse an ICL file.

Gustavo.

"Ben Voigt" <rb*@nospam.nos pamwrote in message
news:%2******** ********@TK2MSF TNGP03.phx.gbl. ..

>
"news.microsoft .com" <gustavo_[remove]fr****@hotmail. comwrote in message
news:e%******** *******@TK2MSFT NGP04.phx.gbl.. .

>>I was reading this excellent article about NE

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;EN-US;q65122

Doesn't look too complicate, the problem is if I open and process the
file I won't get a valid Windows Handle, and will not be able to use the
APIs like

LoadResource , FindResource, BeginUpdateReso urce, LoadIcon, etc.

By parsing the file yourself, you would need to write your own
LoadResource function, however after reading the raw data into memory you
can still use for example CreateIconFromR esource for all the image
manipulation.

All the functions that work on HMODULEs are designed for PE-format
executables.

>>
I was reading that those APIs works under 32 and 16 bits, the problem is
how to get a handle to the module.

The file doesn't contain a PE module.

>>
If I don't load the NE in the way Windows does, then I will have to
implement all those APIs myself, that means also I have to know and parse
the Resources format too inside the NE.

The way Windows loads 16-bit programs is through wowexec. You can
probably use its APIs. See
http://www.microsoft.com/msj/0898/hood0898.aspx

>>
If I can get a 16bits load in memory as a DataFile and get a HMODULE
handle to it, the rest should be piece of cake using standards Windows
APIs

Gustavo.

"Tim Roberts" <ti**@probo.com wrote in message
news:7v******* *************** **********@4ax. com...

>>"news.microso ft.com" <gustavo_[remove]fr****@hotmail. comwrote:

When I tried that, the library (ICL) did not load and it gives, the
following error on GetLastError();

193 - ERROR_BAD_EXE_F ORMAT (Is not a valid application.)

Then to make sure was not because of the ICL, I uncompress a Win3.1
installatio n and I tried to load some dlls as PBRUSH.DLL and I got the
same
result.

So, I don't know what else to use to load this kind of resources.

The NE file format is not really very complicated. Just open the file
using the standard file APIs and read it yourself. There must still be
a
bunch of NE resources on the web.
--
- Tim Roberts, ti**@probo.com
Providenza & Boekelheide, Inc.

[Ben Voigt]

"news.microsoft .com" <gustavo_[remove]fr****@hotmail. comwrote in message
news:uh******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP04.phx.gbl...

Thanks for the info... I keep researching on the article you sent me.

I just wanted to create a .ico file

You could just write a 16-bit helper program that opens the dll, extracts
all the icons into standard format .ico files, then use those from your main
program.

[news.microsoft.com]

Yes, but the idea is to full support ICL files, means read/write 16-bit
dlls. (simple dlls without code/data just resource table)

If I can extract the icons from the ICL is one big step, but still it is not
useful, because provide an application/library to open/read ICL (Icon
libraries) without able to change it, doesn't worth too much.

"Ben Voigt" <rb*@nospam.nos pamwrote in message
news:uB******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP05.phx.gbl...

>
"news.microsoft .com" <gustavo_[remove]fr****@hotmail. comwrote in message
news:uh******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP04.phx.gbl...

>Thanks for the info... I keep researching on the article you sent me.

I just wanted to create a .ico file

You could just write a 16-bit helper program that opens the dll, extracts
all the icons into standard format .ico files, then use those from your
main program.

[news.microsoft.com]

Finally I got everything under control and I published the library.

http://www.codeproject.com/useritems/IconLib.asp

Regards,
Gustavo.

"MsNews" <so*****@hotmai l.comwrote in message
news:uw******** ********@TK2MSF TNGP02.phx.gbl. ..

Hi,

I'm creating a free Icon library in C# with source code include, it
already support .ico/.dll../exe and I'd like to support .ICL format too, I
need to load a file .ICL (Icon Library) that basically it is a 16-bit dll
and then after that I can extracts and insert icons inside.

I tried the only function in Win32API left for 16bit (LoadModule), it
loads the library but Windows starts to give strange message boxes, as
"Not enough memory to run 16-bit applications" or things like that.

So, do you know a way to load 16bit dll (New Executable format) in Win32?
Or how to read/write .ICL files?
Any kind of information RFC/Articles/News everything related to ICL file
can be useful and will be apreciated.

Thanks a lot.
Gustavo.