How do I embed a text file in my exe?

[David]

I have an application that creates a database from a text file of DDL
(generated by Visio). Currently I have to deploy the text file with my
application and open it using the statement: SQL =
My.Computer.Fil eSystem.ReadAll Text("CreateDB. SQL").

This works fine, but I would prefer not to have to deploy a separate text
file, and I would like to prevent the users from having access to this file.

Is there some way to easily embed the text file into the compiled
executable? If there is, I will also need to know how to open and read from
an embedded file.

[jayeldee]

David,

You can add the file to your project, then set its Build ACtion to
'Embedded Resource' through the IDE. You can then access it using a
function like the one below (there may be a cleaner way but this is
what I've used for similar files in the past)

Note: The FileName variable will be "[NameSpace].[FileName]" where
NameSpace is the namespace of your project (if you have one defined) in
the project properties. I just wrote up a console app and I had to use
"ConsoleApplica tion3.TextFile1 " to stream it.

Function GetFileContents (ByVal FileName As String) As String

Dim this As [Assembly]
Dim fileStream As IO.Stream
Dim streamReader As IO.StreamReader
Dim strContents As String
this = System.Reflecti on.Assembly.Get ExecutingAssemb ly
fileStream = this.GetManifes tResourceStream (FileName)
streamReader = New IO.StreamReader (fileStream)
strContents = streamReader.Re adToEnd
streamReader.Cl ose()
Return strContents

End Function

[David]

Please ignore I worked this out myself as follows (to easy with VS2005):

- Open My Project and go to the Resources tab
- Click "Add Resource", then "Add Existing File" and select the DDL file
(in my case CreateDB.SQL)

The file is now an embedded resource and can be accessed as follows:

SQL = My.Resources.Cr eateDB

Note the file extension is dropped when it is added to the resources.

"David" wrote:

I have an application that creates a database from a text file of DDL
(generated by Visio). Currently I have to deploy the text file with my
application and open it using the statement: SQL =
My.Computer.Fil eSystem.ReadAll Text("CreateDB. SQL").

This works fine, but I would prefer not to have to deploy a separate text
file, and I would like to prevent the users from having access to this file.

Is there some way to easily embed the text file into the compiled
executable? If there is, I will also need to know how to open and read from
an embedded file.

[David]

Thanks Jayeldee. I must have been posting my own reponse at the same time you
posted yours. I think we have the same approach but VS2005 allowed me to cut
a few corners.

"jayeldee" wrote:

David,

You can add the file to your project, then set its Build ACtion to
'Embedded Resource' through the IDE. You can then access it using a
function like the one below (there may be a cleaner way but this is
what I've used for similar files in the past)

Note: The FileName variable will be "[NameSpace].[FileName]" where
NameSpace is the namespace of your project (if you have one defined) in
the project properties. I just wrote up a console app and I had to use
"ConsoleApplica tion3.TextFile1 " to stream it.

Function GetFileContents (ByVal FileName As String) As String

Dim this As [Assembly]
Dim fileStream As IO.Stream
Dim streamReader As IO.StreamReader
Dim strContents As String
this = System.Reflecti on.Assembly.Get ExecutingAssemb ly
fileStream = this.GetManifes tResourceStream (FileName)
streamReader = New IO.StreamReader (fileStream)
strContents = streamReader.Re adToEnd
streamReader.Cl ose()
Return strContents

End Function

[jayeldee]

Sounds a lot easier to do in 2005.