.RESX File Format – Tooling

.NET resource file

The .NET classes

ClassWhat it does
System.Resources.ResXResourceReaderreads a .resx: enumerates the name and value pairs (GetEnumerator, GetMetadataEnumerator); UseResXDataNodes returns ResXDataNodes instead of values, so that an entry can be inspected without being deserialised; BasePath resolves file references; ResXResourceReader.FromFileContents reads from a string. It checks the headers as described on the schema page
ResXResourceWriterwrites the schema, the four headers and the entries: AddResource(name, value), AddMetadata, AddAlias, Generate; it chooses the form of each value by its type (string, base64 byte array, converter text, or BinaryFormatter)
ResXDataNodeone entry: Name, Comment, FileRef, GetValue, GetValueTypeName, WriteToResourceFile
ResXFileRef, ResXNullRefthe file reference and the null marker, see values
ResourceReader, ResourceWriter, ResourceManager, ComponentResourceManagerthe binary .resources format and the run-time lookup
StronglyTypedResourceBuildermakes the designer class from a resource file

Tools

  • resgen (ResGen.exe) – the Resource File Generator: converts between .txt, .resx and .resources, and writes the strongly typed class (/str). The build’s GenerateResource task does the same.
  • al (the Assembly Linker) – makes satellite assemblies from .resources files.
  • Visual Studio – the resource designer: a grid of names, values and comments with a view for strings, images, icons, audio and files; it keeps the XML and the references up to date.
  • System.Resources.Extensions – a package with PreserializedResourceWriter and a reader for the serialised entries of a .resources file that does not use BinaryFormatter; the documentation names it for projects that have binary.base64 entries and cannot use BinaryFormatter.
  • This site’s viewer – shows the entries, the decoded values, the pictures and icons inside them, and every problem, in the browser, without running any .NET code.

Not described

Known, not yet covered

  • Reference: the command-line switches of resgen and al and the properties of GenerateResource are not listed.

Unknown

  • Reference: none of these tools or classes was run here (no .NET SDK is installed).