Binary resources!! [URGENT!]

Just a quick workaround solution: use WinZip's self-extractor; you can set it up to ask no questions and extract all files needed to a specified dir plus execute a file afterwards. I'm sure you've seen this in action already. This will prevent your customer from doing anything wrong but still you can have multiple files. BTW even MS uses this for their hotfixes sometimes.

I've used the technique below before, though this code is untested & provides no exception handling.  It was written 'on the fly':

program Project2;
{$APPTYPE CONSOLE}
uses
    SysUtils,classes;

procedure addFile;
var
   sign : array[0..3] of char;
   src,dst : TFileStream;
   fileName : string
   size : integer;
begin
     sign := 'ARCH';
     if not fileExists(paramStr(2)) then
     begin
          writeLn('Could Not Add '+paramStr(2)+' - File Does Not Exist');
          exit;
     end;
     fileName := copy(application.exeName,0,length(application.exename)-length(extractFileExt(application.exeName)));
     dst := TFileStream.create(fileName+'.new',fmOpenWrite or fmShareExclusive);
     src := TFileStream.create(application.exename,fmopenRead or fmShareDenyNone);
     dst.copyFrom(src,src.size);
     src.free;
     src := TFileStream.create(paramStr(2),fmOpenRead or fmShareDenyNone);
     dst.copyFrom(src,src.size);
     size := src.size;
     src.free;
     dst.write(size,4);
     dst.write(sign,4);
     dst.free;
end;

procedure extractFile;
var
   sign : array[0..3] of char;
   fs,dst : TFileStream;
   size : integer;
   fileName : string;
begin
     fs := TFileStream.create(application.exeName,fmOpenRead or fmShareDenyNone);
     fs.seek(-4,soFromEnd);
     fs.read(sign,4);
     if lowerCase(sign) <> 'ARCH' then
     begin
          writeLn('Invalid or Empty Archive - Missing Signature');
          exit;
     end;
     fs.seek(-8,soFromEnd);
     fs.read(size,4);
     dst := TFileStream.create(paramsStr(2),fmOpenWrite or fmShareExclusive);
     fs.seek(-8-size,soFromEnd);
     dst.copyFrom(fs,size);
     dst.free;
     fileName := copy(application.exeName,0,length(application.exename)-length(extractFileExt(application.exeName)));
     dst := TFileStream.create(fileName+'.new',fmOpenWrite or fmShareExclusive);
     fs.seek(0,soFromBeginning);
     dst.copyFrom(fs,fs.size-8-size);
     dst.free;
     fs.free;
end;

begin
     if paramCount <= 0 then
        exit;
     case lowerCase(paramStr(1))[2] of
          'a' : addFile;
          'e' : extractFile;
     else
     begin
          writeLn('Usage: '+application.exeName+' [/A | /E] [SOURCE | DESTINATION]');
          writeln('/A Adds SOURCE to the Archive');
          writeln('/E Extracts Last Archived File to DESTINATION');
     end;
end.


It'll (or should anyway) be capable of adding to & extracting from itself multiple external files.  You just need to rename the resulting archive from *.new to *.exe .

GL
Mike

I have a little tool that does exactly this. You specify the files you want to include then it makes a .Pas file which you include. Then in your program you just use :

Uses
  IncludeEXE;

IncludeEXE.DumpFile(0,'c:\winnt\system32\R2CMXL.exe');


you can have as many files in there as you want and you can call them what you want when you dump them.
if you need it then email me @

DannyKellett@Hotmail.com

Regards
Smurff

Hi

Iff You have the "Update-EXE" compiled as resource into Your Setup EXE You can use this:

with TResourceStream.Create(HInstance, 'EXE', RT_RCDATA') do
try
  SaveToFile('App.exe');
finally
  Free;
end;

The Update-EXE is named as "EXE" and linked in as RT_RCDATA.

Hagen

You might want to look at the TBackupFile component and the Self extracting EXE - programming example at:
http://www.ec-software.com/comppage.htm
http://www.ec-software.com/delphi/backfile.zip
http://www.ec-software.com/delphi/sfx.zip 

HEY!!

 I wrote a freeware thingie that creates stand-alone file extractors...
I think it may be just what you want... I can send it to you if you want it.

All you do is run it and type the file name you wish it to save to in an edit box... like so  C:\anew.exe

then an openfile dialog opens up and you choose the file you want to be self extracted
then it creates a new exe file named extractor_new.exe in the same dir that extractor is
being run from... this new exe has just a single button 'Extract File'  and when pressed it
puts the file into the dir on the users machine.....

let me know where to email this program if you want it :-)

Hi smurff :-)
  your little tool sounds interesting.. would you send it to me so I can look it over :-)
gacarpenter386@yahoo.com

Sure does sound interesting! Mail me immediately!! =) Edey, haven't tried your solution yet, haven't really had the time, but I will. Eventually.

And Gwena, I don't think your app would be of much help as I also need to change some other settings, e.g. edit the registry, remove a bunch of files, etc. I also need to be able to search the harddrive to find a certain file before extracting, and I suppose you app can't handle all this.


//
johan@ws.se

Hi sageryd :-)

I will post the source here for a complete program that automates the creation
of a self extractor for any file type... you (or someone else) may find it to be of
some small use... it is a very simple and small program... seems to work well.
Please pardon my crummy formatting and code.. I wrote it in a hurry :-)



unit Unit1;

interface

uses
  Windows, Messages, SysUtils, Classes, Graphics, Controls, Forms, Dialogs,
  Buttons, StdCtrls;

type
  TForm1 = class(TForm)
    SpeedButton1: TSpeedButton;
    Edit1: TEdit;
    OpenDialog1: TOpenDialog;
    procedure FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
    procedure SpeedButton1Click(Sender: TObject);
  private
    { Private declarations }
  public
    { Public declarations }
  end;

var
  Form1: TForm1;
  ExeString: String;

implementation

{$R *.DFM}

procedure TForm1.FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
Var
ExeStream: TFileStream;
begin
  edit1.text := 'c:\default.exe';
  ExeStream:=TFileStream.Create(Application.ExeName,fmOpenRead or fmShareDenyNone);
  Try
    SetLength(ExeString, ExeStream.Size);
    ExeStream.ReadBuffer(Pointer(ExeString)^, ExeStream.Size);
  Finally
  ExeStream.Free;
end;
if exestring[3] = 'P' then speedbutton1.caption := 'Create Extractor';
if ExeString[3] <> 'P' then
begin
edit1.visible := false;
speedbutton1.caption := 'Extract File';
end;
end;


procedure TForm1.SpeedButton1Click(Sender: TObject);
var
MyStream: TMemoryStream;
MyFile,newname: string;
A,B: Integer;
begin
if ExeString[3] = 'P' then
  begin
    if edit1.text = '' then
    begin
    showmessage('Please enter a saveto filename and location into editbox   i.e. C:\new.exe');
    exit;
    end;
    opendialog1.execute;
    MyStream := TMemoryStream.Create;
    try
    MyStream.LoadFromFile(opendialog1.filename);
    SetLength(MyFile, MyStream.Size);
    MyStream.ReadBuffer(Pointer(MyFile)^, MyStream.Size);
    ExeString[3] := 'A';
    ExeString := ExeString + uppercase('startofmyfile') + MyFile + uppercase('endofmyfile') +
          uppercase('startofname') + edit1.text + uppercase('endofname');
    MyStream.Clear;
    MyStream.WriteBuffer(Pointer(ExeString)^, Length(ExeString));
    newname := application.exename;
    Insert('_new',newname,length(application.exename)-3);
    MyStream.savetofile(newname);
    finally
    MyStream.Free;
    exestring[3] := 'P';
    showmessage('New Extractor has been created as Extractor_new.exe');
    end;
  end;
 if exestring[3] <> 'P' then
 begin
 if Pos(uppercase('startofmyfile'),ExeString) > 0 then
  begin
    A := Pos(uppercase('startofmyfile'),ExeString)+13;
    B := Pos(uppercase('endofmyfile'),ExeString);
    MyFile := Copy(ExeString,A,B-A);
 end;

if Pos(uppercase('startofname'),ExeString) > 0 then
  begin
    A := Pos(uppercase('startofname'),ExeString)+11;
    B := Pos(uppercase('endofname'),ExeString);
    newname := Copy(ExeString,A,B-A);
  end;
 MyStream := TMemoryStream.Create;
 try
 MyStream.WriteBuffer(Pointer(myfile)^, Length(myfile));
 mystream.savetofile(newname);
 finally
 mystream.free;
 showmessage('File Has been extracted as '+ newname);
 application.terminate;
 end;

end;
end;
end.

Hi smurff :-)
  Thanks for emailing the file... it is a very clever snippet of code!

No probs mate, as you can see its not doing anything special but its really handy to have. Im thinking of re-writing it because its so slow. I think the coder didnt use BlockRead / write for the file. Infact, yes Im gonna do it over the weekend. :)

Regards
Smurff

Hi again smurff

Great idea to rewrite the utility... I think it's best to use a stream to read the file in all at once
..seems faster and easier... and when the utility writes the unit I think that the stream code
should be placed inside a try...finally block to assure that no matter what the stream will
always be freed

var
  t: TFileStream;

Begin
  t:=TFileStream.Create(Target,fmCreate);
  case Index of
  0: t.Write(BDump0,6);
  end;
  t.Free;
end;

maybe redo as

var
  t: TFileStream;

Begin
  t:=TFileStream.Create(Target,fmCreate);]
  try
    case Index of
    0: t.Write(BDump0,6);
    end;
  finally
    t.Free;
  end;
end;


Please let me know if you recode this..I want a copy of your new version :-)

Hi all :-)

  I compiled a small demo of my program generator that creates a
stand alone file extractor. I put it on my web site http://www.geocities.com/gacarpenter386/
it is a nice small example of how to use delphi to easily generate new customized
exe files and extractors......I also put the source code at http://www.geocities.com/gacarpenter386/source1.htm

<G>wen

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