wxlua-users

[wxlua-users] Embeding a binary file into an executable

[Ryan P. <rpu...@gm...>]

Does anybody know how to embed a binary file into an executable and then
extract it back out at runtime. I want to create a utility that can make
application self contained and if they require dlls or external files they
can be packed into the .exe file. Then at run-time it extracts them and then
the main application can run and use the files.
-- 
Regards,
Ryan
RJP Computing

Re: [wxlua-users] Embeding a binary file into an executable

[John L. <jla...@gm...>]

On 1/22/07, Ryan Pusztai <rpu...@gm...> wrote:
> Does anybody know how to embed a binary file into an executable and then
> extract it back out at runtime. I want to create a utility that can make
> application self contained and if they require dlls or external files they
> can be packed into the .exe file. Then at run-time it extracts them and then
> the main application can run and use the files.

I am also a big fan of single executable programs, but unfortunately
what you ask for is difficult if not impossible.

1) You can embed raw data into wxLua as a table of integers for each
byte. We would probably need to add functions catered to how to use
the data for a specific purposes.

2) Embedding dlls is not so easy I think. I have toyed with the idea
of using the wxWidgets wxZipFileSystem to zip up data and then use it.
I do not know if you can do this with dlls though. If this were
possible wxLuaFreeze could take advantage of that, but unfortunately I
do not have time these days to look into it.

You may want to do a web search for how to embed dlls in C++ and how
use them to see if it's even possible or reasonably easy to do. If so,
we can go from there to see just what it would take to add the same
functionality in wxLua.

Regards,
    John Labenski

Re: [wxlua-users] Embeding a binary file into an executable

[Ryan P. <rpu...@gm...>]

On 1/22/07, John Labenski <jla...@gm...> wrote:
>
> On 1/22/07, Ryan Pusztai <rpu...@gm...> wrote:
> > Does anybody know how to embed a binary file into an executable and then
> > extract it back out at runtime. I want to create a utility that can make
> > application self contained and if they require dlls or external files
> they
> > can be packed into the .exe file. Then at run-time it extracts them and
> then
> > the main application can run and use the files.
>
> I am also a big fan of single executable programs, but unfortunately
> what you ask for is difficult if not impossible.


There is a good implimentation of this in AutoIT v3. I would love to have
the same functionality in wxLua.

1) You can embed raw data into wxLua as a table of integers for each
> byte. We would probably need to add functions catered to how to use
> the data for a specific purposes.


Ah, ok. I saw bin2c.lua in the 'utils' directory i will look into how you
did that.

2) Embedding dlls is not so easy I think. I have toyed with the idea
> of using the wxWidgets wxZipFileSystem to zip up data and then use it.
> I do not know if you can do this with dlls though. If this were
> possible wxLuaFreeze could take advantage of that, but unfortunately I
> do not have time these days to look into it.


Yeah I am really looking for something really simplistic, that just appends
to the executable then extract to the specified location.

You may want to do a web search for how to embed dlls in C++ and how
> use them to see if it's even possible or reasonably easy to do. If so,
> we can go from there to see just what it would take to add the same
> functionality in wxLua.


Ok. Will do and I will let you know what I find out.
-- 
Regards,
Ryan
RJP Computing