Develop Reference

Link images to a c# program [duplicate]

I don't know if I asked it right, but basically what happened is that I made a winform app which loads its image from the resource folder.
The problem is that when I build the project and get the exe and give it to a friend, he won't have that resource folder like I do, so he'll get an error saying missing file.
How can I somehow mix, or combine, or attach the image with my app?

You need to add it to the project by navigating to the Properties Window and going to the resource tab and adding the image from there.
Alternatively, from the PictureBox Control you can import resource from your computer.

if you don't need to update it in the future, compile your program with the image property build action set to embedded resource.
if you need to change it in the future compile with property build action set to content.

Resource Folder VS Resx File

First, please note I am a Java developer, started C# just few weeks back. Here is my question, it is about Visual Studio IDE.
I am using visual studio ide 2008 to create C# projects. I opened a new windows application, added a picture box to the form and now ready to add an image to it. I clicked the small black arrow button in picture box and it opens a dialog where we can put images.
Now, the question comes. In my c# book, they add images using the first option "Local Resource". Anyway, since I have to add number of images, I selected the "Project Resource File" and added all the images to the folder at once. Now I am working smooth without any issue. But, I can see the "Form.resx" file is empty (in my book, they show that file contains all the image files).
I want to know whether what I have done is correct or not. Even though that file is empty, no errors in the program anyway. I don't know whether any issue will occur after the distribution, like missing resources (In Java it normally happens unless otherwise you put all the resources into a new 'Package' inside the project. That's one of reasons I selected the second option when adding the images). Please help!

Your resources will be in a file called Resources.Resx (I think) this can found in your Properties folder in your project file
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/7k989cfy(v=vs.80).aspx This link has some information about using Resources
Its better to add the files to the project resource if your going to need them on multiple forms in the project. If they are only going to be required by the current form, you might as well put them in the forms resource file

Visual C# form backgroundImage

I have used a JPG for backgroundImage for an application form.
My question is that do I always need the JPG with the exe program?
So if I give my exe program to another user, the person won't be able to view the backgroundImage if I dont provide the JPG file?
another question is regarding the icons that I use for the program (exe icon and an icon that displays at top of your program).. are these icons stored in the program? or i need to provide the icon file(s)?
sorry i only have a machine and don't have someone to test for me.
cheers,
D

You need to add image as a resource for the Application. If you add it simply as a file link e.g. C:\somelocation as soon as that changes you loose teh image.
If its added as a resource then it is inculded with the build and always present for the Application.
To know more on how to do this look here:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/7k989cfy%28v=vs.80%29.aspx
http://www.homeandlearn.co.uk/csharp/csharp_s4p8.html

An easy test would be to put the .exe in a separate folder and try to launch it.
For the JPG it depends how you refer to it in your program, if it is a resource that you added it will be in the executable.
The icon should be in the executable already.

You can add the .jpg file as a resource in your application, which results in it being compiled into the .exe itself, giving you one less file to distribute.
Check out Accessing an image in the projects resources?

C# - Integrating data (pictures) into .exe

this is my first question here.
I've made a small quiz project about the 199 world's states via Visual Studio C#.
therefor I collected all flags of every country and put them into a folder - you can imagine that i collected MANY.
To run my current project i need the folder with all these .gif images -
otherwise the startup will end in a fatal error. :-(
My question is if it is possible to integrate the images into my .exe file so that i can run it without that nasty folder. (Also important for future project with even more content!)
And if it is possible - how?
It would also be nice if you let me know how to use the images - what pathes they have got etc ... =)
Thanks in advance!
Robbepop

You can add a resource file to your application, by going to
Project >> Your Project Properties >>
Resources >> Create A Resource File.
You can then simply add any image to your application and reference it via your code. Select Images from the drop down on the top of the menu, and then click Add Resource >> From existing file.
After you save your resource file, you can then access your images via code, e.g.
> Image img =
> YourProject.Properties.Resources.Image1
However, with the number of images you have, and what I would believe you are using them for, I would suggest using a Image List, which you can add all of your images to, and access them via their key or index. e.g.
Image img = imageList1[0];
Or
Image img = imageList1["US"];
This can be found in your toolbox.

You can add the images as embedded resources. Then use the ManifestResourceStream from the Assembly to extract the raw byte data, and subsequently load it as an image.
Note: this is different from the answer/approach of Femaref below.

Every assembly in .net can contain so called resources. You can add them in the properties of a project in the resources tab. After that, you can access them via ProjectNameSpace.Properties.Resources.

Resources, where to put them, and how to reference them in C#

I've worked with C# and other programming languages for a while now, and am ashamed to say I'm unfamiliar with the standard on where to put resources such as program icons, and how to reference them within my code.
Specifically, for a C# Windows Forms Application, where would it be appropriate to put my icon resources, and what is the path for referencing them once I get them in the correct place?
Thanks very much for any assistance.

You can add a Resources.resx file to your project and add resources like images, strings, files to it. Then you can reference these resources through an automatically-generated Resources class. By default, Visual Studio will create a Resources.resx file in the Properties directory. Any resources you add to the resources file will be added to the Resources directory by default.
e.g.
this.BackgroundImage = Properties.Resources.MyImage;

For completion I wanted to expound on some of the answers listed.
Embed in Resources.resx
Resources.resx should have been created when your WinForms project was created. You can view it under Properties in the Solution Explorer.
Double click Resources.resx to open the designer. You can copy from Windows Explorer and paste in the VS resources designer. This tool is smart enough to figure out what type of resource it is, and you can see in the screen shot below that similar resource types are grouped together under the menu bar's drop down list.
From this point you can follow the accepted answer and manually assign the resource to a control's property...
this.BackgroundImage = Properties.Resources.MyImage;
Embed in form via designer
Using the designer, you can embed a resource in a form's .resx.
Select the control in the designer and open the Properties window (F4 is default shortcut key). Find the appropraite property, such as Icon for a form. Click the ellipses button to bring up the Open File dialog. Browse to the resource (if you embedded it in the Resources.resx it will actually be in the Resources folder - which would have been created when you added your first resource to Resources.resx - and you should use the first method above), and select the correct resource.
In the image below you can see the "scrape.ico" file being set as the Main form's Icon.
This example would end up generating a line in the Main form's designer like this...
this.Icon = ((System.Drawing.Icon)(resources.GetObject("$this.Icon")));
where...
System.ComponentModel.ComponentResourceManager resources = new System.ComponentModel.ComponentResourceManager(typeof(Main));
and in main.resx...
<data name="$this.Icon" type="System.Drawing.Icon, System.Drawing" mimetype="application/x-microsoft.net.object.bytearray.base64">
<value>
...img data...
</value>
</data>

You can always do it this way.
Go to Project-->Project properties(always name of project + properties)-->Resources
On the upper menu bar you will find a combo box where you will select which type of element you want to use as a resource.
Example: If you need to change the icon for the form(the one that appears an the upper left side of the form) you will then to upload a ".ico" file. If you need to insert a button image you must upload a ".png" file. You can see this Resx files tutorial youtube video where it's explained perfectly
Once you have done this you select the control you wish to insert the image in and go to Properties-->Image and the select the image you have just added from Project Resource file option.

Below is the Code to Fetch Image From Resources Folder. Normally we keep images in Resources Folder. but Sometime we have image name only with us. in that case you can Access images from Resources Folder using Image Name only.
Below Code will Demonstrate about it.
private System.Resources.ResourceManager RM = new System.Resources.ResourceManager("YourApplicationNameSpace.Properties.Resources", typeof(Resources).Assembly);
PictureBox1.Image = (Image)RM.GetObject(YourPictureName);
YourAppliacationNameSpace means name of your Application.
YourPictureName means the Picture you Want to access from Resources Folder. but Picture name must be without Extension e.g. (PNG, GIF, JPEG etc)
hope it will be beneficial to some one.
Thank you.