Where are my Resources?

General
1

I am shelling out to tar.exe to compress some data.
I have a Folder called Resources relative to my Xojo project file, but within the project I do not have a folder called Resources.

In order to get the shell path to the resource I am using

Dim tarPath As FolderItem = GetFolderItem("Resources")
tarPath = tarPath.Child("tar.exe")

Resources resolves, but the child returns nil.

  • Am I suppose to put a post build ‘copy’ in my project to copy the all the ‘Resources’ to the build folder?

  • Should I create a folder in the IDE / Project called Resources and copy ‘stuff’ there?

2

If tarPath.Child returns Nil then that suggests that tarPath doesn’t exist.

3 
Dim tarPath As FolderItem = GetFolderItem("Resources")
dim exePath as FolderItem = tarPath.Child("tar.exe")

tarPath not nil
exePath is nil.

4

Are you getting nil when you dim exePath? or when you trying to use exePath?
I guess your folderitem is not the correct path to your exe.

5

Right, exePath will be Nil if tarPath does not exist.

6

Yes. Otherwise, once the project is built, this folder will not be where you expect it to be.

No.

7

Try SpecialFolder.Resources instead of GetFolderItem("Resources")

1 Like
8

but like i said… Resources is NOT nil.

9

That a folderitem is non-nil does not imply that the corresponding file or folder actually exists.

10

Don’t focus on this.

For example, try this code:

Dim tarPath As FolderItem = GetFolderItem("this_does_not_exist")
Dim exePath As FolderItem = tarPath.Child("tar.exe")

MessageBox tarPath.NativePath
MessageBox exePath.NativePath

this_does_not_exist doesn’t exist, and tar.exe is not inside that. I don’t get nil with the code above.

How/where are you getting Nil?

11

In fact even this isn’t working…

Dim ResourcePath As FolderItem = GetFolderItem("MyAppName Resources")
Dim TarPath as FolderItem

if ResourcePath <> nil then
  tarPath = ResourcePath.Child("tar.exe")
  if TarPath = nil then
    MsgBox("Wha?")  /// This is where I am.
  end if
else
  MsgBox("Wha?")
end if
12

Works here with macOS 13.6.7
Tested Xojo2019r3.2 and Xojo2024r2.1
Edit: can’t run 2019r1.1 here for desktop

13

Decisions Decisions Desicions!

Dim ResourcePath As FolderItem = GetFolderItem(“Resources”) // Nope docs wrong.
Dim ResourcePath As FolderItem = GetFolderItem(“DebugMyAppName Resources”) // If debug
Dim ResourcePath As FolderItem = GetFolderItem(“MyAppName Resources”) // if not debug

14

What’s wrong with SpecialFolder.Resources?

2 Likes
15

You should use the proper app resources and the copy automation steps. Your life would be easier.

https://documentation.xojo.com/topics/build_automation/introduction.html#topics-build-automation-introduction-copy-files

1 Like
16

I need help about resources and automations. I am a developer and learning this to help my client’s chatbots. Please can some one do a zoom meeting with me?

17

hello still waiting for the reply please I will be very thankful to you :pray:

18

The links above are not the answers ?

If so, explain what you want to do. Details.