Using RC_FILE for an icon + embedded manifest + file properties

[frankiefrank]

Reposting this topic (with the replies) without a part of the code that shouldn't have been posted. I would have edited but it was also quoted... I'll mark as solved once I confirm a solution.

I'm switching from MSVC to MinGW for my project, now on Qt 5.7.

I used to modify some of the target executable's file and version information with my .pro file, using variables like QMAKE_TARGET_COPYRIGHT, QMAKE_TARGET_COMPANY, etc. That along with using VERSION and RC_ICONS would work fine. I also embedded a manifest because of a dependency, using the mt.exe tool.

Now, however, I want everything to work with MinGW.

So instead of the other keys I mentioned, I made a MyApp.rc file and referenced it in the .pro file:

RC_FILE = MyApp.rc

Inside the file I used the following code:

1 ICON "MyApp.ico"
CREATEPROCESS_MANIFEST_RESOURCE_ID RT_MANIFEST "MyDependency.dll.manifest"
2 VERSIONINFO
FILEVERSION     2,0,0,0
PRODUCTVERSION  2,0,0,0
BEGIN
  BLOCK "StringFileInfo"
  BEGIN
    BLOCK "040904E4"
	BEGIN
	  VALUE "CompanyName", "MyCompany"
	  VALUE "FileDescription", "Description"
	  VALUE "InternalName", "MyApp"
	  VALUE "LegalCopyright", "Copyright 2016 Me"
	  VALUE "ProductName", "My Product"
	END
  END
END

I see the icon updated but when I try to right-click the executable and check for properties of the file I don't see the version information parts. I'm using Windows 10.

Can anyone help with a working RC_FILE example? I tried several from online sources but I still get the same result.

@hskoglund said

Hi getting the version info visible with right-click in Explorer is an arcane art, try something like this:

1 ICON "MyApp.ico"
CREATEPROCESS_MANIFEST_RESOURCE_ID RT_MANIFEST "MyDependency.dll.manifest"

#include <windows.h>
LANGUAGE LANG_ENGLISH, SUBLANG_ENGLISH_US

VS_VERSION_INFO VERSIONINFO
FILEVERSION     2,0,0,0
PRODUCTVERSION  2,0,0,0
BEGIN
  BLOCK "StringFileInfo"
  BEGIN
    BLOCK "040904E4"
	BEGIN
	  VALUE "CompanyName", "MyCompany"
	  VALUE "FileDescription", "Description"
	  VALUE "InternalName", "MyApp"
	  VALUE "LegalCopyright", "Copyright 2016 Me"
	  VALUE "ProductName", "My Product"
	END
  END

  BLOCK "VarFileInfo"
  BEGIN
       VALUE "Translation", 0x409, 1252
  END

END

@Paul-Colby said

Hi @frankiefrank,

Your StringFileInfo block is missing a lot of parameters that are stated as required in Microsoft's StringFileInfo BLOCK statement documentation, such as FileVersion, OriginalFilename and ProductVersion.

Personally, I'd either:

1. revisit / rebuild one of your older versions, and pull out its *.rc file to use as a starting point; and/or
2. take inspiration from qmake's Win32MakefileGenerator::processRcFileVar() function source; and/or
3. begin with a known working *.rc file from another project, such as this one (here's another example from one of my open-source projects, which uses QMAKE_SUBSTITUTES (one of qmake's lesser-known features) to still be able to use qmake variables, such as $$VERSION, in the RC file).

Cheers.

[frankiefrank]

Thank you!

I solved this by following up on @Paul-Colby 's suggestion to start with an older build's .rc file.

Here's my working version. I got my icon, my manifest AND the details appear correctly in the file properties.

# if defined(UNDER_CE)
#  include <winbase.h>
# else
#  include <windows.h>
# endif

IDI_ICON1	ICON	DISCARDABLE	"MyApp.ico"

CREATEPROCESS_MANIFEST_RESOURCE_ID RT_MANIFEST "Drivers\\MyDependency\\MyDependency.dll.manifest"

VS_VERSION_INFO VERSIONINFO
    FILEVERSION 2,1,0,0
	PRODUCTVERSION 2,1,0,0
	FILEFLAGSMASK 0x3fL
#ifdef _DEBUG
    FILEFLAGS VS_FF_DEBUG
#else
    FILEFLAGS 0x0L
#endif
    FILEOS VOS__WINDOWS32
	FILETYPE VFT_DLL
	FILESUBTYPE 0x0L
	BEGIN
	    BLOCK "StringFileInfo"
		BEGIN
		    BLOCK "040904b0"
			BEGIN
			    VALUE "CompanyName", "MyCompany\0"
				VALUE "FileDescription", "Description\0"
				VALUE "FileVersion", "2.1.0.0\0"
				VALUE "LegalCopyright", "Copyright 2016 Me\0"
				VALUE "OriginalFilename", "MyApp.exe\0"
				VALUE "ProductName", "App\0"
				VALUE "ProductVersion", "2.1.0.0\0"
			END
		END
		BLOCK "VarFileInfo"
		BEGIN
		    VALUE "Translation", 0x0409, 1200
		END
	END
/* End of Version info */

@hskoglund I tried to use what you wrote first but got an error on LANGUAGE, saying Broken Pipe, so then I went on to try the other suggestions.