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Asked: 2026-05-11T08:15:43+00:00

depending on a compile switch (values are COMPILE_A or COMPILE_B ), which is set

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depending on a compile switch (values are COMPILE_A or COMPILE_B), which is set in the form of an envorinment variable, I want to compile my application with different settings, like application name and splash screen.

I got this far:

  1. In ‘Project / Settings / C/C++ / Preprocessor Definitions’ I added $(COMPILESWITCH) (results in command line option /D '$(COMPILESWITCH)').

  2. In stdafx.h I can use the following code, which means I correctly defined the preprocessor definition via the command line parameter:

     #if defined COMPILE_A     #   define IDB_SPLASH IDB_SPLASH_A     # elif defined COMPILE_B     #   define IDB_SPLASH IDB_SPLASH_B     # else     #   error Unknown or undefined target compile switch; cannot compile!     # endif

But I’ve noticed the ‘Condition’ property under ‘ResourceView / [right-click] / Properties’… The help text says this:

Condition

Determines the inclusion of the resource. For example, if the condition is _DEBUG, this resource would be included only in debug builds.

This looks like the elegant way of doing it, right?

Specifiying _DEBUG as condition works. So as _DEBUG is specified via /D _DEBUG my $(COMPILESWITCH) should also work, right?
For some reason it doesn’t; why?

Or is there even another, better way to achieve what I want?

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1 Answer

  1. I guess I just solved my problem…

    The resource compiler uses its own preprocessor.
    Therefore the same preprocessor definition has to be added under "Project / Settings / Resources / Preprocessor Definitions".

    Edit: String Resources

    The above doesn’t work for string resources as they don’t have a "condition" property…

    I chose to use the res\<projectname>.rc2 custom resource file which won’t be touched by the resource editor. The content looks like this

     #if defined(COMPILE_A)     STRINGTABLE DISCARDABLE      BEGIN         IDR_MAINFRAME           'AppTitle A'     END #else #   if defined(COMPILE_B)     STRINGTABLE DISCARDABLE      BEGIN         IDR_MAINFRAME           'AppTitle B'     END #   else #       error Compile switch not defined or unknown; cannot compile! #   endif #endif
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