Putting resources on your server
Making server resources available to users
Where FirstClass looks for resources
If users cannot see resources
Putting resources on your server
You can store customized resources in:
• icons.rez - for icons
• pictures.rez - for all other graphics
• lang.rez* - for all other resources
*This file is named using the ISO code for your language or dialect. For example, English would be en.rez, British English would be en-gb.rez, American English would be en-us.rez, etc.
You can specify a fallback chain for the preferred lang.rez file using a semi-colon separated list. For example, a bilingual French Canadian organization may use the following:
fr-ca.rez;fr.rez;en-gb.rez;en.rez
This chain tells FirstClass to look first for French Canadian resources, but if none are found, to look next for international French, followed by British English, and then international English. Once the chain has been followed to the end, FirstClass will look for the legacy English Resources (or localized equivalent) file. For information about this file, see the note below. This can be set up using by appropriate editing of the lang710.rez file (in the client). In the web, this type of fallback can be set up using the browser.
Note
Previous versions of FirstClass used the English Resources (or localized equivalent) file only. If some of your users will continue to use clients from previous releases, you will need to retain this file and keep it updated with your new resources. In addition, FirstClass will revert to this file if it cannot find the appropriate new .rez file (icons.rez, pictures.rez, or lang.rez).
These resource files are located in the FC Resource Registry conference in Multi-Site Setup on the administrator's Desktop.
The FC Resource Registry conference can contain:
• one settings file per language
• uploaded PICT, .bmp, .png, and .jpg files outside the settings files.
Resources outside the settings files are available to clients in all languages.
To put customized resources on your server:
1 Incorporate the new resources with the ones in the upgrade installer if you are upgrading the post office, or create the appropriate file for the type of resources you want to upload.
Note
Removing old resources without careful consideration could cripple the web interface.
2 Upload the file to the Multi-Site Setup/FC Resource Registry conference on the administrator's Desktop.
3 Protect the file.
The FC Resource Registry conference can contain:
• icons.rez
• pictures.rez
• lang.rez - one per dialect
• English Resources (or localized equivalent) - one per language
• uploaded PICT, .bmp, .png, and .jpg files that reside directly in the Resource Registry, not in a folder or part of a rez file.
Top Making server resources available to users
Resources stored in the FC Resource Registry are not available to users (for example, they do not show up in menus) until users do one of the following:
• log in with a settings file that contains the resources
• work with objects that use these resources
• type the resource names in appropriate fields, such as an "Image" field.
As soon as a user works with an object that uses a resource stored in the FC Resource Registry, that resource is added to the user's settings file. Then the resource is available to the user, and will show up in the user's menus.
To force FirstClass to add these resources to users' settings files, you need to make objects that use these resources available to users. For example, you might:
• post a message using a particular form to all users or to a conference
When users open this message, the form will be downloaded to their settings files.
• add a folder containing other folders that use certain icons to a conference.
When users open the parent folder, the icons for the folders inside will be downloaded to their settings files.
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Where FirstClass looks for resources
FirstClass looks in various locations for resources. The locations, and the order in which they are searched, are called resource hunt chains.
For all resources, the client's resource hunt chain is searched at some point in the hunt. The client's resource hunt chain consists of the following locations, searched in this order:
• the memory cache where downloaded resources are placed if the settings file cannot be updated
• the local settings file
• the resource fork of the local settings file (Mac OS, Mac OS X)
• the .fcd file in the FirstClass folder (locally stored preferences)
• the langxxx.rez file, if one exists
• the client executable.
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Searching for graphics
FirstClass looks for the graphics' file names in the following locations, in this order:
• the memory cache for images
• the FirstClass/Images folder
• the client's resource hunt chain, searching for PICTs, .jpgs, .pngs, and .bmps, in that order
• uploaded graphics files in the FC Resource Registry
• pictures.rez in the FC Resource Registry, searching for PICTs, .jpgs, .pngs, RLE Gif, and .bmps, in that order.
• English Resources (or localized equivalent) in the FC Resource Registry
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Searching for icons
FirstClass looks for icons in the following locations, in this order:
• the client's resource hunt chain
• icons.rez in the FC Resource Registry.
• English Resources (or localized equivalent) in the FC Resource Registry
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Searching for other resources
FirstClass looks for all other resources in the following locations, in this order:
• the client's resource hunt chain
• lang.rez in the FC Resource Registry
Remember that sounds can only be accessed from the server by database extensions.
• English Resources (or localized equivalent) in the FC Resource Registry
Top If users cannot see resources
If someone sends a message using one version of a form, and recipients have an older version of the form in their settings file, some information might be displayed in the incorrect field, or it might be missing entirely.
To force FirstClass to use the new form, users can flush their caches. This removes forms and other resources from their settings files, allowing new resources to download as required.
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