Manage application resources (.NET)

Resource files are files that are part of an application but are not compiled, for example icon files or audio files. Since these files are not part of the compilation process, you can change them without having to recompile your binaries. If you are planning to localize your application, you should use resource files for all the strings and other resources that need to be changed when you localize your application.

Note

This topic applies to Visual Studio on Windows. For Visual Studio for Mac, see Managing app resources (Visual Studio for Mac).

For more information about resources in .NET apps, see Resources in .NET apps.

Work with resources

In a managed code project, open the project properties window. You can open the properties window by either:

• Right-clicking the project node in Solution Explorer and selecting Properties
• Typing project properties in the Ctrl+Q search box
• Pressing Alt+Enter in Solution Explorer

Select the Resources tab. You can add a .resx file if your project does not contain one already, add and delete different kinds of resources, and modify existing resources.

Resources in other project types

Resources are managed differently in .NET projects than in other project types. For more information about resources in:

• Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps, see App resources and the Resource Management System
• C++ projects, see Work with resource files and How to: Create a resource

Support options

If you run into a problem with managing application resources, see Troubleshoot errors in the Resource Editor.

Related content

• Resources in .NET apps (.NET Framework)
• Managing app resources (Visual Studio for Mac)