A hacky resource builder script for Rust-MSVC

build.rs

use std::process::Command;
use std::env;
use std::path::Path;

fn main() {
    let out_dir = env::var("OUT_DIR").ok().expect("can't find out_dir");

    Command::new("C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Windows Kits\\8.1\\bin\\x64\\rc.exe")
        .args(&["/v", "/fo", "hello_rc.lib"]) // HACK HACK HACK
        .args(&["..\\..\\..\\..\\..\\src\\hello.rc"])
        .current_dir(&Path::new(&out_dir))
        .status()
        .unwrap();

    println!("cargo:rustc-link-search=native={}", out_dir);
    println!("cargo:rustc-link-lib=static=hello_rc");
}

It's hacky, since it builds the .rc file to a .res file that actually calls itself a .lib, so that the cargo tool will add the extensionless name as a .lib to the linker, and the linker, fortunately, ignores the file extension and just looks at the file content. It's also hacky in that it hard-codes the path to a local rc.exe, and works around the fact that that tool does not offer an output directory parameter by tree-walking from the directory where we want to place the output to where the source resides.

I'm sure there must be a better way, but this works. Apart from the fact that a VERSIONINFO compiles OK into the resulting .exe (as can be seen by opening it in Visual Studio), but doesn't show in the file properties. Application icons work just fine, though.