You often include noncompiled (or nonsource) files with your applications. A nonsource file is a class or resource (such as a style sheet or graphic) that is not compiled but is included in the SWC file for other classes to use. For example, a font file that you embed or a set of images that you use as graphical skins in a component's style sheet should not be compiled but should be included in the SWC file. These are classes that you typically do not use the [Embed] syntax to link in to your application.

Use the include-file option to define nonsource files in a SWC file.

The syntax for the include-file option is as follows:

-include-file name path 

The name argument is the name used to reference the embedded file in your Flex applications. The path argument is the current path to the file in the file system.

When you use the include-file option, you specify both a name and a filepath, as the following example shows:

compc -include-file logo.gif c:/images/logo/logo1.gif ...

In a configuration file, these options appear as the following example shows:

<compiler>
    <output>c:/jrun4/servers/flex2/flex/WEB-INF/flex/user_classes/        Combo.swc</output>
</compiler>
<include-file>
    <name>logo.gif</name>
    <path>c:/images/logo/logo1.gif</path>
</include-file>
<include-classes>
    <class>asbutton.MyButton</class>
<include-classes>

Each name that you assign to a resource must be unique because the name becomes a global variable.

You cannot specify a list of files with the include-file option. So, you must add a separate include-file option for each file that you include, as the following command-line example shows:

compc -include-file file1.jpg ../images/file1.jpg -include-file file2.jpg ../images/file2.jpg -- -output MyFile.swc

If you want to add many resources to the SWC file, consider using a configuration file rather than listing all the resources on the command line. For an example of a configuration file that includes multiple resources in a SWC file, see Using Styles and Themes in Adobe Flex 3 Developer Guide.

In general, specify a file extension for files that you include with the include-file option. In some cases, omitting the file extension can lead to a loss of functionality. For example, if you include a CSS file in a theme SWC file, you must set the name to be *.css. When Flex examines the SWC file, it applies all CSS files in that SWC file to the application. CSS files without the CSS extension are ignored.