Clarification of SearchPath() Return Value

• Microsoft Win32 Application Programming Interface (API) included with:

      - Microsoft Windows NT version 3.1
  

SUMMARY

The entry for "SearchPath()" in the "Win32 Programmer's Reference" says that the return value will be one of the following:

• The length (in characters) of the string copied to the buffer.

  -or-

• 0 if the function fails [see "GetLastError()" in the "Win32 Programmer's Reference" for more information].

In order to distinguish the "file not found" condition from another error (out of memory, invalid parameter, and so forth), call SetLastError() with a value of NO_ERROR before calling SearchPath().

MORE INFORMATION

This behavior is by design. The recommended way to check the return status for SearchPath() is:

   return value >  buffer length    buffer too small
   return value =  0                file not found or another error
   return value <= buffer length    file found

   TCHAR  szFilename[] = "MyFile.Txt";
   TCHAR  szPathname[MAX_PATH];
   LPTSTR lpszFilename;

   SetLastError( NO_ERROR );
   if( !SearchPath( NULL, szFilename, NULL, MAX_PATH, szPathname,
                    &lpszFilename ) )
   {
      if( GetLastError() == NO_ERROR )
         Display( "File not found." );
      else
         Display( "SearchPath failed!" );
   }