How to Obtain Filename and Path from a Shell Link or Shortcut

• Microsoft Win32 Software Development Kit (SDK), versions 3.51 and 4.0

SUMMARY

The shortcuts used in Microsoft Windows 95 provide applications and users a way to create shortcuts or links to objects in the shell's namespace. The IShellLink OLE Interface can be used to obtain the path and filename from the shortcut, among other things.

MORE INFORMATION

A shortcut allows the user or an application to access an object from anywhere in the namespace. Shortcuts to objects are stored as binary files. These files contain information such as the path to the object, working directory, the path of the icon used to display the object, the description string, and so on.

Given a shortcut, applications can use the IShellLink interface and its functions to obtain all the pertinent information about that object. The IShellLink interface supports functions such as GetPath(), GetDescription(), Resolve(), GetWorkingDirectory(), and so on.

Sample Code

The following code shows how to obtain the filename or path and description of a given link file:

   #include <windows.h>
   #include <shlobj.h>

   // GetLinkInfo() fills the filename and path buffer
   // with relevant information.
   // hWnd         - calling application's window handle.
   //
   // lpszLinkName - name of the link file passed into the function.
   //
   // lpszPath     - the buffer that receives the file's path name.
   //
   // lpszDescription - the buffer that receives the file's
   // description.
   HRESULT
   GetLinkInfo( HWND    hWnd,
                LPCTSTR lpszLinkName,
                LPSTR   lpszPath,
                LPSTR   lpszDescription)
   {

      HRESULT hres;
      IShellLink *pShLink;
      WIN32_FIND_DATA wfd;

   // Initialize the return parameters to null strings.
      *lpszPath = '\0';
      *lpszDescription = '\0';

   // Call CoCreateInstance to obtain the IShellLink
   // Interface pointer. This call fails if
   // CoInitialize is not called, so it is assumed that
   // CoInitialize has been called.
      hres = CoCreateInstance( &CLSID_ShellLink,
                               NULL,
                               CLSCTX_INPROC_SERVER,
                               &IID_IShellLink,
                               (LPVOID *)&pShLink );

      if (SUCCEEDED(hres))
      {
         IPersistFile *ppf;

   // The IShellLink Interface supports the IPersistFile
   // interface. Get an interface pointer to it.
         hres = pShLink->lpVtbl->QueryInterface(pShLink,
                                            &IID_IPersistFile,
                                            (LPVOID *)&ppf );
         if (SUCCEEDED(hres))
         {
            WORD wsz[MAX_PATH];

   // Convert the given link name string to a wide character string.
            MultiByteToWideChar( CP_ACP, 0,
                                 lpszLinkName,
                                 -1, wsz, MAX_PATH );
   // Load the file.
            hres = ppf->lpVtbl->Load(ppf, wsz, STGM_READ );
            if (SUCCEEDED(hres))
            {
   // Resolve the link by calling the Resolve() interface function.
   // This enables us to find the file the link points to even if
   // it has been moved or renamed.
               hres = pShLink->lpVtbl->Resolve(pShLink,  hWnd,
                                               SLR_ANY_MATCH | SLR_NO_UI);
               if (SUCCEEDED(hres))
               {
   // Get the path of the file the link points to.
                  hres = pShLink->lpVtbl->GetPath( pShLink, lpszPath,
                                               MAX_PATH,
                                               &wfd,
                                               SLGP_SHORTPATH );

   // Only get the description if we successfully got the path
   // (We can't return immediately because we need to release ppf &
   //  pShLink.)
                  if(SUCCEEDED(hres))
                  {
   // Get the description of the link.
                    hres = pShLink->lpVtbl->GetDescription(pShLink,
                                                         lpszDescription,
                                                         MAX_PATH );
                  }
               }
            }
            ppf->lpVtbl->Release(ppf);
         }
         pShLink->lpVtbl->Release(pShLink);
      }
      return hres;
   }