GetTempPath

The GetTempPath function retrieves the path of the directory designated for temporary files.

DWORD GetTempPath(
  DWORD nBufferLength,  // size of buffer
  LPTSTR lpBuffer       // path buffer
);

Parameters

nBufferLength

[in] Specifies the size, in TCHARs, of the string buffer identified by lpBuffer.

lpBuffer

[out] Pointer to a string buffer that receives the null-terminated string specifying the temporary file path. The returned string ends with a backslash, for example, C:\TEMP\.

Return Values

If the function succeeds, the return value is the length, in TCHARs, of the string copied to lpBuffer, not including the terminating null character. If the return value is greater than nBufferLength, the return value is the size of the buffer required to hold the path.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call GetLastError.

Remarks

Windows 95/98: The GetTempPath function gets the temporary file path as follows:

1. The path specified by the TMP environment variable.
2. The path specified by the TEMP environment variable, if TMP is not defined or if TMP specifies a directory that does not exist.
3. The current directory, if both TMP and TEMP are not defined or specify nonexistent directories.

Windows NT/2000: The GetTempPath function does not verify that the directory specified by the TMP or TEMP environment variables exists. The function gets the temporary file path as follows:

1. The path specified by the TMP environment variable.
2. The path specified by the TEMP environment variable, if TMP is not defined.
3. The Windows directory, if both TMP and TEMP are not defined.

MAPI: For more information, see Syntax and Limitations for Win32 Functions Useful in MAPI Development.

Requirements

  Windows NT/2000: Requires Windows NT 3.1 or later.
  Windows 95/98: Requires Windows 95 or later.
  Header: Declared in Winbase.h; include Windows.h.
  Library: Use Kernel32.lib.
  Unicode: Implemented as Unicode and ANSI versions on Windows NT/2000.

See Also

File I/O Overview, File I/O Functions, GetTempFileName