ODE: How to Create a Shortcut on the Desktop with ODE
ID: Q182606
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The information in this article applies to:
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Microsoft Office 97 Developer Edition Tools
Advanced: Requires expert coding, interoperability, and multiuser skills.
SUMMARY
Microsoft Office 97 Developer Edition Tools does not provide a way to
create a shortcut outside of the application's program group. This article
demonstrates how to create a shortcut on the desktop using Visual Basic for
Applications and batch (*.bat) files.
This article assumes that you are familiar with Visual Basic for
Applications, the Microsoft Office Developers Edition Setup Wizard, and
with creating Microsoft Access applications using the programming tools
provided with Microsoft Access. For more information about Visual Basic for
Applications, please refer to the "Building Applications with Microsoft
Access 97" manual.
MORE INFORMATIONMicrosoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty
either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of
merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you
are familiar with the programming language being demonstrated and the tools used to
create and debug procedures. Microsoft support professionals can help explain the functionality
of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added
functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific needs. If you have limited
programming experience, you may want to contact a Microsoft Certified Solution Provider
or the Microsoft fee-based consulting line at (800) 936-5200. For more information about
Microsoft Certified Solution Providers, please see the following page on the World Wide Web:
http://www.microsoft.com/mcsp/
For more information about the support options available from Microsoft, please see the
following page on the World Wide Web:
http://www.microsoft.com/support/supportnet/overview/overview.asp
This example uses or creates the following files:
Script.bat Script.bat is copied to the folder where Windows runs
and is started at the end of setup. Script.bat runs
Copyshortcut.mdb and waits until it has completed its
work before running Cleanup.bat.
CopyShortcut.mdb CopyShortcut.mdb contains code that copies a shortcut
from its location in the application's program group
to the computer's desktop. It also creates Cleanup.bat
on the user's computer.
Cleanup.bat Cleanup.bat first deletes Script.bat and
CopyShortcut.mdb, which are no longer needed after the
shortcut on the desktop has been created. Cleanup.bat
then deletes itself.
NOTE: On Microsoft Windows NT, the Command window created by Script.bat
closes, while on Microsoft Windows 95 it remains open and must be closed by
the user.
The following steps demonstrate how to create the additional files
discussed above and how to distribute them with the sample Northwind
(Northwind.mdb) database using the Microsoft Office Developer Edition Tools
Setup Wizard.
Creating CopyShortcut.mdb and Script.bat
- In Microsoft Access 97, create a new database called CopyShortcut.mdb.
- Create the following new module:
Option Compare Database
Option Explicit
' Declare variables.
Dim DesktopPath As String
Dim StartMenuPath As String
Dim WinPath As String
Dim fNameOld As String
Dim fNameNew As String
' Declare Public variables.
Public Type ShortItemId
cb As Long
abID As Byte
End Type
Public Type ITEMIDLIST
mkid As ShortItemId
End Type
' Declare constants.
Const CSIDL_TEMPLATES = &H15
Const CSIDL_STARTMENU = &HB
Const CSIDL_FAVORITES = &H6
Const CSIDL_DESKTOPDIRECTORY = &H10
' Declare API functions.
Public Declare Function SHGetPathFromIDList Lib "shell32.dll" _
(ByVal pidl As Long, ByVal pszPath As String) As Long
Public Declare Function SHGetSpecialFolderLocation Lib _
"shell32.dll" (ByVal hwndOwner As Long, ByVal nFolder _
As Long, pidl As ITEMIDLIST) As Long
Function GetSpecialFolder(CSIDL As Long) As String
Dim idlstr As Long
Dim sPath As String
Dim IDL As ITEMIDLIST
Const NOERROR = 0
Const MAX_LENGTH = 260
On Error Goto Err_GetFolder
' Fill the idl structure with the specified folder item.
idlstr = SHGetSpecialFolderLocation _
(Application.hWndAccessApp, CSIDL, IDL)
If idlstr = NOERROR Then
' Get the path from the idl list, and return
' the folder with a slash at the end.
sPath = Space$(MAX_LENGTH)
idlstr = SHGetPathFromIDList(ByVal IDL.mkid.cb, ByVal sPath)
If idlstr Then
GetSpecialFolder = Left$(sPath, InStr(sPath, Chr$(0)) _
- 1) & "\"
End If
End If
Exit_GetFolder:
Exit Function
Err_GetFolder:
Msgbox err.description, vbCritical or VbokOnly
Resume Exit_GetFolder
End Function
Function CopyAppShortcut()
' Turn off screen updating.
Application.Echo False
' Call the GetSpecialFolder function to get the location
' of the Desktop, Start Menu, and Windows directories.
DesktopPath = GetSpecialFolder(CSIDL_DESKTOPDIRECTORY)
StartMenuPath = GetSpecialFolder(CSIDL_STARTMENU)
WinPath = Left(GetSpecialFolder(CSIDL_TEMPLATES), _
Len(GetSpecialFolder(CSIDL_TEMPLATES)) - 9)
' If there is a problem in getting the paths, then
' show an error message and exit.
If DesktopPath = "" Or StartMenuPath = "" Or WinPath = "" Then
Application.Echo True
MsgBox "Error retrieving folder paths." & Chr(13) & _
"Unable to copy shortcut to desktop."
Exit Function
End If
' Copy the shortcut from its program group to the Desktop.
FileCopy StartMenuPath & "Programs\Northwind\Northwind.lnk", _
DesktopPath & "\Northwind.lnk"
' NOTE: It is necessary to modify the following lines of code to
' match your application's path and shortcut's name.
'
' "Programs\Northwind\Northwind.lnk"
'
' should be modified to read:
'
' "Programs\Path To Your Application\Your Shortcut Name.lnk"
'
' -and-
'
' "\Northwind.lnk"
'
' should be modified to read:
'
' "\Your Shortcut Name.lnk"
' Create the batch file Cleanup.bat, which will
' run after CopyShortCut.mdb is closed.
Open WinPath & "Cleanup.bat" For Output As #1
Print #1, "del " & WinPath & "Script.bat"
Print #1, "del " & WinPath & "CopyShortcut.mdb"
Print #1, "Echo Northwind Setup is now complete."
Print #1, "Echo Close this DOS window "
Print #1, "Echo by clicking on the X"
Print #1, "Echo at the top right..."
Print #1, "Echo :)"
Print #1, "Echo :)"
Print #1, "Echo :)"
Print #1, "Echo :)"
Print #1, "Echo :)"
Print #1, "Echo :)"
Print #1, "Del " & WinPath & "Cleanup.bat"
Close #1
' After Cleanup.bat is created, close
' Microsoft Access.
Exit_CopyAppShortcut:
Application.quit
Err_GetFolder:
Application.echo True
Msgbox err.description, vbCritical or VbokOnly
Resume Exit_CopyAppShortCut
End Function
- Save the new module as DeskTopShortcuts.
- Create the following new macro and name it AutoExec:
Action
------
RunCode
Action Arguments
-------------------------------
Function Name: CopyAppShortCut()
- Save the macro.
NOTE: When you name a macro AutoExec, it will run each time the
Database is opened. To open the database without running the AutoExec
macro, press SHIFT until the database opens.
- Close the CopyShortcut database.
- Open any text editor (such as Notepad) and type the following:
Echo Off
Start /wait /min CopyShortcut.mdb
Cls
Call Cleanup.bat
- Save the new text file as Script.bat.
Creating a Run-Time Distribution
- Run the Microsoft Office 97 Developers Edition Tools Setup Wizard.
- Select "Create a new set of setup options for my application's
custom Setup Program", and then click Next.
- Add the following files to the List Of Files window. Make sure to
correctly set File Properties for each file you add.
CopyShortcut.mdb
----------------
Destination Folder: $(WinPath)
Script.bat
----------
Destination Folder: $(WinPath)
Northwind.mdb
-------------
Destination Folder: $(AppPath)
Set As Application's Main File: Checked
After you've added these files, click Next.
- Click Add to include a shortcut to run Northwind.mdb:
Shortcut for Northwind.mdb
--------------------------
General Shortcut Properties
Description: Northwind
Database Shortcut Properties
Database Command-Line Options: Run-time
Click Next twice to bypass the Registry Values screen, and respond
to any prompts from the Setup Wizard.
- Make sure the following components are being included in your
run-time distribution, and then click Next twice to bypass the next
screen.
Microsoft Access Run-Time Version
Workgroup Administrator
- Name the application Northwind, and then click Next.
- In the "Run the following file after the custom Setup program is
completed:" box, select Script.bat.
- In "Enter or edit the command line that will be used to run the
executable file," type the following:
"$(FilePath)\Script.bat"
- Select "Allow Setup to Complete Before the File Finishes Running,"
then click Next.
- Follow instructions from the Setup Wizard and complete building your
run-time distribution.
When you run setup from either Disk 1 of your disk set or the "Net"
Network/CD setup folder, a shortcut should be created on your desktop.
NOTE: The process described in this article only functions during the
initial setup of the application. Running setup in maintenance mode will
not cause a shortcut to be created. If it is necessary to do so, you should
uninstall and then reinstall the run-time application.
REFERENCES
For more information about including an executable file with your custom
Setup program, search the Help Index for "Setup Wizard, files to run
after Setup."
Or see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q163062
ODE97: Errors Executing File After Custom Setup
Additional query words:
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Keywords : kbdta PgmHowto OdeGen
Version : :97
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbhowto
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