Creating Shortcut (.lnk)'s

[Dhugal]

Hi all,

Does anybody know how to create shortcuts in VB?

I need an API function that will allow me to create shortcut (.lnk) files on the desktop. I must be able to set the start in directory as well as the Command Line...

Any ideas??


Also... Any body know any good API - from a Vb perspective, and Object books??

Use the fCreateShellLink api function.

In Visual Basic 5.0, change Stkit432.dll in the following
'statement to Vb5stkit.dll.  Stkit432.dll is for Visual Basic 4.0

Private Declare Function fCreateShellLink Lib "STKIT432.DLL" (ByVal
lpstrFolderName As String, ByVal lpstrLinkName As String, ByVal lpstrLinkPath As
String, ByVal lpstrLinkArgs As String) As Long

Private Sub Command1_Click()
    Dim lReturn As Long
    'Add to Desktop
    lReturn = fCreateShellLink("..\..\Desktop", _
    "Shortcut to MyProg", "c:\myprogram\myprog.exe", "")
End Sub

[Dhugal]

Thanks for the reply... However I am running VB6 on win 98 and when i try to run the app it says it cant find the stkit dll file???

Also with this API can you set the working directory?

Ok, I found it.

Private Declare Function fCreateShellLink _
Lib "VB6STKIT.DLL" (ByVal _
lpstrFolderName As String, ByVal lpstrLinkName As String, _
ByVal lpstrLinkPath As _
String, ByVal lpstrLinkArgs As String) As Long

What do you mean by "working directory"?

[Cbomb]

I think he means the directory in which the link is created. And if this is so...take a look at the first arg when calling fCreateShellLink

[Dhugal]

Thanks for the help.

What I mean by working deirectory is the Start In Dir.

So basicly the dir where the exe is actually started. Due to the nature of the application that I am installing it requires that the EXE's be fired up in a certain DIR because they need to read an INI file.

You know when you go into the properties of a shortcut you get the START IN, or working DIR, That is what i need to specify.

[Jhd.Honza]

And how can I retrieve the original file name (icon, title etc.) of the LNK or PIF file?

I made some silly code reading the binary file, but this is very slow (if you have more files) so I believe there is an API, isn't?

API is your answer.

Explanation:

(A) We are using the calculator as an example
(B) Make a shortcut of the calculator on your desktop
(C) Make sure the shortcut calculator is named "Calc"
(1) Find the Window (even if it means the shortcut)
(2) Get the exe by the given handle
(3) Tell you the handle
(4) The calculator will become the focused window when you open it
(5) If the calculator doesn't have focus, give it focus (this will give it focus no matter what)
(6) Get the title of the active window
(7) Extract the Icon as well

'Needed:  Form, Command Button, Picturebox, Module

'Module code:

Private Declare Function FindWindow Lib "user32.dll" Alias "FindWindowA" (ByVal lpClassName As Any, ByVal lpWindowName As Any) As Long

Private Declare Function GetForegroundWindow Lib "user32" () As Long

Private Declare Function GetWindowTextLength Lib "user32" Alias _
"GetWindowTextLengthA" (ByVal hwnd As Long) As Long

Private Declare Function GetWindowText Lib "user32" Alias "GetWindowTextA" _
(ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal lpString As String, ByVal cch As Long) As Long

Private Declare Function GetParent Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long) As Long

Private Declare Function ExtractAssociatedIcon Lib "shell32.dll" Alias "ExtractAssociatedIconA" (ByVal hInst As Long, ByVal lpIconPath As String, lpiIcon As Long) As Long

Private Declare Function DrawIconEx Lib "user32" (ByVal hdc As Long, ByVal xLeft As Long, ByVal yTop As Long, ByVal hIcon As Long, ByVal cxWidth As Long, ByVal cyWidth As Long, ByVal istepIfAniCur As Long, ByVal hbrFlickerFreeDraw As Long, ByVal diFlags As Long) As Long

Public Const TH32CS_SNAPPROCESS As Long = 2&
Public Const MAX_PATH As Long = 260
Public Type PROCESSENTRY32

dwSize As Long
cntUsage As Long
th32ProcessID As Long
th32DefaultHeapID As Long
th32ModuleID As Long
cntThreads As Long
th32ParentProcessID As Long
pcPriClassBase As Long
dwflags As Long
szexeFile As String * MAX_PATH
End Type

Public Declare Function GetWindowThreadProcessId Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long, lpdwProcessId As Long) As Long

Public Declare Function CreateToolhelpSnapshot Lib "Kernel32" Alias "CreateToolhelp32Snapshot" (ByVal lFlgas As Long, ByVal lProcessID As Long) As Long

Public Declare Function ProcessFirst Lib "Kernel32" Alias "Process32First" (ByVal hSnapshot As Long, uProcess As PROCESSENTRY32) As Long

Public Declare Function ProcessNext Lib "Kernel32" Alias "Process32Next" (ByVal hSnapshot As Long, uProcess As PROCESSENTRY32) As Long

Public Declare Sub CloseHandle Lib "Kernel32" (ByVal hPass As Long)

Public Declare Function SetForegroundWindow _
Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long) As Long


Public Function GetExeFromHandle(hwnd As Long) As String
    Dim threadID As Long, processID As Long, hSnapshot As Long
    Dim uProcess As PROCESSENTRY32, rProcessFound As Long
    Dim i As Integer, szExename As String
    ' Get ID for window thread
    threadID = GetWindowThreadProcessId(hwnd, processID)
    ' Check if valid
    If threadID = 0 Or processID = 0 Then Exit Function
    ' Create snapshot of current processes
    hSnapshot = CreateToolhelpSnapshot(TH32CS_SNAPPROCESS, 0&)   ' Check if snapshot is valid
    If hSnapshot = -1 Then Exit Function
    'Initialize uProcess with correct size
    uProcess.dwSize = Len(uProcess)
    'Start looping through processes
    rProcessFound = ProcessFirst(hSnapshot, uProcess)
    Do While rProcessFound
        If uProcess.th32ProcessID = processID Then
            'Found it, now get name of exefile
            i = InStr(1, uProcess.szexeFile, Chr(0))
            If i > 0 Then szExename = Left$(uProcess.szexeFile, i - 1)
            Exit Do
        Else
            'Wrong ID, so continue looping
            rProcessFound = ProcessNext(hSnapshot, uProcess)
        End If
    Loop
    Call CloseHandle(hSnapshot)
    GetExeFromHandle = szExename
End Function


Public Function GetActiveWindowTitle(ByVal ReturnParent As Boolean) As String
   Dim i As Long
   Dim j As Long

   i = GetForegroundWindow


   If ReturnParent Then
      Do While i <> 0
         j = i
         i = GetParent(i)
      Loop

      i = j
   End If

   GetActiveWindowTitle = GetWindowTitle(i)
End Function
Public Function GetWindowTitle(ByVal hwnd As Long) As String
   Dim l As Long
   Dim s As String

   l = GetWindowTextLength(hwnd)
   s = Space(l + 1)

   GetWindowText hwnd, s, l + 1

   GetWindowTitle = Left$(s, l)
End Function


'Form declarations:

Dim stopit As Boolean
Dim handl As String
Dim retFile As String
Dim retActiveWin As String

Private Sub Command1_Click()
    handl = FindWindow(vbNullString, "Calculator") 'Find the Calculator
    If handl <> 0 Then
        'Calculator found
        Call SetForegroundWindow(handl) 'give calculator focus
        retFile = GetExeFromHandle("" & handl & "") 'get/add exe to string
        Debug.Print GetExeFromHandleretFile 'print exe
        retActiveWin = GetActiveWindowTitle(True) 'get/add active window to string
        Debug.Print retActiveWin 'print active window
        Picture1.Cls 'clear picture box
        lIcon = ExtractAssociatedIcon(App.hInstance, retFile, -1) 'extract icon
        Call DrawIconEx(Picture1.hdc, 0, 0, lIcon, 32, 32, 0, 0, 3) 'draw it in picture box
        DoEvents
        stopit = True 'stopit = picture is in picturebox
        If stopit = False Then 'if not picture is in picturebox then
        Call SetForegroundWindow(Me.hwnd) 'give form focus
        Command1_Click 'click command1 until the picture stays
    Else
        Exit Sub 'Window not found
    End If
    End If
End Sub

Hope that is what you are trying to do.
I did make an example, which I had to do to make sure what I was doing worked, if you would rather download the example, I will send it to you.

Enjoy!

Originally posted by Dhugal
Thanks for the reply... However I am running VB6 on win 98 and when i try to run the app it says it cant find the stkit dll file???

Also with this API can you set the working directory?

Originally posted by Jhd.Honza
And how can I retrieve the original file name (icon, title etc.) of the LNK or PIF file?

I made some silly code reading the binary file, but this is very slow (if you have more files) so I believe there is an API, isn't?

I guess that answers both your questions.
Working directory = Location of original exe where the shorcut is actually linking to.
And Jhd.Honza is already spelled out for me.

I hope that helps both of you out.