Find Target for a LNK-file

[webu]

Hi all,

i need the target for a given LNK-file.

If i drag an LNK-file from the desktop to my appliktion. I get the path and filename to the LNK-file in _DosCmd$. But i need the target-file for work.

Anybody any idea? It would be good if it could not be done via Powershell or WScript.

Thank you

[(X)]

Not sure if this meets with:"It would be good if it could not be done via Powershell or WScript."

Here goes (updated: set objects to nothing, just in case):

'#################################################################################
'
' DISCLAIMER:   THIS CODE IS OFFERED AS IS FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES.
'               YOU ARE FREE TO USE, COPY AND DISTRIBUTE.
'               THE USE OF THIS CODE IS AT YOUR OWN RISK.
'               I ACCEPT NO LIABILITY NOR MAKE ANY CLAIM OF
'               CORRECTNESS OR SUITABILITY IN PART OR IN WHOLE.
'
'#################################################################################
'
' FILENAME      Lib_GetShortcutTarget.G32
'
' DESCRIPTION   A Shortcut file (.lnk) has a target.  The GetShortcutTarget()
'               function returns it.
'
' AUTHOR        (X)
' EMAIL         [e-mail]
' WEBSITE       https://gfatrix.proboards.com/
' STARTED       2022-10-16
' UPDATED       <ISO date>
'
'
$Export "Lib_GetShortcutTarget"

Function GetShortcutTarget(ByRef scfn$) As String
 $Export Proc GetShortcutTarget "(ByRef ShortcutFullPath$)"
 Try
   If IsLink(scfn)
     Dim oShell
     Dim oFolder
     Dim oFolderItem
     Dim oLink
     Set oShell      = CreateObject("Shell.Application")
     Set oFolder     = oShell.NameSpace(Get_Path(scfn))
     Set oFolderItem = oFolder.ParseName(Get_File(scfn))
     Set oLink       = oFolderItem.GetLink
     Dim Target$     = oLink.Target.path
     Set oLink       = Nothing
     Set oFolderItem = Nothing
     Set oFolder     = Nothing
     Set oShell      = Nothing
     Return Target
   Else
     Return ""
   EndIf
 Catch
   Trace Err$
   Return ""
 EndCatch
EndFunc

Function Get_Path(sFullPath As String) As String
 Get_Path = Left(sFullPath,  RInStr(sFullPath, "\"))
EndFunc

Function Get_File(sFullPath As String) As String
 Get_File = Right(sFullPath, Len(sFullPath) - RInStr(sFullPath, "\"))
EndFunc

Function HasExtension(s$) As Bool
 Return Left(Right(s$, 4)) == "."
EndFunc

Function IsLink(ByRef s$) As Bool
 If HasExtension(s)
   If (Upper(Right(s, 3)) == "LNK")
     Return True
   Else
     MsgBox s & #10" is not a Shortcut (.lnk) file."
     Return False
   EndIf
 Else
   ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
   ' If the filename does not include a ".lnk" extension then Exist() will not
   ' find it even if the file actually exists, so, we need to add a ".lnk" extension
   ' just in case the passed filename may indeed be a Shortcut file.
   '
   s = s & ".lnk"
   If Exist(s)
     Return True
   Else
     MsgBox s & #10" is not a Shortcut (.lnk) file."
     Return False
   EndIf
 EndIf
EndFunc


Just compile, put in your program's directory and include this line at the head of your code:

$Library "Lib_GetShortcutTarget"

Attachments:

Lib_GetShortcutTarget.G32 (2.8 KB)

[webu]

Thank you, it works fine

I have short it a little bit:

Message LinkTarget("C:\Users\ad\Desktop\Roul.lnk")

Function LinkTarget(lnk$) As String
 Dim bsl% = RInStr(lnk$, "\")   //backslash-position
 Dim oShell : Set oShell = CreateObject("Shell.Application")
 Return oShell.NameSpace(Left$(lnk$, bsl)).ParseName(Mid$(lnk$, bsl + 1)).GetLink.Target.path
EndFunc

Is a "Set oShell = Nothing" important? I missed it.

I think, that your CreateObject("Shell.Application") is not CreateObject("Wscript.Shell"). Or is it?

[(X)]

Shell...  from: learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/shell/shell

I just looked up and tried a few things from this section and thought I might be on the right track.

What you did here is very slick!

oShell.NameSpace(Left$(lnk$, bsl)).ParseName(Mid$(lnk$, bsl + 1)).GetLink.Target.path

 I would never have thought of doing that!

[(X)]

Oct 17, 2022 0:09:20 GMT 1 webu said:

Message LinkTarget("C:\Users\ad\Desktop\Roul.lnk")


One pitfall I did not expect is: If ".lnk" is not specified, the extension is not assumed and this causes an error. 

I therefore check if the filename had no extension, I added ".lnk" to it and also rejected all cases of other extensions.

[webu]

What you did here is very slick!

I know. My short-version works, it is not for understanding! :-)

I therefore check if the filename had no extension, I added ".lnk" to it and also rejected all cases of other extensions

In my Windows desktop environments, links without ".lnk" at the end do not produce the same results as with ".lnk". You could not double-click on it successfully, because that generates an error.

[(X)]

This has nothing to do with Drag & Drop, but, I started wondering about a few possibilities...

If you select a ".lnk" file from the ShowOpen dialog; the returned cd.FileName contains the Link target's full file path, not the Shortcut's filename listed in the directory.

Ocx CommDlg cd

cd.FileName = ""
cd.FileTitle = ""
cd.DefExt = "FILE"
cd.Filter = "Files (*.FILE)|*.FILE|All Files (*)|*"
cd.Title = "Select a File"
cd.Flags = cdoHideReadOnly + cdoFileMustExist
cd.ShowOpen

Message cd.FileName


In contrast, if you open the file:"somelink.lnk" for input, it is the Shortcut file that is actually opened, not the target.

Dim a$
Open "C:\somelink.lnk" for Input As # 1
'Open cd.FileName for Input As # 1
Input # 1, a$
Close # 1

Print
Print a$

[webu]

If you select a ".lnk" file from the ShowOpen dialog; the returned cd.FileName contains the Link target's full file path, not the Shortcut's filename listed in the directory.

You use the fileselector box of the system and this box resolves the lnk file and returns the destination file directly. This has nothing to do with the application that calls the box.

Du benutzt die fileselector-Box des Systems und diese Box löst die lnk-Datei auf und liefert direkt die Ziel-Datei zurück. Das hat nichts mit der Anwendung zu tun, welche die Box aufruft.

[(X)]

I agree, any Dialog box called by any application written in any programming language should behave the same way.