Create a shortcut (Visual Basic) - Developer Fusion, the UK developer community - VB, ASP, C#, .NET, PHP and XML tutorials & source code

'Module Code
Public Enum CSIDL_FOLDERS
CSIDL_DESKTOP = &H0 '// The Desktop - virtual folder
CSIDL_PROGRAMS = 2 '// Program Files
CSIDL_CONTROLS = 3 '// Control Panel - virtual folder
CSIDL_PRINTERS = 4 '// Printers - virtual folder
CSIDL_DOCUMENTS = 5 '// My Documents
CSIDL_FAVORITES = 6 '// Favourites
CSIDL_STARTUP = 7 '// Startup Folder
CSIDL_RECENT = 8 '// Recent Documents
CSIDL_SENDTO = 9 '// Send To Folder
CSIDL_BITBUCKET = 10 '// Recycle Bin - virtual folder
CSIDL_STARTMENU = 11 '// Start Menu
CSIDL_DESKTOPFOLDER = 16 '// Desktop folder
CSIDL_DRIVES = 17 '// My Computer - virtual folder
CSIDL_NETWORK = 18 '// Network Neighbourhood - virtual folder
CSIDL_NETHOOD = 19 '// NetHood Folder
CSIDL_FONTS = 20 '// Fonts folder
CSIDL_SHELLNEW = 21 '// ShellNew folder
End Enum
Private Const FO_MOVE = &H1
Private Const FO_RENAME = &H4
Private Const FOF_SILENT = &H4
Private Const FOF_NOCONFIRMATION = &H10
Private Const FOF_RENAMEONCOLLISION = &H8
Private Const MAX_PATH As Integer = 260
Private Const SHARD_PATH = &H2&
Private Const SHCNF_IDLIST = &H0
Private Const SHCNE_ALLEVENTS = &H7FFFFFFF
Private Type SHFILEOPSTRUCT
hwnd As Long
wFunc As Long
pFrom As String
pTo As String
fFlags As Integer
fAborted As Boolean
hNameMaps As Long
sProgress As String
End Type
Private Type SHITEMID
cb As Long
abID As Byte
End Type
Private Type ITEMIDLIST
mkid As SHITEMID
End Type
Private Declare Sub Sleep Lib "kernel32" (ByVal dwMilliseconds As Long)
Private Declare Function SHGetSpecialFolderLocation Lib "Shell32.dll" _
(ByVal hwndOwner As Long, ByVal nFolder As Long, pidl As ITEMIDLIST) As Long
Private Declare Function SHGetSpecialFolderLocationD Lib "Shell32.dll" Alias _
"SHGetSpecialFolderLocation" (ByVal hwndOwner As Long, ByVal nFolder As Long, _
ByRef ppidl As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function SHAddToRecentDocs Lib "Shell32.dll" (ByVal dwflags As Long, _
ByVal dwdata As String) As Long
Private Declare Function SHFileOperation Lib "Shell32.dll" Alias "SHFileOperationA" _
(lpFileOp As SHFILEOPSTRUCT) As Long
Private Declare Function SHChangeNotify Lib "Shell32.dll" (ByVal wEventID As Long, _
ByVal uFlags As Long, ByVal dwItem1 As Long, ByVal dwItem2 As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function SHGetPathFromIDList Lib "Shell32.dll" Alias "SHGetPathFromIDListA" _
(ByVal pidl As Long, ByVal pszPath As String) As Long

Private Function fGetSpecialFolder(CSIDL As Long) As String
Dim sPath As String
Dim IDL As ITEMIDLIST
'
' Retrieve info about system folders such as the "Recent Documents" folder.
' Info is stored in the IDL structure.
'
fGetSpecialFolder = ""
If SHGetSpecialFolderLocation(Form1.hwnd, CSIDL, IDL) = 0 Then
'
' Get the path from the ID list, and return the folder.
'
sPath = Space$(MAX_PATH)
If SHGetPathFromIDList(ByVal IDL.mkid.cb, ByVal sPath) Then
fGetSpecialFolder = Left$(sPath, InStr(sPath, vbNullChar) - 1) & "\"
End If
End If
End Function
'Thanks to Mike J for pointing out some errors
'and improving this routine
'Module Code
Public Function CreateShortcut(ByRef txtFilePath As String, _
ByRef txtName As String, ByRef vTarget As CSIDL_FOLDERS)
Dim I As Integer
Dim lResult As Long
Dim lpil As Long
Dim sFilePath As String
Dim sFileName As String
Dim sRecentPath As String
Dim sDesktopPath As String
Dim sFilePathOld As String
Dim sFilePathNew As String
Dim sShortCutName As String
Dim SMsg As String
Dim SHFileOp As SHFILEOPSTRUCT
' Add a shortcut to any path virtual folder.
'
' Get the .exe path and display name associated with the
' button that was right clicked (determined by ptbrRightButton).
'
On Error GoTo cmdCreateError
Screen.MousePointer = vbHourglass
sFilePath = Trim$(txtFilePath)
sShortCutName = Trim$(txtName) & ".lnk"
'
' Get the paths of the folders to add the shortcuts to.
' The folders are the Recent Files List and the Desktop.
'
sRecentPath = fGetSpecialFolder(CSIDL_RECENT)
'
' NOTE: to create the shortcut in another folder, set sDesktopPath
' to that folder.
sDesktopPath = fGetSpecialFolder(VTarget)
SMsg = "Error retrieving folder location."
If sRecentPath <> "" And sDesktopPath <> "" Then
'
' Create a shortcut in the Recent Files list.
'
sMsg = "Error adding shortcut to the Recent File list."
lResult = SHAddToRecentDocs(SHARD_PATH, sFilePath)
Call Sleep(1500)
If lResult Then

' Extract the .exe name from the path.
I = 1
sFileName = sFilePath
Do While I
I = InStr(1, sFileName, "\")
If I Then sFileName = Mid$(sFileName, I + 1)
Loop


' Move the shortcut from the Recent folder to the Desktop.
' Since the shortcut now resides in the Recent folder,
' modify the file name to include the Recent folder
' path. Also, append ".lnk" to the original filename.
'
sFilePath = sRecentPath & "\" & sFileName & ".lnk" & _
vbNullChar & vbNullChar

With SHFileOp
.wFunc = FO_MOVE
.pFrom = sFilePath
.pTo = sDesktopPath
.fFlags = FOF_SILENT
End With

SMsg = "Error creating desktop shortcut."
lResult = SHFileOperation(SHFileOp)
Sleep (1500)
If lResult = 0 Then

'
' Rename the link.

sFilePathOld = sDesktopPath & "\" & sFileName & ".lnk" & _
vbNullChar & vbNullChar
sFilePathNew = sDesktopPath & "\" & sShortCutName & _
vbNullChar & vbNullChar
With SHFileOp
.wFunc = FO_RENAME
.pFrom = sFilePathOld
.pTo = sFilePathNew
.fFlags = FOF_SILENT Or FOF_RENAMEONCOLLISION
End With
SMsg = "Error renaming desktop shortcut."
lResult = SHFileOperation(SHFileOp) '123 = can't rename.
SMsg = ""
'
' Refresh the desktop to display the shortcut.
'
Call SHGetSpecialFolderLocationD(0, CSIDL_DESKTOP, lpil)

Call SHChangeNotify(SHCNE_ALLEVENTS, SHCNF_IDLIST, lpil, 0)

End If
End If
End If
Screen.MousePointer = vbDefault
Exit Function

cmdCreateError:
MsgBox "Error creating desktop shortcut. " & SMsg, vbExclamation, "Create Shortcut"
End Function