Filelink

This article applies to Windows only.

See also: Multiplatform Programming Guide

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This tutorial is about Windows programming. This tutorial shows how to create a file link (shortcut) under Windows.

The following units are required:

  uses
   Registry, ActiveX, ComObj, ShlObj, SysUtils;

An enumeration is used to tell the function where the link should be saved.

Depending on where the function is called, this list must be declared either in the interface or in the implementation section of the unit.

Definition of the list:

  Type
   ShortcutType = (_DESKTOP, _QUICKLAUNCH, _SENDTO, _STARTMENU, _OTHERFOLDER);

The function for creating a link (file links) looks like this:

// This function works with the data of the current user
function funErstelleLink(                    // Function name
  const strSourceFile : string;              // Path and name of the original file
  const enuLocation : ShortcutType;          // Where the shortcut should be saved
  const subdirectory : string = '';          // Optional: Alternative path to
                                             // save the link
  const strWorking directory : string = '';  // Optional: path or directory in the
                                             // the program should work
  const strParameter : string = '';          // Optional: transfer parameters to the program
  const strDescription : string = '';        // Optional: Description of the shortcut
  const strIconFile : string = '';           // Optional: file that contains the icon
  const intIconNummer : integer = 0          // Optional: The number of the icon in 
                                             // the icon file to use for the shortcut icon
                                             // (the number of icons starts at 1)
   ) : string;                                                                           

  const
    SHELL_FOLDERS_ROOT = 'Software\MicroSoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer';
    QUICK_LAUNCH_ROOT = 'Software\MicroSoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\GrpConv';

  var
    MyObject : IUnknown;
    MySLink : IShellLink;
    MyPFile : IPersistFile;
    Reg : TRegIniFile;
    strDirectory : string = '';
    strLinkName : string = '';
    wstrfilename : WideString = '';

  begin

    Result := '';

   // Creates the objects
   MyObject := CreateComObject(CLSID_ShellLink);
   MySLink := MyObject as IShellLink;
   MyPFile := MyObject as IPersistFile;

   // Creates the name of the link
   strLinkName := ChangeFileExt(strSourceFile , '.lnk');
   strLinkName := ExtractFileName(strLinkName);

   // Reads the location from the registry
   if enuLocation = _QUICKLAUNCH then
   begin
     Reg := TRegIniFile.Create(QUICK_LAUNCH_ROOT);
     try
       strDirectory := Reg.ReadString('MapGroups', 'Quick Launch', '');
     finally
       Reg.Free;
     end;
   end
   else
   begin
     Reg := TRegIniFile.Create(SHELL_FOLDERS_ROOT);
     try
       case enuLocation of
         _OTHERFOLDER : strDirectory := strDirectory;
         _DESKTOP : strDirectory := Reg.ReadString('Shell Folders', 'Desktop', '');
         _STARTMENU : strDirectory := Reg.ReadString('Shell Folders', 'Start Menu', '');
         _SENDTO : strDirectory := Reg.ReadString('Shell Folders', 'SendTo', '');
       end ;
     finally
       Reg.Free;
     end;
   end;

   // If something went wrong, the program ends here
   // a link is not created
   if strDirectory = '' then
     exit;

   // Passes the appropriate parameters to the objects
   MySLink.SetPath(PChar(strSourceFile)) ;
   MySLink.SetArguments(PChar(strParameter));
   MySLink.SetDescription(PChar(strDescription));

   // If the information about the icon is plausible, it will be adopted
   // otherwise the default settings are used
   if (strIconFile <> '') and (intIconNumber > 0) then
     MySLink.SetIconLocation(PChar(strIconFile), intIconNumber);

   // Defines in which directory the link is saved
   if (strSubdirectory <> '') and (enuLocation <> _OTHERFOLDER) then
     wstrFilename := strDirectory + '\' + strSubDirectory + '\' + strLinkName
   else
     wstrFilename := strDirectory + '\' + strLinkName;

   // Specifies the directory in which the program is executed
   if strWorkingDirectory = '' then
     MySLink.SetWorkingDirectory(PChar(ExtractFilePath(strSourceFile)))
   else
     MySLink.SetWorkingDirectory(PChar(strWorkingDirectory));

   // Creates the link
   MyPFile.Save(PWideChar(wstrFilename), False);

   // Returns the path of the link as a return value
   Result := string(wstrfilename);

 end ;

The function can be called as follows.

  funErstelleLink (
     'E:\Test\Test.Exe',  // Path and name of the original file
     _DESKTOP,            // The link should be saved here
     '',                  // Optional: An alternative path to save the link
     '',                  // Optional: The working directory of the program
     '',                  // Optional: transfer parameters to the program
     'This is a test',    // Optional: A description of the shortcut
     'E:\Test\Test.Exe',  // Optional: A file that contains the alternative icon
     2                    // Optional: The icon that should be displayed from the icon file
                          // (the counting of the icons starts at 1)
     ) ;