Merlin’s Delphi Forge

Setup programs automatically can create links to your programs on the desktop, in the Start Menu or wherever you want. WinAmp allows you to create links on the desktop, in the Start menu and in the QuickLaunch menu. Wouldn’t it be cool if your program could do the same? There are Delphi components that do the job for you but there is no reason you should use VCL components. Why? Well, the whole trick is only 2 functions. Creating components for the job is just wasting space.

If you want to create links in the Start|Documents menu check out tip “How to add files to the Start|Documents menu.”

The SpecialDirectory() function returns the path of the specified special directory. These are:

Step 1. Get the special directory you want (if you want to put your link in a special directory, that is:)

uses
  ComObj, ShlObj, Windows;
...
function SpecialDirectory(const iID: Integer): string;
var
  aPath  : array[0..MAX_PATH] of Char;
  pilTemp: PItemIDList;
begin
  OleCheck(SHGetSpecialFolderLocation(0, iID, pilTemp));
  SHGetPathFromIDList(pilTemp, aPath);
  CoTaskMemFree(pilTemp);
  Result := string(aPath);
end;

Example:

SpecialDirectory(CSIDL_FONTS);

Step 2. Once you get the folder path you want to create the link in all you have to do is create the link itself. Here’s a function that will do the job for you:

uses
  ActiveX, ShelObj;
...
function CreateLink(const sFile, sLinkFile, sDescription: string): Boolean;
var
  pfLink : IPersistFile;
  islLink: IShellLink;
begin
  Result := False;
  if CoCreateInstance(CLSID_ShellLink, nil, CLSCTX_INPROC_SERVER, IID_IShellLinkA, islLink) = NO_ERROR then
    with islLink do begin
      SetPath(PChar(sFile)));
      SetDescription(PChar(sDescription));
      if QueryInterface(IID_IPersistFile, pfLink) = NO_ERROR then begin
        pfLink.Save(StringToOLEStr(sLinkFile), True);
        Result := True;
      end;
    end;
end;

Example:

CreateLink(PChar(Application.ExeName), 'Some comment', SpecialDirectory(CSIDL_DESKTOP) + '\the program name.lnk');

This example code will create a link “the program name.lnk” commented ‘Some comment’ on the desktop.

Tags: api, clx, create, Delphi, file, generate, link, object pascal, proper, shell, tip, trick, vcl, windows