How to programmatically create a shortcut using Win32

Question

I need to programmatically create a shortcut using C++.

How can I do this using Win32 SDK?

What API function can be used for this purpose?

Paul Sasik · Accepted Answer · 2015-04-22 18:17:03Z

32

Try Windows Shell Links. This page also contains a C++ example. Descriptive Snippet:

Using Shell Links

This section contains examples that demonstrate how to create and resolve shortcuts from within a Win32-based application. This section assumes you are familiar with Win32, C++, and OLE COM programming.

EDIT: Adding the code sample in case the link dies (and MSDN links do die often.)

// CreateLink - Uses the Shell's IShellLink and IPersistFile interfaces 
//              to create and store a shortcut to the specified object. 
//
// Returns the result of calling the member functions of the interfaces. 
//
// Parameters:
// lpszPathObj  - Address of a buffer that contains the path of the object,
//                including the file name.
// lpszPathLink - Address of a buffer that contains the path where the 
//                Shell link is to be stored, including the file name.
// lpszDesc     - Address of a buffer that contains a description of the 
//                Shell link, stored in the Comment field of the link
//                properties.

#include "stdafx.h"
#include "windows.h"
#include "winnls.h"
#include "shobjidl.h"
#include "objbase.h"
#include "objidl.h"
#include "shlguid.h"

HRESULT CreateLink(LPCWSTR lpszPathObj, LPCSTR lpszPathLink, LPCWSTR lpszDesc) 
{ 
    HRESULT hres; 
    IShellLink* psl; 

    // Get a pointer to the IShellLink interface. It is assumed that CoInitialize
    // has already been called.
    hres = CoCreateInstance(CLSID_ShellLink, NULL, CLSCTX_INPROC_SERVER, IID_IShellLink, (LPVOID*)&psl); 
    if (SUCCEEDED(hres)) 
    { 
        IPersistFile* ppf; 

        // Set the path to the shortcut target and add the description. 
        psl->SetPath(lpszPathObj); 
        psl->SetDescription(lpszDesc); 

        // Query IShellLink for the IPersistFile interface, used for saving the 
        // shortcut in persistent storage. 
        hres = psl->QueryInterface(IID_IPersistFile, (LPVOID*)&ppf); 

        if (SUCCEEDED(hres)) 
        { 
            WCHAR wsz[MAX_PATH]; 

            // Ensure that the string is Unicode. 
            MultiByteToWideChar(CP_ACP, 0, lpszPathLink, -1, wsz, MAX_PATH); 

            // Save the link by calling IPersistFile::Save. 
            hres = ppf->Save(wsz, TRUE); 
            ppf->Release(); 
        } 
        psl->Release(); 
    } 
    return hres;

edited Apr 22, 2015 at 18:17

answered Oct 11, 2010 at 14:15

Paul Sasik

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2 Comments

BattleTested_закалённый в бою Over a year ago

You didn't initialize com library... also uninitialize it when you finished

Jacob Degeling Over a year ago

FYI the link has changed (the anchor tag changed). Here is the new one (if you don't like scrolling_=) learn.microsoft.com/en-au/windows/win32/shell/…

Arash Milani · Accepted Answer · 2013-05-19 09:22:48Z

Here is a c++ sample code based on William Rayer code on codeproject.com

header file (ShortcutProvider.h):

#include <Windows.h>

class ShortcutProvider
{
public:
    /*
    -------------------------------------------------------------------
    Description:
    Creates the actual 'lnk' file (assumes COM has been initialized).

    Parameters:
    pszTargetfile    - File name of the link's target.
    pszTargetargs    - Command line arguments passed to link's target.
    pszLinkfile      - File name of the actual link file being created.
    pszDescription   - Description of the linked item.
    iShowmode        - ShowWindow() constant for the link's target.
    pszCurdir        - Working directory of the active link. 
    pszIconfile      - File name of the icon file used for the link.
    iIconindex       - Index of the icon in the icon file.

    Returns:
    HRESULT value >= 0 for success, < 0 for failure.
    --------------------------------------------------------------------
    */
    HRESULT Create(LPSTR pszTargetfile, LPSTR pszTargetargs,
        LPSTR pszLinkfile, LPSTR pszDescription, 
        int iShowmode, LPSTR pszCurdir, 
        LPSTR pszIconfile, int iIconindex);
};

Source File (ShortcutProvide.cpp):

#include "ShortcutProvider.h"
#include <Windows.h>
#include <shlobj.h>
#include <winnls.h>
#include <shobjidl.h>
#include <objbase.h>
#include <objidl.h>
#include <shlguid.h>


HRESULT ShortcutProvider::Create(LPSTR pszTargetfile, LPSTR pszTargetargs,
                                LPSTR pszLinkfile, LPSTR pszDescription, 
                                int iShowmode, LPSTR pszCurdir, 
                                LPSTR pszIconfile, int iIconindex)
  {
    HRESULT       hRes;                  /* Returned COM result code */
    IShellLink*   pShellLink;            /* IShellLink object pointer */
    IPersistFile* pPersistFile;          /* IPersistFile object pointer */
    WCHAR wszLinkfile[MAX_PATH]; /* pszLinkfile as Unicode 
                                            string */
    int           iWideCharsWritten;     /* Number of wide characters 
                                            written */
    CoInitialize(NULL);
    hRes = E_INVALIDARG;
    if (
         (pszTargetfile != NULL) && (strlen(pszTargetfile) > 0) &&
         (pszTargetargs != NULL) &&
         (pszLinkfile != NULL) && (strlen(pszLinkfile) > 0) &&
         (pszDescription != NULL) && 
         (iShowmode >= 0) &&
         (pszCurdir != NULL) && 
         (pszIconfile != NULL) &&
         (iIconindex >= 0)
       )
    {
      hRes = CoCreateInstance(
        CLSID_ShellLink,     /* pre-defined CLSID of the IShellLink 
                                 object */
        NULL,                 /* pointer to parent interface if part of 
                                 aggregate */
        CLSCTX_INPROC_SERVER, /* caller and called code are in same 
                                 process */
        IID_IShellLink,      /* pre-defined interface of the 
                                 IShellLink object */
        (LPVOID*)&pShellLink);         /* Returns a pointer to the IShellLink 
                                 object */
      if (SUCCEEDED(hRes))
      {
        /* Set the fields in the IShellLink object */
        hRes = pShellLink->SetPath(pszTargetfile);
        hRes = pShellLink->SetArguments(pszTargetargs);
        if (strlen(pszDescription) > 0)
        {
          hRes = pShellLink->SetDescription(pszDescription);
        }
        if (iShowmode > 0)
        {
          hRes = pShellLink->SetShowCmd(iShowmode);
        }
        if (strlen(pszCurdir) > 0)
        {
          hRes = pShellLink->SetWorkingDirectory(pszCurdir);
        }
        if (strlen(pszIconfile) > 0 && iIconindex >= 0)
        {
          hRes = pShellLink->SetIconLocation(pszIconfile, iIconindex);
        }

        /* Use the IPersistFile object to save the shell link */
        hRes = pShellLink->QueryInterface(
          IID_IPersistFile,         /* pre-defined interface of the 
                                        IPersistFile object */
          (LPVOID*)&pPersistFile);            /* returns a pointer to the 
                                        IPersistFile object */
        if (SUCCEEDED(hRes))
        {
          iWideCharsWritten = MultiByteToWideChar(CP_ACP, 0, 
                                               pszLinkfile, -1,
                                               wszLinkfile, MAX_PATH);
          hRes = pPersistFile->Save(wszLinkfile, TRUE);
          pPersistFile->Release();
        }
        pShellLink->Release();
      }

    }
    CoUninitialize();
    return (hRes);
}

Vantomex · Accepted Answer · 2010-10-12 04:37:13Z

3

This MSDN artice, Shell Links, provide a comprehensive tutorial about the subject with code example.

answered Oct 12, 2010 at 4:37

Vantomex

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1 Comment

dyslexicanaboko Over a year ago

This is amusing, the link you provided and the link that Paul provided are the same page, but they have physically different links. I wonder why that is. Just odd. Just wanted to throw that out there.

P̲̳x͓L̳ · Accepted Answer · 2014-03-02 15:04:31Z

-2

You can use system function to execute mklink command.

system("mklink /d shortcut_name Target_file");

edited Mar 2, 2014 at 15:04

P̲̳x͓L̳

3,6613 gold badges31 silver badges37 bronze badges

answered Mar 2, 2014 at 14:38

sH4d0w41k3r

531 bronze badge

4 Comments

Ohad Schneider Over a year ago

This will not create a shortcut (lnk file)

Peter Kofler Over a year ago

but some other combinations, like /J for linking directories do.

Marichyasana Over a year ago

/d is for a link to a directory; just remove /d for a link to a file

IInspectable Over a year ago

The mklink tool creates hard/soft links at the filesystem level. This is not at all related to creating *.lnk files, or the shell.

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