Creating Shortcuts with C++

[Deluge]

I've been trying to learn how to create a windows shortcut. I think I can do it using a Windows Script File, but I want to see if I can do it in C++. Here is where I got most of my information:

http://www.flexhex.com/docs/articles/hard-links.phtml#softlinks

and here is the code:

#include <windows.h>
#include <shlobj.h>

int main()
{
    IShellLink* pShellLink;
    CoCreateInstance(CLSID_ShellLink, NULL, CLSCTX_ALL,
                   IID_IShellLink, (void**)&pShellLink);
    pShellLink->SetPath("C:\\Python27\\python.exe");  // Path to the object we are referring to
    pShellLink->SetDescription("The Python shell");
    pShellLink->SetIconLocation("C:\\Python27\\python.exe", 0);
	
    IPersistFile *pPersistFile;
    pShellLink->QueryInterface(IID_IPersistFile, (void**)&pPersistFile);
    pPersistFile->Save(L"C:\\test", TRUE);
	
    pPersistFile->Release();
    pShellLink->Release();
	
    return 0;
}

I link to the ole32 and uuid libraries and it compiles fine. But the program crashes with a:

test.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close.  We are sorry for the inconvenience.

Am I on the right path?

[kbw]

You don't check pShellLink for NULL before use and you don't check CoCreateInstance for success.

If you haven't called CoInitialize (as is the case), the CoCreateInstance will fail.

[Deluge]

Thank you, it doesn't crash anymore. But I am still having trouble getting it to do what I want, CoCreateInstance() fails:

#include <windows.h>
#include <shlobj.h>
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int main()
{
    IShellLink* pShellLink = NULL;
    HRESULT hres;
    hres = CoCreateInstance(CLSID_ShellLink, NULL, CLSCTX_ALL,
                   IID_IShellLink, (void**)&pShellLink);
    
    if (SUCCEEDED(hres))
    {
        pShellLink->SetPath("C:\\Python27\\python.exe");  // Path to the object we are referring to
        pShellLink->SetDescription("The Python shell");
        pShellLink->SetIconLocation("C:\\Python27\\python.exe", 0);
    
        IPersistFile *pPersistFile;
        hres = pShellLink->QueryInterface(IID_IPersistFile, (void**)&pPersistFile);
        
        if (SUCCEEDED(hres))
        {
            hres = pPersistFile->Save(L"C:\\test", TRUE);
        
            pPersistFile->Release();
        }
        else
        {
            cout << "Error 2" << endl;
            return 2;
        }
        pShellLink->Release();
    }
    else
    {
        cout << "Error 1" << endl;
        return 1;
    }
    
    return 0;
}

hres returns -2147221008 (shouldnt this be a hex value?). I'm looking up the codes on msdn.

Edit: I've checked all of the return codes for CoCreateInstance and none of them are returned: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms686615%28v=VS.85%29.aspx

    IShellLink* pShellLink = NULL;
    HRESULT hres;
    hres = CoCreateInstance(CLSID_ShellLink, NULL, CLSCTX_ALL, IID_IShellLink, (void**)&pShellLink);

    if (hres == S_OK) cout << "OK" << endl;
    if (hres == REGDB_E_CLASSNOTREG) cout << "Class not registered" << endl;
    if (hres == CLASS_E_NOAGGREGATION) cout << "No Aggregation" << endl;
    if (hres == E_NOINTERFACE) cout << "No interface" << endl;
    if (hres == E_POINTER) cout << "Pointer" << endl;

Edit: Okay, I figured out the error code:

cout << hex << hres << endl;

This shows the return code to be 0x800401f0 (CO_E_NOTINITIALIZED), which according to the HRESULT return codes means "CoInitialize has not been called.": http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-gb/library/cc704587.aspx

PROBLEM SOLVED: I needed to call CoInitialize(NULL):

#include <windows.h>
#include <shlobj.h>
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int main()
{
    CoInitialize(NULL);
    IShellLink* pShellLink = NULL;
    HRESULT hres;
    hres = CoCreateInstance(CLSID_ShellLink, NULL, CLSCTX_ALL,
                   IID_IShellLink, (void**)&pShellLink);
    cout << hex << hres << endl;
    if (SUCCEEDED(hres))
    {
        pShellLink->SetPath("C:\\Python27\\python.exe");  // Path to the object we are referring to
        pShellLink->SetDescription("The Python shell");
        pShellLink->SetIconLocation("C:\\Python27\\python.exe", 0);
    
        IPersistFile *pPersistFile;
        hres = pShellLink->QueryInterface(IID_IPersistFile, (void**)&pPersistFile);
        
        if (SUCCEEDED(hres))
        {
            hres = pPersistFile->Save(L"C:\\test.lnk", TRUE);
        
            pPersistFile->Release();
        }
        else
        {
            cout << "Error 2" << endl;
            return 2;
        }
        pShellLink->Release();
    }
    else
    {
        cout << "Error 1" << endl;
        return 1;
    }
    
    return 0;
}

[Deluge]

kbw:

If you haven't called CoInitialize (as is the case), the CoCreateInstance will fail.

Sorry, had I paid better attention I would have figured that out sooner :).