Microsoft KB Archive/182606

= ODE: How to Create a Shortcut on the Desktop with ODE =

Article ID: 182606

Article Last Modified on 10/11/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Office 97 Developer Edition

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This article was previously published under Q182606



Advanced: Requires expert coding, interoperability, and multiuser skills.



SUMMARY
Microsoft Office 97 Developer Edition Tools does not provide a way to create a shortcut outside of the application's program group. This article demonstrates how to create a shortcut on the desktop using Visual Basic for Applications and batch (*.bat) files.

This article assumes that you are familiar with Visual Basic for Applications, the Microsoft Office Developers Edition Setup Wizard, and with creating Microsoft Access applications using the programming tools provided with Microsoft Access. For more information about Visual Basic for Applications, please refer to the "Building Applications with Microsoft Access 97" manual.



MORE INFORMATION
Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied. This includes, but is not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language that is being demonstrated and with the tools that are used to create and to debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific requirements.

This example uses or creates the following files: Script.bat        Script.bat is copied to the folder where Windows runs and is started at the end of setup. Script.bat runs Copyshortcut.mdb and waits until it has completed its work before running Cleanup.bat.

CopyShortcut.mdb  CopyShortcut.mdb contains code that copies a shortcut from its location in the application's program group to the computer's desktop. It also creates Cleanup.bat on the user's computer.

Cleanup.bat       Cleanup.bat first deletes Script.bat and CopyShortcut.mdb, which are no longer needed after the shortcut on the desktop has been created. Cleanup.bat then deletes itself. NOTE: On Microsoft Windows NT, the Command window created by Script.bat closes, while on Microsoft Windows 95 it remains open and must be closed by the user.

The following steps demonstrate how to create the additional files discussed above and how to distribute them with the sample Northwind (Northwind.mdb) database using the Microsoft Office Developer Edition Tools Setup Wizard.

Creating CopyShortcut.mdb and Script.bat
 In Microsoft Access 97, create a new database called CopyShortcut.mdb.  Create the following new module: Option Compare Database Option Explicit

' Declare variables. Dim DesktopPath As String Dim StartMenuPath As String Dim WinPath As String Dim fNameOld As String Dim fNameNew As String

' Declare Public variables. Public Type ShortItemId cb As Long abID As Byte End Type

Public Type ITEMIDLIST mkid As ShortItemId End Type

' Declare constants. Const CSIDL_TEMPLATES = &H15 Const CSIDL_STARTMENU = &HB Const CSIDL_FAVORITES = &H6 Const CSIDL_DESKTOPDIRECTORY = &H10

' Declare API functions. Public Declare Function SHGetPathFromIDList Lib "shell32.dll" _ (ByVal pidl As Long, ByVal pszPath As String) As Long

Public Declare Function SHGetSpecialFolderLocation Lib _ "shell32.dll" (ByVal hwndOwner As Long, ByVal nFolder _         As Long, pidl As ITEMIDLIST) As Long

Function GetSpecialFolder(CSIDL As Long) As String

Dim idlstr As Long Dim sPath As String Dim IDL As ITEMIDLIST

Const NOERROR = 0 Const MAX_LENGTH = 260

On Error Goto Err_GetFolder

' Fill the idl structure with the specified folder item. idlstr = SHGetSpecialFolderLocation _ (Application.hWndAccessApp, CSIDL, IDL)

If idlstr = NOERROR Then

' Get the path from the idl list, and return ' the folder with a slash at the end. sPath = Space$(MAX_LENGTH) idlstr = SHGetPathFromIDList(ByVal IDL.mkid.cb, ByVal sPath)

If idlstr Then GetSpecialFolder = Left$(sPath, InStr(sPath, Chr$(0)) _                     - 1) & "\" End If

End If

Exit_GetFolder: Exit Function Err_GetFolder: Msgbox err.description, vbCritical or VbokOnly Resume Exit_GetFolder

End Function

Function CopyAppShortcut ' Turn off screen updating. Application.Echo False

' Call the GetSpecialFolder function to get the location ' of the Desktop, Start Menu, and Windows directories.

DesktopPath = GetSpecialFolder(CSIDL_DESKTOPDIRECTORY) StartMenuPath = GetSpecialFolder(CSIDL_STARTMENU) WinPath = Left(GetSpecialFolder(CSIDL_TEMPLATES), _            Len(GetSpecialFolder(CSIDL_TEMPLATES)) - 9)

' If there is a problem in getting the paths, then ' show an error message and exit.

If DesktopPath = "" Or StartMenuPath = "" Or WinPath = "" Then Application.Echo True MsgBox "Error retrieving folder paths." & Chr(13) & _ "Unable to copy shortcut to desktop." Exit Function End If

' Copy the shortcut from its program group to the Desktop.

FileCopy StartMenuPath & "Programs\Northwind\Northwind.lnk", _ DesktopPath & "\Northwind.lnk"

' NOTE: It is necessary to modify the following lines of code to         ' match your application's path and shortcut's name. '         '   "Programs\Northwind\Northwind.lnk" '         ' should be modified to read: '         '   "Programs\Path To Your Application\Your Shortcut Name.lnk" '         ' -and- '         '   "\Northwind.lnk" '         ' should be modified to read: '         '   "\Your Shortcut Name.lnk"

' Create the batch file Cleanup.bat, which will ' run after CopyShortCut.mdb is closed.

Open WinPath & "Cleanup.bat" For Output As #1 Print #1, "del " & WinPath & "Script.bat" Print #1, "del " & WinPath & "CopyShortcut.mdb" Print #1, "Echo Northwind Setup is now complete." Print #1, "Echo Close this DOS window " Print #1, "Echo by clicking on the X"         Print #1, "Echo at the top right..." Print #1, "Echo :)"         Print #1, "Echo :)" Print #1, "Echo :)"         Print #1, "Echo :)" Print #1, "Echo :)"         Print #1, "Echo :)" Print #1, "Del " & WinPath & "Cleanup.bat" Close #1

' After Cleanup.bat is created, close ' Microsoft Access.

Exit_CopyAppShortcut: Application.quit Err_GetFolder: Application.echo True Msgbox err.description, vbCritical or VbokOnly Resume Exit_CopyAppShortCut

End Function  Save the new module as DeskTopShortcuts.  Create the following new macro and name it AutoExec:       Action --      RunCode

Action Arguments ---      Function Name: CopyAppShortCut  Save the macro.

NOTE: When you name a macro AutoExec, it will run each time the Database is opened. To open the database without running the AutoExec macro, press SHIFT until the database opens.</li> Close the CopyShortcut database.</li> Open any text editor (such as Notepad) and type the following:

Echo Off

Start /wait /min CopyShortcut.mdb

Cls

Call Cleanup.bat

</li> Save the new text file as Script.bat.</li></ol>

Creating a Run-Time Distribution
<ol> Run the Microsoft Office 97 Developers Edition Tools Setup Wizard.</li> Select "Create a new set of setup options for my application's custom Setup Program", and then click Next.</li>  Add the following files to the List Of Files window. Make sure to correctly set File Properties for each file you add. <pre class="fixed_text">      CopyShortcut.mdb Destination Folder: $(WinPath)

Script.bat --      Destination Folder: $(WinPath)

Northwind.mdb -      Destination Folder: $(AppPath) Set As Application's Main File: Checked After you've added these files, click Next. </li>  Click Add to include a shortcut to run Northwind.mdb: <pre class="fixed_text">      Shortcut for Northwind.mdb --      General Shortcut Properties Description: Northwind Database Shortcut Properties Database Command-Line Options: Run-time Click Next twice to bypass the Registry Values screen, and respond to any prompts from the Setup Wizard. </li>  Make sure the following components are being included in your run-time distribution, and then click Next twice to bypass the next screen. <pre class="fixed_text">      Microsoft Access Run-Time Version Workgroup Administrator </li> Name the application Northwind, and then click Next.</li> In the "Run the following file after the custom Setup program is completed:" box, select Script.bat.</li> In "Enter or edit the command line that will be used to run the executable file," type the following:

"$(FilePath)\Script.bat"

</li> Select "Allow Setup to Complete Before the File Finishes Running," then click Next.</li> Follow instructions from the Setup Wizard and complete building your run-time distribution.</li></ol>

When you run setup from either Disk 1 of your disk set or the "Net" Network/CD setup folder, a shortcut should be created on your desktop.

NOTE: The process described in this article only functions during the initial setup of the application. Running setup in maintenance mode will not cause a shortcut to be created. If it is necessary to do so, you should uninstall and then reinstall the run-time application.

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