How to get special folders paths?

AntidotE

For example, I need to know, what is direct path to user's "My Documents" folder (i.e. in XP ENU, usually it's %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\<My Documents>, in XP RUS ...\<Рабочий Стол>, and, surely, user can change it to any another path, i.e. my is "E:\AllDocs\")
How to get this?

kine

You can find it through registry...
see e.g. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders

garak

HomePath and HomeDrive is in the Key "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Volatile Environment". The definition for, example, Start Menu is in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders folder

If you need this also:

(in my meaning, "My Documents" is here)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders


(and 'Shared Docs')
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders

To read the Registry you can use the "Windos Scripting Host" Automation (WSHShell). There exist a function like "RegRead"

Regards

ajhvdb

You don't need the registry, below is easier:

  CREATE(LautWshShell);
  LvMyDocuments := 'MyDocuments';
  LtPath := FORMAT(LautWshShell.SpecialFolders.Item(LvMyDocuments));
  CLEAR(LautWshShell);

AntidotE

Thanks a lot, it works! =D>
and, some example to move this to Tips'n'Tricks:

Function

GetFolderPath(Which : Text[20]) : Text[250]
CREATE(WSHShell);
EXIT(FORMAT(WSHShell.RegRead('HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders\'+Which)));
CLEAR(WSHShell);

Locals

Name	DataType	Subtype	Length
WSHShell	Automation	'Windows Script Host Object Model'.WshShell

Examples/list of possible parameter strings:

MESSAGE('User Application Data Path: %1',GetFolderPath('AppData'));
MESSAGE('User Cache Path: %1',GetFolderPath('Cache'));
MESSAGE('User CD Burning Path: %1',GetFolderPath('CD Burning'));
MESSAGE('User Cookies Path: %1',GetFolderPath('Cookies'));
MESSAGE('User Desktop Path: %1',GetFolderPath('Desktop'));
MESSAGE('User Favorites Path: %1',GetFolderPath('Favorites'));
MESSAGE('User Fonts Path: %1',GetFolderPath('Fonts'));
MESSAGE('User History Path: %1',GetFolderPath('History'));
MESSAGE('User Local Application Data Path: %1',GetFolderPath('Local AppData'));
MESSAGE('User Local Settings Path: %1',GetFolderPath('Local Settings'));
MESSAGE('User My Music Path: %1',GetFolderPath('My Music'));
MESSAGE('User My Pictures Path: %1',GetFolderPath('My Pictures'));
MESSAGE('User My Video Path: %1',GetFolderPath('My Video'));
MESSAGE('User NetHood Path: %1',GetFolderPath('NetHood'));
MESSAGE('User My Documents Path: %1',GetFolderPath('Personal'));
MESSAGE('User PrintHood Path: %1',GetFolderPath('PrintHood'));
MESSAGE('User Programs Path: %1',GetFolderPath('Programs'));
MESSAGE('User Recent Path: %1',GetFolderPath('Recent'));
MESSAGE('User SendTo Path: %1',GetFolderPath('SendTo'));
MESSAGE('User Start Menu Path: %1',GetFolderPath('Start Menu'));
MESSAGE('User Startup Path: %1',GetFolderPath('Startup'));
MESSAGE('User Templates Path: %1',GetFolderPath('Templates'));

AntidotE

I was in process of writing previous post, when your appeared...

ajhvdb wrote:

You don't need the registry, below is easier:

  CREATE(LautWshShell);
  LvMyDocuments := 'MyDocuments';
  LtPath := FORMAT(LautWshShell.SpecialFolders.Item(LvMyDocuments));
  CLEAR(LautWshShell);

Can you show the list of all possible parameters?

AntidotE

Ah, btw, this all concerns XP, what about Vista? Is there the same regpath? I haven't vista here and can't look at...

kine

The path I wrote is from Vista, it means same path, but may be more keys... there is backward-compatibility...

kriki

[Topic moved from 'NAV/Navision' forum to 'NAV Tips & Tricks' forum]

gycsiak

Just a quick update on this one after 11 years to make it work on RTC-based clients without Automation Security warning on RTC:

To do this, have a variable defined as DotNet variable and RunOnClient=true parameter setup:

Name DataType Subtype Length
Environment DotNet System.Environment.'mscorlib, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089'

And if you would like to access i.e. Local AppData folder for any file saving operation, get the path string without "\" at the end:


Folder := Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable('localappdata') + '\';

Duikmeester

@gycsiak or using the same class:

Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.System))

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/system.environment.specialfolder