Does anyone know how to retrieve the location of the desktop folder?
I.e., if someone saves question.txt on the desktop, the actual patch
of that file could be
C:\Windows\Desktop\question.txt
C:\WinNT\Profiles\MyName\Desktop\question.txt
etc.

I figure there's some sort of API call for this, but I couldn't find
it...any ideas?

Daryl,

I have got a nice function to retrieve the desktop folder. Here it comes:

function DesktopFolder: string;
var
  buf: array[0..MAX_PATH] of char;
  pidList: PItemIDList;
begin
  Result := '';
  SHGetSpecialFolderLocation(Application.Handle, CSIDL_DESKTOP, pidList);
  if pidList = nil then
    exit; // no Desktop? Want to see that computer...
  if SHGetPathFromIDList(pidList, buf) then
    Result := buf;
end;

Sincerely,

Fred Jansma.

Since I've already written the code for just that purpose, I'll just
give it here:

unit BHUtils;
(* General utility procedures *)

{$EXTENDEDSYNTAX ON}

interface

uses
  Windows, SysUtils, Registry;

(*
  Return the current location of one of the standard folders.
  Examples include 'Temp', 'Start Menu', 'Programs', 'Startup',
  'Desktop', 'Personal', 'Favorites', 'Fonts', 'SendTo', 'Recent',
  'NetHood', 'PrintHood', 'Templates', 'AppData'.
*)
function StandardFolder(const Which: string): string;

implementation

function StandardFolder(const Which: string): string;
const
  RegFolders =
    '\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders';
var R: TRegistry; Buffer: array[0..1023] of Char;
begin
  Result := ''; (* Default return value *)
  if AnsiCompareText(Which, 'TEMP') = 0 then
    (* Get TEMP directory *)
    SetString(Result, Buffer, GetTempPath(Sizeof(Buffer) - 1, Buffer))
  else begin
    (* Get User folder *)
    R := TRegistry.Create;
    try
      if R.OpenKey(RegFolders, False) then
        try
          Result := R.ReadString(Which)
        except (* Result = '' *)
        end
    finally
      R.Free
    end
  end
end;

end.

brian.haw...@bigfoot.com

Thanks for the tips...I appreciate it!

Brian,

check out my reply. A function like this was my first attempt as well, but a
friend of mine (fellow Delphi programmer) pointed out to me, that HIS code
was better. In the source I send you are not so much dependant of the place
MS puts it in with the next version of IE or WIN.

Sincerely,

Fred Jansma.

Example:

uses ....,registry,.....

procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
var
 theReg  : TRegistry;
 KeyName : String;
begin
 theReg := TRegistry.Create;
 KeyName := 'Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell
Folders';
 if (theReg.KeyExists(KeyName)) then
   begin
     theReg.OpenKey(KeyName, False);
     label1.caption := theReg.ReadString('Desktop');
   end
 else
   begin
     theReg.OpenKey(KeyName, True);
     Label1.caption := 'Error';
   end;
 theReg.Free;

end;

Hope this help?

                        Zdravko Dokuzovic
                        Slavonski Brod, Croatia
                        e-mail: zdoku...@barok.foi.hr

---
First call "SHGetSpecialFolderLocation" to get a PIDL to the desktop (use
CSIDL_DESKTOP as a parameter) and then "SHGetPathFromIDList" to convert the
PIDL to a path. You'll find more info in the Win32.hlp file.

Regards,
Theodor

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Theodor Kleynhans  theod...@iafrica.com

For some great GIF support for Delphi
and/or GIF support for your favourite
Pegasus Imaging tool, drop on by

  http://members.gem.co.za/~theodor/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~