| Prerequisites |
| None. |
|
 Certain
features have come to be expected in a Windows application. One of these is
an application automatically adding an entry into the the Recent Files ("Documents") list
whenever a file is opened or saved. Using the simple code below and the SHAddFilesToRecentDocs API, your app can perform this feat as well.
The actual call is a one-liner.
The SHAddFilesToRecentDocs API takes as a parameter either the pidl of the file opened, or more simply, the path and filename as a string.
The API creates a shortcut from the information, depositing it
automatically into the 'Documents' or 'Recent Documents' menu. As with most APIs, you tell it what to expect to find
in shData by specifying one of the two available flags as the shFlags member. In addition, by passing VB's null string (or 0&, if
declared appropriately) as shData, the call to SHAddFilesToRecentDocs will clear out all entries in the list.
One caveat ... SHAddFilesToRecentDocs doesn't care if the file or path actually exist (at least if passing a string .. I didn't try with a
pidl), so it is up to your app to pass qualified filenames. |
|
| BAS
Module Code |
|
None. |
|
|
| Form
Code |
|
| To a project form add a control array for two option
buttons (Option1(0) and Option1(1)), and a textbox (Text1),as indicated in the illustration. Add the following to the form: |
|
Option Explicit
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' Copyright ©1996-2011 VBnet/Randy Birch, All Rights Reserved.
' Some pages may also contain other copyrights by the author.
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' Distribution: You can freely use this code in your own
' applications, but you may not reproduce
' or publish this code on any web site,
' online service, or distribute as source
' on any media without express permission.
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Private Const SHARD_PATH = &H2&
Private Declare Function SHAddToRecentDocs Lib "shell32" _
(ByVal dwFlags As Long, _
ByVal dwData As String) As Long
Private Sub Form_Load()
Me.Move (Screen.Width - Me.Width) \ 2, (Screen.Height - Me.Height) \ 2
End Sub
Private Sub Command1_Click()
Dim shFlag As Long
Dim shData As String
shFlag = SHARD_PATH
Select Case Option1(0).Value = True
Case True:
'We're about to add an item, so
'set the 'file name' from Text1
shData = Text1.Text
Case False:
'User selected delete.
'Pass a null string as shData
shData = vbNullString
End Select
'update or clear the list
Call SHAddToRecentDocs(shFlag, shData)
End Sub
|
|
| Comments |
Run the project, enter a file path and name into the
textbox, select an option and hit Do It. Then, check the Documents menu item to see the file in the list. It may take a second or so for it
to show up.
Windows takes care of "bumping" out older items as entries
are added to the list. In addition, as the
shortcut created uses the filename specified in the textbox (without the path), you can't have more than one entry with the same name,
regardless if the path is different. |
|
