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IShellLink::GetDescription() mostly returns empty on Win98

When calling the IShellLink::GetDescription() function on .lnk files it sometimes returns the description string (they all have one) and other times returns an empty string. I'm using the MSDN example code, so don't understand why.

What's happening and how do I get the description for all the shortcuts?

Tommy Hui

Which example are you referring to? Can you post a piece of the code?

Epsylon

Look at http://premium.microsoft.com/download/msdn/samples/3006.exe

IShellLink::GetDescrition is almost the same as IShallLink::Resolve.

gnewman

ASKER

The sample is the one you mentioned:

http://premium.microsoft.com/download/msdn/samples/3006.exe

and exhibits the problem (on Win98... I can't test on Win95 or NT). I'm compiling with MSVC++ 4.2b

For example, the shortcut that RealPlayer puts in the Start menu returns a description
but the one that MS Office Word for Windows puts in the Start menu doesn't. Just copy those shortcuts to the Sample folder and try them to see.

chensu

Not all shortcuts have a description. The application may not use IShellLink::SetDescription when creating a shortcut. The one that MS Office Word for Windows puts in the Start menu may not contain a description at all.

gnewman

ASKER

Right you are!

Perhaps the documentation on shell links isn't clear enough for me. It seems, upon closer examination, that the Microsoft documentation about shortcuts:

"A shortcut also has a description, which is a brief string that appears below the shell link icon. By default, the description consists of the words "Shortcut to" followed by the filename of the object. The user can edit the description string by selecting it and entering a new string."

is saying that the description is optional. So what shows to the user is the filename if there is no Description.

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chensu

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Epsylon

I could have told you that. Why didn't I?