Only short filenames must be used so I need to convert long filename to short filename

Please reply immediately cause my task is
on the verge of being lost.

I just want to know; how can we convert long
filenames to short filenames.



A problem stays like a challenge till
I find the solution to it.

use the GetShortPathName API!

I am using it from VB.
Can I get an example please!

A problem stays like a challenge till
I find the solution to it.

Code:

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Option Explicit
Private Declare Function GetShortPathName Lib "kernel32" _
    Alias "GetShortPathNameA" (ByVal lpszLongPath as String _
  , ByVal lpszShortPath as String, ByVal cchBuffer as Long) as Long

Private Sub Command1_Click()
  Dim l as Long
  Dim strLong as string * 255
  Dim strshort as string * 255
  strLong = "c:\winnt\niagnt32_install.log"
  l = GetShortPathName(strLong, strshort, len(strLong))
  MsgBox strshort
End Sub

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tested with NT 4 and VB 6

I am very very thankful to you.
You have saved my day.
If there was anything more thanks
I could do, I would be obliged to do it.

If I have any other problems, can I contact
you?

if yes then; if you don't have problem with
that; then
please mail me at: [email protected]

A problem stays like a challenge till
I find the solution to it.

>If I have any other problems, can I contact
you?

the easiest way to contact "me" is by posting your question to this forum.
That way you have access to the knowledge of all other forum participants.

Hi, when using that function it fills the rest of the buffer with NULL characters (maybe the \0 character from c++ not sure).

Is there a VB function to remove the rest of that stuff from the buffer, so I can have just the short path as my string.

Ok I found a way around this using the following function:

Code:

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Private Function VbNullTrim(strTextToTrim As String) As String
    Dim lngPosition As Long    ' Position of the NULL character
   
    ' Find the position of the first vbNullChar
    lngPosition = InStr(strTextToTrim, vbNullChar)
   
    ' Trim the vbNullChars off the string
    If lngPosition > 0 Then
        VbNullTrim = Left$(strTextToTrim, lngPosition - 1)
    Else
        VbNullTrim = strTextToTrim
    End If
End Function

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Does anyone know of a built-in function to do this?

I have run into another problem with this code.

I read the documentation at:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...rtpathname.asp

And found out that you shouldn't use len(strLong) as the size of the buffer. For example "c:\a b" converts as "c:\ab~1" which is longer that long filename's length.

The full short path can get quite longer than the long path sometimes (ironic in a way), so it is highly recommended you check to make the return value is not greater than the buffer size you are using

One more note, after I remove the vbNullChar from that buffer I have to Trim() the buffer and assign it to another String.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Billkamm

[...]you shouldn't use len(strLong) as the size of the buffer

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Dim strLong as string * 255
means it is a fixed len string
you can fill it with a single char, but it will always be 255 in len
Thus
strLong="a"
msgbox len(strLong) 'you see 255!


Api guide shows this example:

Code:

---

Private Declare Function GetShortPathName Lib "kernel32" Alias "GetShortPathNameA" (ByVal lpszLongPath As String, ByVal lpszShortPath As String, ByVal lBuffer As Long) As Long
Public Function GetShortPath(strFileName As String) As String
    'KPD-Team 1999
    'URL: http://www.allapi.net/
    'E-Mail: [email protected]
    Dim lngRes As Long, strPath As String
    'Create a buffer
    strPath = String$(165, 0)
    'retrieve the short pathname
    lngRes = GetShortPathName(strFileName, strPath, 164)
    'remove all unnecessary chr$(0)'s
    GetShortPath = Left$(strPath, lngRes)
End Function
Private Sub Form_Load()
    MsgBox GetShortPath("c:\Program Files\")
End Sub

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