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Read a txt file from a deaktop

Read a txt file from a deaktop

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webmin	28 Jun, 2008 - 07:12 AM Post #1
D.I.C Head Joined: 21 May, 2008 Posts: 95 My Contributions	Ok how can I get my program in C to read a txt file from a variable location like the desktop. Basically I want the user to have the txt file on their desktop, but everyone's path to their desktop is different. Any suggestions please.
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gabehabe

28 Jun, 2008 - 07:16 AM

Post #2

T3H R0XX0R!

Joined: 6 Feb, 2008
Posts: 3,374

Windows

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Expert In: (X)HTML, CSS, Batch Scripting, C, C++

My Contributions

I gave some advice on something like this before...

Here is the code I used, and tested (it works!)

cpp

#include <windows.h>
#include <iostream>
#include <shlobj.h>

using namespace std;

int main ()
{
    // Allocate a pointer to an Item ID list
    LPITEMIDLIST pidl;

    // Get a pointer to an item ID list that represents the path of a special folder
    HRESULT hr = SHGetSpecialFolderLocation(NULL, CSIDL_DESKTOPDIRECTORY, &pidl);

    // Convert the item ID list's binary representation into a file system path
    char szPath[_MAX_PATH];
    BOOL f = SHGetPathFromIDList(pidl, szPath);

    // Allocate a pointer to an IMalloc interface
    LPMALLOC pMalloc;

    // Get the address of our task allocator’s IMalloc interface
    hr = SHGetMalloc(&pMalloc);

    // Free the item ID list allocated by SHGetSpecialFolderLocation
    pMalloc->Free(pidl);

    // Free our task allocator
    pMalloc->Release();

    // print it (you can do whatever)
    cout << szPath;
    
    cin.get ();
    return EXIT_SUCCESS;
}

Hope this helps

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webmin	3 Jul, 2008 - 06:09 PM Post #3
D.I.C Head Joined: 21 May, 2008 Posts: 95 My Contributions	That's great, but way too advanced. Sorry, is there anyway this can be done in C. Sorry I wasn't more specific.
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no2pencil	3 Jul, 2008 - 07:38 PM Post #4
Wet D.I.C. Joined: 10 May, 2007 Posts: 5,420 Thanked 35 times Dream Kudos: 2350 Expert In: Goofing Off My Contributions	I don't understand why the location makes it difficult? Just use fopen & feed it the full path...? Can you post what you have tried & why it doesn't work?
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webmin	4 Jul, 2008 - 08:34 AM Post #5
D.I.C Head Joined: 21 May, 2008 Posts: 95 My Contributions	I have tried the full path and that works, however that works only on my computer. I need to make it for a lack of better words portable to any computer that will run my code. Example: My teacher will run the code on his desktop, and since the path to his desktop is different from the path to my desktop. I need my program to be able to find the path to any users desktop
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kapax	4 Jul, 2008 - 11:56 AM Post #6
New D.I.C Head Joined: 2 Jul, 2008 Posts: 38 Thanked 1 times My Contributions	gabehabe, I haven't checked your code much but I see that it uses windows.h and probably that library helps to find a desktop. Now, this guy has Linux Ubuntu avatar on his profile. Would it be fair to think that he needs a help for Linux? I think it's more likely, because: To find a Desktop folder on Windows you don't need anything fancy because Desktop is always at the same place, in the user's account folder (is it different on Linux, by the way? I don't remember). P.S. webmin, please give us your full path and give us some examples of what do other pathes look like. I will see if I can help. This post has been edited by kapax: 4 Jul, 2008 - 11:57 AM
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webmin	4 Jul, 2008 - 05:13 PM Post #7
D.I.C Head Joined: 21 May, 2008 Posts: 95 My Contributions	Actually, the ubuntu graphic was just something that I thought made a cool avatar. I've tried linux, and like it, unfortunately I just don't have the time or patience to learn how to use it to it's full potential. So I stick with Windows where I'm familiar with everything, until I get a powerful enough second machine to run Fedora Core and or Freespire. Back on topic though, what I am trying to do is to make my code portable, meaning that my code could find not only my desktop, but anyone's desktop who's using XP, because the path to the desktop relies on the different usernames, I want my code to be able to find it regardless of the username. let me know if you guys figure out anything. Thanks 3.
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realNoName	4 Jul, 2008 - 10:20 PM Post #8
D.I.C Regular Joined: 4 Dec, 2006 Posts: 290 Thanked 5 times My Contributions	my first thought was to use windows environment variables and just do something like this CODE fstream test("%USERPROFILE%\\Desktop\\myfile.txt"); but that didn't work or at least i couldn't get it to but then i just found a nice little function from c called getenv that will return the value of a system variable so all you will have to do is call that function with userprofile and it will return the path you need and then just add /desktop to it CODE getenv("USERPROFILE") fyi a list of windows variables
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