Problem creating a shorcut

[Mike Driscoll]

Hi,

I've had this niggling issue from time to time. I want to create a
shortcut on the user's desktop to a website that specifically loads
Firefox even if Firefox is not the default browser.

I usually use COM as it allows very specific settings of the shortcut,
such as the Working Directory and the Target Path. However, the
following will not work for some reason:

<code>

import win32com.client
import winshell

shell = win32com.client .Dispatch('WScr ipt.Shell')
userDesktop = winshell.deskto p()

shortcut = shell.CreateSho rtCut(userDeskt op + '\\MyShortcut.l nk')
shortcut.Target path = r'"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox .exe"
https:\www.myCo mpanyWebsite.co m\auth\preauth. php'
shortcut.Workin gDirectory = r'C:\Program Files\Mozilla
Firefox'
shortcut.save()

</code>

This creates the following target path (which doesn't work):

"C:\"C:\Pro gram Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox .exe" https:
\www.myCompanyW ebsite.com\auth \preauth.php"

If I leave the website off, it works. If I leave the path to Firefox
out, it works too. Is there another method I can use other than
creating the shortcut by hand and using the shutil module?

Thank you for any ideas.

Mike

[Larry Bates]

Re: Problem creating a shorcut

Mike Driscoll wrote:

Hi,
>
I've had this niggling issue from time to time. I want to create a
shortcut on the user's desktop to a website that specifically loads
Firefox even if Firefox is not the default browser.
>
I usually use COM as it allows very specific settings of the shortcut,
such as the Working Directory and the Target Path. However, the
following will not work for some reason:
>
<code>
>
import win32com.client
import winshell
>
shell = win32com.client .Dispatch('WScr ipt.Shell')
userDesktop = winshell.deskto p()
>
shortcut = shell.CreateSho rtCut(userDeskt op + '\\MyShortcut.l nk')
shortcut.Target path = r'"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox .exe"
https:\www.myCo mpanyWebsite.co m\auth\preauth. php'
shortcut.Workin gDirectory = r'C:\Program Files\Mozilla
Firefox'
shortcut.save()
>
</code>
>
This creates the following target path (which doesn't work):
>
"C:\"C:\Pro gram Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox .exe" https:
\www.myCompanyW ebsite.com\auth \preauth.php"
>
If I leave the website off, it works. If I leave the path to Firefox
out, it works too. Is there another method I can use other than
creating the shortcut by hand and using the shutil module?
>
Thank you for any ideas.
>
Mike

Either you copied wrong or the problem is:

"C:\"C:\Pro gram Files...


Note the C:\ is specified twice in the string. I think it should read:

"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox .exe" https:
\www.myCompanyW ebsite.com\auth \preauth.php"

-Larry

[Mike Driscoll]

Re: Problem creating a shorcut

On May 15, 2:03 pm, Larry Bates <larry.ba...@we bsafe.com`wrote :

Mike Driscoll wrote:

Hi,

>

I've had this niggling issue from time to time. I want to create a
shortcut on the user's desktop to a website that specifically loads
Firefox even if Firefox is not the default browser.

>

I usually use COM as it allows very specific settings of the shortcut,
such as the Working Directory and the Target Path. However, the
following will not work for some reason:

>

<code>

>

import win32com.client
import winshell

>

shell = win32com.client .Dispatch('WScr ipt.Shell')
userDesktop = winshell.deskto p()

>

shortcut = shell.CreateSho rtCut(userDeskt op + '\\MyShortcut.l nk')
shortcut.Target path = r'"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox .exe"
https:\www.myCo mpanyWebsite.co m\auth\preauth. php'
shortcut.Workin gDirectory = r'C:\Program Files\Mozilla
Firefox'
shortcut.save()

>

</code>

>

This creates the following target path (which doesn't work):

>

"C:\"C:\Pro gram Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox .exe" https:
\www.myCompanyW ebsite.com\auth \preauth.php"

>

If I leave the website off, it works. If I leave the path to Firefox
out, it works too. Is there another method I can use other than
creating the shortcut by hand and using the shutil module?

>

Thank you for any ideas.

>

Mike

>
Either you copied wrong or the problem is:
>
"C:\"C:\Pro gram Files...
>
Note the C:\ is specified twice in the string. I think it should read:
>

"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox .exe" https:
\www.myCompanyW ebsite.com\auth \preauth.php"

>
-Larry

Yeah, I know that it's in there twice and that that is the problem.
But I'm not causing that extra C:\. I run it exactly as above and that
is what I get for the output. I think it's the COM object. Maybe I
better just re-post this to the PyWin32 list...

Thanks,

Mike

[Gabriel Genellina]

Re: Problem creating a shorcut

En Thu, 15 May 2008 12:13:56 -0300, Mike Driscoll <kyosohma@gmail .com>
escribió:

I've had this niggling issue from time to time. I want to create a
shortcut on the user's desktop to a website that specifically loads
Firefox even if Firefox is not the default browser.
>
I usually use COM as it allows very specific settings of the shortcut,
such as the Working Directory and the Target Path. However, the
following will not work for some reason:

Try this different approach, using the IShellLink interface:

http://aspn.activestate.com/ASPN/docs/ActivePython/2.3/pywin32/win32com.shell_and_Windows_Shell_Links.html

--
Gabriel Genellina

[Chris]

Re: Problem creating a shorcut

On May 15, 5:13 pm, Mike Driscoll <kyoso...@gmail .comwrote:

Hi,
>
I've had this niggling issue from time to time. I want to create a
shortcut on the user's desktop to a website that specifically loads
Firefox even if Firefox is not the default browser.
>
I usually use COM as it allows very specific settings of the shortcut,
such as the Working Directory and the Target Path. However, the
following will not work for some reason:
>
<code>
>
import win32com.client
import winshell
>
shell = win32com.client .Dispatch('WScr ipt.Shell')
userDesktop = winshell.deskto p()
>
shortcut = shell.CreateSho rtCut(userDeskt op + '\\MyShortcut.l nk')
shortcut.Target path = r'"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox .exe"
https:\www.myCo mpanyWebsite.co m\auth\preauth. php'
shortcut.Workin gDirectory = r'C:\Program Files\Mozilla
Firefox'
shortcut.save()
>
</code>
>
This creates the following target path (which doesn't work):
>
"C:\"C:\Pro gram Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox .exe" https:
\www.myCompanyW ebsite.com\auth \preauth.php"
>
If I leave the website off, it works. If I leave the path to Firefox
out, it works too. Is there another method I can use other than
creating the shortcut by hand and using the shutil module?
>
Thank you for any ideas.
>
Mike

Don't set arguments in the path.

shortcut = shell.CreateSho rtCut(userDeskt op + '\\MyShortcut.l nk')
shortcut.Target Path = r'Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox .exe'
shortcut.Argume nts = r'https:\www.myCompanyWebsite.com\auth
\preauth.php'
shortcut.Workin gDirectory = r'C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox'
shortcut.save()

[Wolfgang Draxinger]

Re: Problem creating a shorcut

Mike Driscoll wrote:

Hi,
>
I've had this niggling issue from time to time. I want to
create a shortcut on the user's desktop to a website that
specifically loads Firefox even if Firefox is not the default
browser.
>
I usually use COM as it allows very specific settings of the
shortcut, such as the Working Directory and the Target Path.
However, the following will not work for some reason:
>
<code>
>
import win32com.client
import winshell
>
shell = win32com.client .Dispatch('WScr ipt.Shell')
userDesktop = winshell.deskto p()
>
shortcut = shell.CreateSho rtCut(userDeskt op +
'\\MyShortcut.l nk') shortcut.Target path = r'"C:\Program
Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox .exe"
https:\www.myCo mpanyWebsite.co m\auth\preauth. php'
shortcut.Workin gDirectory = r'C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox'
shortcut.save()
>
</code>
>
This creates the following target path (which doesn't work):
>
"C:\"C:\Pro gram Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox .exe" https:
\www.myCompanyW ebsite.com\auth \preauth.php"
>
If I leave the website off, it works. If I leave the path to
Firefox out, it works too. Is there another method I can use
other than creating the shortcut by hand and using the shutil
module?
>
Thank you for any ideas.

I see four problems:

1) you should not hardcode the backslashes ('\'), instead use
os.sep for it.

2) In URIs there are no backslashes, only forward slashes. You
coded

https:\...

which is _WRONG_. URIs are <protocoll>://<host>/<resource>, where
for some protocolls <hostis empty (file protocoll e.g.).

3) You assume, that Firefox is always installed at C:\Program
Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox .exe
However the path largely differs from system to system. On *nix
systems you normally have all programs in $PATH, so a non full
qualified path would be sufficient. On Windows this works, too,
_IF_ the installation directory of the to be used application
get's added to the PATH environment variable.

Wolfgang Draxinger
--
E-Mail address works, Jabber: hexarith@jabber .org, ICQ: 134682867

[Tim Golden]

Re: Problem creating a shorcut

Wolfgang Draxinger wrote:

1) you should not hardcode the backslashes ('\'), instead use
os.sep for it.

With respect, the OP is creating a Windows desktop shortcut.
Unless Microsoft suddenly decide to change their use of the
backslash, I suggest that this is a needless generalisation.

3) You assume, that Firefox is always installed at C:\Program
Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox .exe
However the path largely differs from system to system.

This is broadly true. However, it's fairly clear from the
phrase "the user's desktop" that the OP is working in some
kind of corporate environment where he can be fairly sure
where Firefox is installed by policy. In addition, it's not so
easy to find its path if it's not in the default place since apps
very rarely add their location to the system PATH these days
(and Firefox certainly doesn't). You could scan the registry for
its App Paths entry in the registry but I don't know if any other
way if it's not the default browser (which it's clear from the
original post it may not be).

Sorry to sound a bit negative, but I felt that a couple of your points,
while valid, were not altogether helpful to the situation the OP was in.

TJG

[Tim Golden]

Re: Problem creating a shorcut

Wolfgang Draxinger wrote:

1) you should not hardcode the backslashes ('\'), instead use
os.sep for it.

With respect, the OP is creating a Windows desktop shortcut.
Unless Microsoft suddenly decide to change their use of the
backslash, I suggest that this is a needless generalisation.

3) You assume, that Firefox is always installed at C:\Program
Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox .exe
However the path largely differs from system to system.

This is broadly true. However, it's fairly clear from the
phrase "the user's desktop" that the OP is working in some
kind of corporate environment where he can be fairly sure
where Firefox is installed by policy. In addition, it's not so
easy to find its path if it's not in the default place since apps
very rarely add their location to the system PATH these days
(and Firefox certainly doesn't). You could scan the registry for
its App Paths entry in the registry but I don't know if any other
way if it's not the default browser (which it's clear from the
original post it may not be).

Sorry to sound a bit negative, but I felt that a couple of your points,
while valid, were not altogether helpful to the situation the OP was in.

TJG

[Larry Bates]

Re: Problem creating a shorcut

Mike Driscoll wrote:

On May 15, 2:03 pm, Larry Bates <larry.ba...@we bsafe.com`wrote :

>Mike Driscoll wrote:

>>Hi,
>>I've had this niggling issue from time to time. I want to create a
>>shortcut on the user's desktop to a website that specifically loads
>>Firefox even if Firefox is not the default browser.
>>I usually use COM as it allows very specific settings of the shortcut,
>>such as the Working Directory and the Target Path. However, the
>>following will not work for some reason:
>><code>
>>import win32com.client
>>import winshell
>>shell = win32com.client .Dispatch('WScr ipt.Shell')
>>userDesktop = winshell.deskto p()
>>shortcut = shell.CreateSho rtCut(userDeskt op + '\\MyShortcut.l nk')
>>shortcut.Targ etpath = r'"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox .exe"
>>https:\www.my CompanyWebsite. com\auth\preaut h.php'
>>shortcut.Work ingDirectory = r'C:\Program Files\Mozilla
>>Firefox'
>>shortcut.save ()
>></code>
>>This creates the following target path (which doesn't work):
>>"C:\"C:\Progr am Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox .exe" https:
>>\www.myCompan yWebsite.com\au th\preauth.php"
>>If I leave the website off, it works. If I leave the path to Firefox
>>out, it works too. Is there another method I can use other than
>>creating the shortcut by hand and using the shutil module?
>>Thank you for any ideas.
>>Mike

>Either you copied wrong or the problem is:
>>
>"C:\"C:\Progra m Files...
>>
>Note the C:\ is specified twice in the string. I think it should read:
>>

> "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox .exe" https:
> \www.myCompanyW ebsite.com\auth \preauth.php"

>>
>-Larry

>
Yeah, I know that it's in there twice and that that is the problem.
But I'm not causing that extra C:\. I run it exactly as above and that
is what I get for the output. I think it's the COM object. Maybe I
better just re-post this to the PyWin32 list...
>
Thanks,
>
Mike

I use Inno Setup on most of my applications and use it to create my desktop,
quicklaunch and Start shortcuts. Would that be an option for you?

-Larry

[Mike Driscoll]

Re: Problem creating a shorcut

On May 16, 5:44 am, Wolfgang Draxinger <wdraxin...@dar kstargames.de>
wrote:

Mike Driscoll wrote:

Hi,

>

I've had this niggling issue from time to time. I want to
create a shortcut on the user's desktop to a website that
specifically loads Firefox even if Firefox is not the default
browser.

>

I usually use COM as it allows very specific settings of the
shortcut, such as the Working Directory and the Target Path.
However, the following will not work for some reason:

>

<code>

>

import win32com.client
import winshell

>

shell = win32com.client .Dispatch('WScr ipt.Shell')
userDesktop = winshell.deskto p()

>

shortcut = shell.CreateSho rtCut(userDeskt op +
'\\MyShortcut.l nk') shortcut.Target path = r'"C:\Program
Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox .exe"
https:\www.myCo mpanyWebsite.co m\auth\preauth. php'
shortcut.Workin gDirectory = r'C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox'
shortcut.save()

>

</code>

>

This creates the following target path (which doesn't work):

>

"C:\"C:\Pro gram Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox .exe" https:
\www.myCompanyW ebsite.com\auth \preauth.php"

>

If I leave the website off, it works. If I leave the path to
Firefox out, it works too. Is there another method I can use
other than creating the shortcut by hand and using the shutil
module?

>

Thank you for any ideas.

>
I see four problems:
>
1) you should not hardcode the backslashes ('\'), instead use
os.sep for it.
>
2) In URIs there are no backslashes, only forward slashes. You
coded
>
https:\...
>
which is _WRONG_. URIs are <protocoll>://<host>/<resource>, where
for some protocolls <hostis empty (file protocoll e.g.).

That was an accident...my original code was correct, but I stupidly
decided to generalize my website's name and put the wrong slashes in.

>
3) You assume, that Firefox is always installed at C:\Program
Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox .exe
However the path largely differs from system to system. On *nix
systems you normally have all programs in $PATH, so a non full
qualified path would be sufficient. On Windows this works, too,
_IF_ the installation directory of the to be used application
get's added to the PATH environment variable.
>

I don't assume it at all. At my place of business, that's where
Firefox is. If it's not installed there when the user logs in, one of
my scripts installs it automatically.

Wolfgang Draxinger
--
E-Mail address works, Jabber: hexar...@jabber .org, ICQ: 134682867

[Mike Driscoll]

Re: Problem creating a shorcut

On May 16, 1:51 am, Chris <cwi...@gmail.c omwrote:

On May 15, 5:13 pm, Mike Driscoll <kyoso...@gmail .comwrote:
>
>
>

Hi,

>

I've had this niggling issue from time to time. I want to create a
shortcut on the user's desktop to a website that specifically loads
Firefox even if Firefox is not the default browser.

>

I usually use COM as it allows very specific settings of the shortcut,
such as the Working Directory and the Target Path. However, the
following will not work for some reason:

>

<code>

>

import win32com.client
import winshell

>

shell = win32com.client .Dispatch('WScr ipt.Shell')
userDesktop = winshell.deskto p()

>

shortcut = shell.CreateSho rtCut(userDeskt op + '\\MyShortcut.l nk')
shortcut.Target path = r'"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox .exe"
https:\www.myCo mpanyWebsite.co m\auth\preauth. php'
shortcut.Workin gDirectory = r'C:\Program Files\Mozilla
Firefox'
shortcut.save()

>

</code>

>

This creates the following target path (which doesn't work):

>

"C:\"C:\Pro gram Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox .exe" https:
\www.myCompanyW ebsite.com\auth \preauth.php"

>

If I leave the website off, it works. If I leave the path to Firefox
out, it works too. Is there another method I can use other than
creating the shortcut by hand and using the shutil module?

>

Thank you for any ideas.

>

Mike

>
Don't set arguments in the path.
>
shortcut = shell.CreateSho rtCut(userDeskt op + '\\MyShortcut.l nk')
shortcut.Target Path = r'Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox .exe'
shortcut.Argume nts = r'https:\www.myCompanyWebsite.com\auth
\preauth.php'
shortcut.Workin gDirectory = r'C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox'
shortcut.save()

Ah. I was unaware of the Arguments parameter. That works quite well.
Where does one find this information anyway? I think I found mine from
bits and pieces scattered in various tutorials.

Thanks a lot.

Mike

[Mike Driscoll]

Re: Problem creating a shorcut

On May 15, 8:24 pm, "Gabriel Genellina" <gagsl-...@yahoo.com.a r>
wrote:

En Thu, 15 May 2008 12:13:56 -0300, Mike Driscoll <kyoso...@gmail .com 
escribió:
>

I've had this niggling issue from time to time. I want to create a
shortcut on the user's desktop to a website that specifically loads
Firefox even if Firefox is not the default browser.

>

I usually use COM as it allows very specific settings of the shortcut,
such as the Working Directory and the Target Path. However, the
following will not work for some reason:

>
Try this different approach, using the IShellLink interface:http://aspn.activestate.com/ASPN/doc...pywin32/win32c...
>
--
Gabriel Genellina

Thanks Gabriel...it looks a little overwhelming, but I'll file it away
for future reference.

Mike

[Mike Driscoll]

Re: Problem creating a shorcut

On May 16, 8:09 am, Larry Bates <larry.ba...@we bsafe.com`wrote :

Mike Driscoll wrote:

On May 15, 2:03 pm, Larry Bates <larry.ba...@we bsafe.com`wrote :

Mike Driscoll wrote:
>Hi,
>I've had this niggling issue from time to time. I want to create a
>shortcut on the user's desktop to a website that specifically loads
>Firefox even if Firefox is not the default browser.
>I usually use COM as it allows very specific settings of the shortcut,
>such as the Working Directory and the Target Path. However, the
>following will not work for some reason:
><code>
>import win32com.client
>import winshell
>shell = win32com.client .Dispatch('WScr ipt.Shell')
>userDesktop = winshell.deskto p()
>shortcut = shell.CreateSho rtCut(userDeskt op + '\\MyShortcut.l nk')
>shortcut.Targe tpath = r'"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox .exe"
>https:\www.myC ompanyWebsite.c om\auth\preauth .php'
>shortcut.Worki ngDirectory = r'C:\Program Files\Mozilla
>Firefox'
>shortcut.save( )
></code>
>This creates the following target path (which doesn't work):
>"C:\"C:\Progra m Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox .exe" https:
>\www.myCompany Website.com\aut h\preauth.php"
>If I leave the website off, it works. If I leave the path to Firefox
>out, it works too. Is there another method I can use other than
>creating the shortcut by hand and using the shutil module?
>Thank you for any ideas.
>Mike
Either you copied wrong or the problem is:

>

"C:\"C:\Pro gram Files...

>

Note the C:\ is specified twice in the string.  I think it should read:

>

 "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox .exe" https:
 \www.myCompanyW ebsite.com\auth \preauth.php"

>

-Larry

>

Yeah, I know that it's in there twice and that that is the problem.
But I'm not causing that extra C:\. I run it exactly as above and that
is what I get for the output. I think it's the COM object. Maybe I
better just re-post this to the PyWin32 list...

>

Thanks,

>

Mike

>
I use Inno Setup on most of my applications and use it to create my desktop,
quicklaunch and Start shortcuts.  Would that be an option for you?
>
-Larry

I use Inno too for my applications. However, in this case, I have to
create the shortcut as part of the login process based on what group
the user is in. Chris's solution worked for my needs and I think
Gabriel's will work too, if I figure it out.

Mike

[Tim Golden]

Re: Problem creating a shorcut

Mike Driscoll wrote:

Ah. I was unaware of the Arguments parameter. That works quite well.
Where does one find this information anyway? I think I found mine from
bits and pieces scattered in various tutorials.

The canonical place would be:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb774950(VS.85).aspx

TJG

[Duncan Booth]

Re: Problem creating a shorcut

Tim Golden <mail@timgolden .me.ukwrote:

>3) You assume, that Firefox is always installed at C:\Program
>Files\Mozill a Firefox\firefox .exe
>However the path largely differs from system to system.

>
This is broadly true. However, it's fairly clear from the
phrase "the user's desktop" that the OP is working in some
kind of corporate environment where he can be fairly sure
where Firefox is installed by policy. In addition, it's not so
easy to find its path if it's not in the default place since apps
very rarely add their location to the system PATH these days
(and Firefox certainly doesn't). You could scan the registry for
its App Paths entry in the registry but I don't know if any other
way if it's not the default browser (which it's clear from the
original post it may not be).
>

It's not too hard to get the required command line from the registry:

import _winreg
print _winreg.QueryVa lue(_winreg.HKE Y_CLASSES_ROOT,
'FirefoxURL\she ll\open\command ')

and of course it throws an exception if firefox isn't installed.

Then just replace %1 with the url to get the actual command you need.

--
Duncan Booth http://kupuguy.blogspot.com