programming symbolic links

Question

Using Visual Basic express edition,

I would like to make a small application to create and check symbolic links.

it shall be like a grafical interface for Commands: 'mklink' and 'fsutil reparsepoint query'

I already found ways to creta a symbolic link ( API CreateSymbolicLink )

but could not find any API for fsutil query.

If someone can give Information, maybe in C++,

I would be grateful.

Answer 1

Hi Werner,

You will need to elaborate your question.

What's the "'mklink' and 'fsutil reparsepoint query'"?

How do you creta a symbolic link ( API CreateSymbolicLink)?

More context information will help us understand your questuon.

Best regards,
Martin Xie

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Answer 2

Hi Martin,

'mklink' is a Command line tool available in Windows 7 Command Box
+ to start Command Box, type 'cmd.exe' in [Taskbar] Start + [Input field]
  mklink creates symbolic links.
> for the Windows API I used see
  http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa363866(v=VS.85).aspx
  Function CreateSymbolicLink

'fsutil' is also a Command line tool available in Windows 7 Command Box
+ used as 'fsutil reparsepoint query <filename>'
  it delivers information about a symbolic link.

> I search for Windows API ( one or several )
  to get Information like 'fsutil' delivers.
  I can read C++ Code and translate to Visual Basic (Version Express 2008)
  so an Example would be very helpful.

> If you are interested, I worked out a Visual Basic Script
  which can de-code the Information delivered by 'fsutil'
  If wanted, please inform me where I could send this file. 

Best regards and Thanks
Werner Weingartner

Answer 3

I know this is an old thread, but I couldn't find a better place. Can anyone tell me how to use fsutil programmatically? Mr. Weingartner, I would like to see the code, if you have it still.

Answer 4

For Sowrabh and Satyadeep Karnati I add here more Info

========================================

Use Command 'fsutil' programmatically

In Visual Basic or Visual Basic Script,
create a Shell Server instance
and run the command in this server.
--------------------------------------------------------
Create Shell Server in VBScript or VB Version 6:
  Set ShellServ = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
Create Shell Server in VB.Net or higher:
  ShellServ = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
--------------------------------------------------------
Run in VB or VBS
  ShellServ.Run "cmd.exe /c fsutil reparsepoint query " & <path-name> & ">" & <temp-file>, 0, True
- - - - - -
more Info for the parts of this Code:

cmd.exe /c fsutil reparsepoint query   is the command exactly as it would be
====================================   typed in the command window.

<path-name>   is to be replaced by the full Path and Name
===========   of the (link) file to be queried
+ can be a literal string or a variable containing the string

 & ">" &    re-route the command output
=========   to a file

<temp-file>   is to be replaced by the full Path and Name
===========   of a file to receive the output from the command
+ can be a literal string or a variable containing the string
+ will usually be a temporary file in TEMP Folder
--------------------------------------------------------
To use the result, read the fsutil command output file
in VBScript:
  Set FileServ = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
  Set InpStream = FileServ.OpenTextFile( <temp-file> )
in VB .Net or higher:
  Dim InpStream As System.IO.StreamReader = New System.IO.StreamReader( <temp-file> )

The data read from fsutil command are strings;
the following is the Code for a procedure
which will de-code the data.
The Code is given for VBScript.

Function Data_DeCode(CmdOutStr)
' CmdOutStr   shall contain the data read from fsutil command
'   including the Newline control bytes.

  Dim RowStr, ChaPos, FndTar
  Do
    ChaPos = InStr(CmdOutStr, vbcrlf)
    If 0 = ChaPos Then
      RowStr = CmdOutStr
      CmdOutStr = ""
    Else
      RowStr = Left(CmdOutStr, ChaPos - 1)
      CmdOutStr = Mid(CmdOutStr, ChaPos + 2)
    End If
    If Not "" = RowStr Then
        ' ----+----1----+
      If "Print Name:" = Left(RowStr, 11) Then
        FndTar = RTrim(Mid(RowStr, 24))
        Exit Do
      End If
    End If
  Loop Until "" = CmdOutStr

' the result will be the so-called print name of the link-target;
' in most cases, that will be the full path-name of the target.