pinvoke.net: Edit: kernel32.getshortpathname

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Summary: The GetShortPathName API

!!!!C# Signature:
 [DllImport("kernel32.dll", CharSet = CharSet.Auto, SetLastError=true)]
 static extern uint GetShortPathName(
   [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)]
   string lpszLongPath,
   [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)]
   StringBuilder lpszShortPath,
   uint cchBuffer);

[DllImport("kernel32.dll", CharSet = CharSet.Auto, SetLastError = true)]
 static extern uint GetShortPathName(string lpszLongPath, char[] lpszShortPath, int cchBuffer);

// To ensure that paths are not limited to MAX_PATH, use this signature within .NET
 [DllImport("kernel32.dll", CharSet = CharSet.Unicode, EntryPoint = "GetShortPathNameW", SetLastError = true)]
 static extern int GetShortPathName(string pathName, System.Text.StringBuilder shortName, int cbShortName);

!!!!VB.NET Signature:
 Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices

'/// KSG Comments: This code has only been tested for .NET 2.x
   Public Class Interop
      <DllImport("kernel32.dll", SetLastError:=True, CharSet:=CharSet.Auto)> _
      Public Shared Function GetShortPathName(ByVal longPath As String, _
              <MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)> ByVal ShortPath As System.Text.StringBuilder, _
              <MarshalAs(Runtime.InteropServices.UnmanagedType.U4)> ByVal bufferSize As Integer) As Integer
      End Function
   End Class
 'OR
   Declare Unicode Function GetShortPathName Lib "kernel32.dll" Alias "GetShortPathNameW" (ByVal longPath As String, <MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)> ByVal ShortPath As System.Text.StringBuilder, <MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.U4)> ByVal bufferSize As Integer) As Integer

!!!!C++/CLI Signature:
  [DllImport("kernel32.dll", CharSet = CharSet::Auto, SetLastError=true)]
 static int GetShortPathName(
	[MarshalAs(UnmanagedType::LPTStr)]
	String^ lpszLongPath,
	[MarshalAs(UnmanagedType::LPTStr)]
	System::Text::StringBuilder^ lpszShortPath,
	unsigned int cchBuffer);
!!!!User-Defined Types:
None.

!!!!Notes:
Important! The file must actually exist, otherwise you'll get an empty path

!!!!Tips & Tricks:
Please add some!

!!!!Sample Code:
 /// <summary>
 /// The ToLongPathNameToShortPathName function retrieves the short path form of a specified long input path
 /// </summary>
 /// <param name="longName">The long name path</param>
 /// <returns>A short name path string</returns>
 public static string ToShortPathName(string longName)
 {
    uint bufferSize = 256;

// don´t allocate stringbuilder here but outside of the function for fast access
    StringBuilder shortNameBuffer = new StringBuilder((int)bufferSize);

GetShortPathName(longName, shortNameBuffer, bufferSize);

return shortNameBuffer.ToString();
 }

public string ShortPath(string longpath)
 {
    char[] buffer = new char[256];

GetShortPathName(longpath, buffer, buffer.Length);

return new string(buffer);
 }

// Memory friendly version with error checking
 public static string GetShortPathName(string longFileName)
 {
    int sz = GetShortPathName(longFileName, null, 0);
    if (sz == 0)
       throw new Win32Exception();
    var sb = new StringBuilder(sz + 1);
    sz = GetShortPathName(longFileName, sb, sb.Capacity);
    if (sz == 0)
       throw new Win32Exception();
    return sb.ToString();
 }

!!!!VB.NET Sample Code:
 /// KSG Comments:
 /// Unlike the sample above I am check for the return code in the event of an error
 /// KSG Changed declaration for .NET 2.x 01/25/2007
   Public Class Interop
      <Runtime.InteropServices.DllImport("kernel32.dll", SetLastError:=True, CharSet:=Runtime.InteropServices.CharSet.Auto)> _
      Public Shared Function GetShortPathName(ByVal longPath As String, _
      <Runtime.InteropServices.MarshalAs(Runtime.InteropServices.UnmanagedType.LPTStr)> _
      ByVal ShortPath As System.Text.StringBuilder, _
      <Runtime.InteropServices.MarshalAs(Runtime.InteropServices.UnmanagedType.U4)> _
      ByVal bufferSize As Integer) As Integer
      End Function
   End Class

Function ShortPathName(ByVal Path As String) As String
      Dim sb As New System.Text.StringBuilder(1024)

Dim tempVal As Integer = Interop.GetShortPathName(Path, sb, 1024)
      If tempVal <> 0 Then
         Dim Result As String = sb.ToString()
         Return Result
      Else
         Throw New Exception("Failed to return a short path")
      End If
   End Function

!!!!Alternative Managed API:
Do you know one?  Please contribute it!

from http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/vbgeneral/thread/a036e28f-51e7-4f0c-874f-de139210e049

Neither of these works in VB2005 Express.

Ok, I have been playing with this a bit more & found a solution...this is VB2005 Express.

I was trying to put the "GetShortName" into a module and calling it from my Form (as I am used to doing). What I found, and it works for some reason, was to put this in my module:

!!!!VB.NET Signature:
Public Declare Function GetShortPathName Lib "kernel32" Alias "GetShortPathNameA" (ByVal lpszLongPath As String, ByVal lpszShortPath As String, ByVal cchBuffer As Integer) As Integer

...And I had to put this actually in the form in my event (Me.ComboBox1.DblClick):

!!!!VB.NET Sample Code:
Dim RetVal As Integer
Dim ShortFileName As String
Dim GetShortFileName As String
ShortFileName = Microsoft.VisualBasic.Space(260)
RetVal = GetShortPathName(FindMedia, ShortFileName, Microsoft.VisualBasic.Len(ShortFileName))
GetShortFileName = Microsoft.VisualBasic.Left(ShortFileName, RetVal)
MsgBox(GetShortFileName)

Spaghetti code, yes, but at least it works :)

Documentation: GetShortPathName@msdn on MSDN