R: Reads a Microsoft Windows Shortcut (.lnk file)

readWindowsShortcut {R.utils} | R Documentation

## Reads a Microsoft Windows Shortcut (.lnk file)

### Description

Reads a Microsoft Windows Shortcut (.lnk file).

### Usage

    ## Default S3 method:
    readWindowsShortcut(con, verbose=FALSE, ...)

### Arguments

`con` | A `connection` or a `character` string (filename).
`verbose` | If `TRUE`, extra information is written while reading.
`...` | Not used.

### Details

The MIME type for a Windows Shortcut file is `application/x-ms-shortcut`.

### Value

Returns a `list` structure.

### Author(s)

Henrik Bengtsson

### References

[1] Wotsit's Format, http://www.wotsit.org/, 2005.
[2] Hager J, The Windows Shortcut File Format (as reverse-engineered by), version 1.0.
[3] Microsoft Developer Network, IShellLink Interface, 2008. http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb774950.aspx
[4] Andrews D, Parsing Windows Shortcuts (lnk) files in java, comp.lang.java.help, Aug 1999. http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.java.help/browse_thread/thread/a2e147b07d5480a2/
[5] Multiple authors, Windows shell links (in Tcl), Tcler's Wiki, April 2008. http://wiki.tcl.tk/1844
[6] Daniel S. Bensen, Shortcut File Format (.lnk), Stdlib.com, April 24, 2009.
https://web.archive.org/web/20110817051855/http://www.stdlib.com/art6-Shortcut-File-Format-lnk.html (was http://www.stdlib.com/art6-Shortcut-File-Format-lnk.html)
[7] [MS-SHLLINK]: Shell Link (.LNK) Binary File Format, Microsoft Inc., September 25, 2009.

### See Also

`createWindowsShortcut`() and `filePath()`

### Examples

    pathname <- system.file("data-ex/HISTORY.LNK", package="R.utils")
    lnk <- readWindowsShortcut(pathname)

    # Print all information
    print(lnk)

    # Get the relative path to the target file
    history <- file.path(dirname(pathname), lnk$relativePath)

    # Alternatively, everything in one call
    history <- filePath(pathname, expandLinks="relative")

[Package R.utils version 2.7.0 Index]