Use of environment variable for username in a shortcut (Win 10-1909)

Matthew Wai · 06 Mar 2021

What is your application?

Atom1 · 06 Mar 2021

Matthew Wai said:

What is your application?

Tradestation (Easylanguage)

Matthew Wai · 06 Mar 2021

Your application does not recognize environment variables.

Try3 · 06 Mar 2021

Atom1 said:

Sorry, I was not clear about where the shortcut-username problem occurs.
This is from my application:
string BatFileShtCut("C:\Users\Stan\Desktop\PosnPushAlert.lnk");
I am here defining the path for the shortcut file. If I replace "Stan" with %username%, it does not work.

Are you saying that a shortcut you make manually does work?

Denis

Atom1 · 06 Mar 2021

Matthew Wai said:

Your application does not recognize environment variables.

It is able to put environment variables in path for other scripts, and they work. It only doesn't work when I try to use an environment variable in place of username, when I'm defining a path for a shortcut.
var: //string BatFileShtCut("C:\Users\%username%\Desktop\PosnPushAlert.lnk"); string BatFileShtCut("C:\Users\Stan\Desktop\PosnPushAlert.lnk");
The above will not work if I use the version with the environment variable in place of the actual user name.

When I run this from EasyLanguage:
//TEST

Code:

method void OnButtonClick2(Object sender, EventArgs args ) begin		BatFile1 = FilePath+"PosnPushAlert"+".bat";		FileDelete(BatFile1);		Bat1Text = "Powershell.exe -executionpolicy remotesigned -File C:\Users\%UserName%\Desktop\PushOverPS.ps1 ";		Bat1Text += doublequote+DTS()+" This is a test. "+doublequote;		FileWrite(BatFile1,Bat1Text);		if Elsystem.io.File.Exists(BatFile1) then environment.start(BatFileShtCut);		Textbox1.Text = "OK";	end;

This works where I'm writing %username% to a .bat file and then running the .bat file, but if I try to invoke the shortcut using an environment variable in the path instead of the username, it does not work, so you are right!!!

Thanks.

- - - Updated - - -

I apologize for sending everyone on a wild goose chase here. I now see what was happening. End of story.
Thanks to all.

BubbaW · 06 Mar 2021

Atom1 said:

I now see what was happening. End of story

Oh heck no.....curious followers want to know

Atom1 · 06 Mar 2021

So, just a p.s. on this. I just moved the shortcut to a path that does not have username in it and... problem solved!!!

Matthew Wai · 06 Mar 2021

What a simple solution!

hdmi · 07 Mar 2021

BubbaW said:

Oh heck no.....curious followers want to know

KeithM · 08 Mar 2021

If you create a shortcut with the Create Shortcut wizard, any environmental variables in the Target path will be evaluated when the shortcut is created, leaving you with a static Target.

To create a shortcut with environmental variables that are evaluated when the shortcut is launched, you have to create the shortcut programatically.

PowerShell:

Code:

$wshell        = New-Object -ComObject wscript.shell
$sc            = $wshell.CreateShortcut("c:\Users\Keith\mytest.lnk")
$sc.targetPath = '%USERPROFILE%\Sandbox'
$sc.save()

Properties of MyTest.lnk after creation: