Get a list of Icons on the desktop and their respective positions

[Henrik]

I'm sorry to trouble you once again but somebody must know how to get
a list of the desktop icons and their respective positions.

I know that I have to look into shell but I have no idea how to do
it...!

Regards
I've found this bit of vb code but I don't know how to translate it
into C# (Don't know if it works)
Public Class GetIcons

Public Const GENERIC_READ = &H80000000
Public Const GENERIC_WRITE = &H40000000
Public Const OPEN_ALWAYS = 4
Public Const FILE_ATTRIBUTE_ NORMAL = &H80
Public Const SECTION_MAP_WRI TE = &H2
Public Const FILE_MAP_WRITE = SECTION_MAP_WRI TE

'NOT documented in Win32api.txt
Public Const PAGE_READWRITE As Long = &H4

Const LVM_GETTITEMCOU NT& = (&H1000 + 4)
Const LVM_SETITEMPOSI TION& = (&H1000 + 15)
Const LVM_FIRST = &H1000
Const LVM_GETITEMPOSI TION = (LVM_FIRST + 16)
Const LVM_GETITEMTEXT = LVM_FIRST + 45

'damn hell of a lot of declares
'copymemory *3 avoid byval in code - bug? works this way
Private Declare Sub CopyMemory Lib "kernel32" Alias "RtlMoveMem ory"
_
(ByVal hpvDest As Any, ByVal hpvSource As Any, ByVal cbCopy As
Long)
Private Declare Sub CopyMemoryOne Lib "kernel32" Alias
"RtlMoveMem ory" _
(ByVal hpvDest&, ByVal hpvSource As Any, ByVal cbCopy As Long)
Private Declare Sub CopyMemoryTwo Lib "kernel32" Alias
"RtlMoveMem ory" _
(ByVal hpvDest As Any, ByVal hpvSource&, ByVal cbCopy As Long)

Public Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32" Alias
"SendMessag eA" _
(ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal wMsg As Long, ByVal wParam As Long,
ByVal lParam _
As Any) As Long
Declare Function SendMessageByLo ng& Lib "user32" Alias
"SendMessag eA" _
(ByVal hwnd&, ByVal wMsg&, ByVal wParam&, ByVal lParam&)

Private Declare Function FindWindow& Lib "user32" Alias
"FindWindow A" _
(ByVal lpClassName As String, ByVal lpWindowName As String)
Private Declare Function FindWindowEx& Lib "user32" Alias _
"FindWindow ExA" (ByVal hWndParent As Long, ByVal hWndChildAfter _
As Long, ByVal lpClassName As String, ByVal lpWindowName As String)

'declares for printing to the desktop or other window for debug
purposes
Public Declare Function TextOut Lib "gdi32" Alias "TextOutA" (ByVal
_
hdc As Long, ByVal x As Long, ByVal y As Long, ByVal lpString As _
String, ByVal nCount As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function GetDC Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long) As
Long
Public Declare Function ReleaseDC Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long,
_
ByVal hdc As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function InvalidateRect Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As
Long, _
ByVal lpRect As Any, ByVal bErase As Long) As Long

Public Declare Sub Sleep Lib "kernel32" (ByVal dwMilliseconds As
Long)

'declares for memory-mapped files
Public Declare Function CreateFile Lib "kernel32" Alias
"CreateFile A" _
(ByVal lpFileName As String, ByVal dwDesiredAccess As Long, _
ByVal dwShareMode As Long, ByVal lpSecurityAttri butes As Any, _
ByVal dwCreationDispo sition As Long, ByVal dwFlagsAndAttri butes As
_
Long, ByVal hTemplateFile As Long) As Long
' changed lpFileMappigAtt ributes to Any, makes life much easier
Public Declare Function CreateFileMappi ngTwo Lib "kernel32" Alias _
"CreateFileMapp ingA" (ByVal hFile As Long, ByVal
lpFileMappigAtt ributes _
As Any, ByVal flProtect As Long, ByVal dwMaximumSizeHi gh As Long, _
ByVal dwMaximumSizeLo w As Long, ByVal lpName As String) As Long
Public Declare Function MapViewOfFile Lib "kernel32" (ByVal _
hFileMappingObj ect As Long, ByVal dwDesiredAccess As Long, ByVal _
dwFileOffsetHig h As Long, ByVal dwFileOffsetLow As Long, ByVal _
dwNumberOfBytes ToMap As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function UnmapViewOfFile Lib "kernel32" (ByVal
lpBaseAddress As Any) As Long
Public Declare Function CloseHandle Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hObject
As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function FlushViewOfFile Lib "kernel32" (ByVal
lpBaseAddress As Long, ByVal dwNumberOfBytes ToFlush As Long) As Long

'type declarations
Public Structure LV_ITEM ' might need this if we ever figure out
Dim mask As Long ' how to retrieve the text
Dim iItem As Long
Dim iSubItem As Long
Dim State As Long
Dim stateMask As Long
Dim pszText As Long
Dim cchTextMax As Long
Dim iImage As Long
Dim lParam As Long ' I think we might need a second
Dim iIndent As Long ' memory mapped file
End Structure

Public Structure POINTAPI
Dim x As Long
Dim y As Long
End Structure

Dim c As POINTAPI
Public IconPosition() As POINTAPI
Public IconPosition2() As POINTAPI
Public TempIconPositio n2 As POINTAPI

'dimension some variables
Dim pNull As Long
Dim MyValue%, MyValue2%
Dim sFileName As String
Dim CurrentDirector y As String
Dim hdesk&, i%
Global icount&

Public Sub FindIcons()

'no error trapping done quick and dirty code
'this is Proof of Concept Code
'a problem for the reader <g>
pNull = 0
hdesk = FindWindow("pro gman", vbNullString)
hdesk = FindWindowEx(hd esk, 0, "shelldll_defvi ew",
vbNullString)
hdesk = FindWindowEx(hd esk, 0, "syslistview32" , vbNullString)
'hdesk is the handle of the Desktop's listview
icount = SendMessageByLo ng(hdesk, LVM_GETTITEMCOU NT, 0, 0&)
'bail if we get a zero count
If icount = 0 Then MsgBox("Error occurred: No icons found", _
vbOKOnly, "PauliesPet ") : Unload(Form1) : End
'tell me how many icons we found
Form1.Text1.Tex t = Str(icount) + " icons detected "
'redimension arrays
ReDim IconPosition(ic ount) As POINTAPI
ReDim IconPosition2(i count) As POINTAPI

'///// create a memory-mapped file /////

CurrentDirector y = App.Path
If Right$(CurrentD irectory, 1) <> "\" Then _
CurrentDirector y = CurrentDirector y + "\"

sFileName = CurrentDirector y + "TEMPPPPP.P PP"
' Open file
hFile = CreateFile(sFil eName, GENERIC_READ Or GENERIC_WRITE, 0, _
ByVal pNull, OPEN_ALWAYS, FILE_ATTRIBUTE_ NORMAL, _
pNull)
' get handle
hFileMap = CreateFileMappi ngTwo(hFile, ByVal pNull, PAGE_READWRITE, _
0, 16, "MyMapping" )
' Get pointer to memory representing file
pFileMap = MapViewOfFile(h FileMap, FILE_MAP_WRITE, 0, 0, 0)

For i = 0 To icount - 1
'lparam is mem-map file Pointer
Call SendMessageByLo ng(hdesk, LVM_GETITEMPOSI TION, i,
pFileMap)
'copy returned to our POINTAPI (c.x,c.y)
CopyMemoryTwo(c , pFileMap, 8)
'show me where the icons are
Form1.List1.Add Item(Str(i + 1) + " x-" + Str(c.x) + " y-" _
+ Str(c.y))
'put value in our arrays
IconPosition(i) = c
'back up array for swapping later
IconPosition2(i ) = c
Next i

'Release resources back to windows
FlushViewOfFile (pFileMap, 8)
UnmapViewOfFile (pFileMap)
CloseHandle(hFi leMap)
CloseHandle(hFi le)

End Sub

Sub RefreshDesktop( )

' refresh the whole desktop , we'll just invalidate everything
xcc% = InvalidateRect( 0, ByVal 0, 0)

End Sub

Sub RefreshIconPosi tions()

For i = 0 To icount - 1
'reset our icon switching array
IconPosition2(i ) = IconPosition(i)
'Set icon postions back to what we found originally
Call SendMessageByLo ng(hdesk, LVM_SETITEMPOSI TION, i, _
CLng(IconPositi on(i).x + IconPosition(i) .y * &H10000))
Next i

End Sub
End Class

[Kevin Spencer]

Hi Henrik,

You did get the 2 links I posted, didn't you? The VB.Net you've posted is
using the Windows API, just like the C++ articles and tutorials I posted. I
also posted a link to the MSDN Windows Shell Programming SDK. You'd be
better off using the C++ articles if you want to use C# to do this.

It's really not that diffidult, if you know what to do. You basically use
interop to do it, with Platform Invoke. Here are a couple of sections of the
online .Net SDK that tell you how, and some examples as well:

Consuming Unmanaged DLL Functions
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...lfunctions.asp

Marshalling Data With Platform Invoke
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...forminvoke.asp

Platform Invoke Data Types
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...edatatypes.asp

Create a Class to Hold DLL Functions
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...lfunctions.asp

Creating Prototypes in Managed Code
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...anagedcode.asp

Miscellaneous Marshalling Examples
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...ingsamples.asp

Platform Invoke Tutorial
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...ketutorial.asp

--
HTH,

Kevin Spencer
Microsoft MVP
..Net Developer
We got a sick zebra a hat,
you ultimate tuna.
"Henrik" <do******@hotma il.com> wrote in message
news:11******** *************@f 14g2000cwb.goog legroups.com...

I'm sorry to trouble you once again but somebody must know how to get
a list of the desktop icons and their respective positions.

I know that I have to look into shell but I have no idea how to do
it...!

Regards
I've found this bit of vb code but I don't know how to translate it
into C# (Don't know if it works)
Public Class GetIcons

Public Const GENERIC_READ = &H80000000
Public Const GENERIC_WRITE = &H40000000
Public Const OPEN_ALWAYS = 4
Public Const FILE_ATTRIBUTE_ NORMAL = &H80
Public Const SECTION_MAP_WRI TE = &H2
Public Const FILE_MAP_WRITE = SECTION_MAP_WRI TE

'NOT documented in Win32api.txt
Public Const PAGE_READWRITE As Long = &H4

Const LVM_GETTITEMCOU NT& = (&H1000 + 4)
Const LVM_SETITEMPOSI TION& = (&H1000 + 15)
Const LVM_FIRST = &H1000
Const LVM_GETITEMPOSI TION = (LVM_FIRST + 16)
Const LVM_GETITEMTEXT = LVM_FIRST + 45

'damn hell of a lot of declares
'copymemory *3 avoid byval in code - bug? works this way
Private Declare Sub CopyMemory Lib "kernel32" Alias "RtlMoveMem ory"
_
(ByVal hpvDest As Any, ByVal hpvSource As Any, ByVal cbCopy As
Long)
Private Declare Sub CopyMemoryOne Lib "kernel32" Alias
"RtlMoveMem ory" _
(ByVal hpvDest&, ByVal hpvSource As Any, ByVal cbCopy As Long)
Private Declare Sub CopyMemoryTwo Lib "kernel32" Alias
"RtlMoveMem ory" _
(ByVal hpvDest As Any, ByVal hpvSource&, ByVal cbCopy As Long)

Public Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32" Alias
"SendMessag eA" _
(ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal wMsg As Long, ByVal wParam As Long,
ByVal lParam _
As Any) As Long
Declare Function SendMessageByLo ng& Lib "user32" Alias
"SendMessag eA" _
(ByVal hwnd&, ByVal wMsg&, ByVal wParam&, ByVal lParam&)

Private Declare Function FindWindow& Lib "user32" Alias
"FindWindow A" _
(ByVal lpClassName As String, ByVal lpWindowName As String)
Private Declare Function FindWindowEx& Lib "user32" Alias _
"FindWindow ExA" (ByVal hWndParent As Long, ByVal hWndChildAfter _
As Long, ByVal lpClassName As String, ByVal lpWindowName As String)

'declares for printing to the desktop or other window for debug
purposes
Public Declare Function TextOut Lib "gdi32" Alias "TextOutA" (ByVal
_
hdc As Long, ByVal x As Long, ByVal y As Long, ByVal lpString As _
String, ByVal nCount As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function GetDC Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long) As
Long
Public Declare Function ReleaseDC Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long,
_
ByVal hdc As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function InvalidateRect Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As
Long, _
ByVal lpRect As Any, ByVal bErase As Long) As Long

Public Declare Sub Sleep Lib "kernel32" (ByVal dwMilliseconds As
Long)

'declares for memory-mapped files
Public Declare Function CreateFile Lib "kernel32" Alias
"CreateFile A" _
(ByVal lpFileName As String, ByVal dwDesiredAccess As Long, _
ByVal dwShareMode As Long, ByVal lpSecurityAttri butes As Any, _
ByVal dwCreationDispo sition As Long, ByVal dwFlagsAndAttri butes As
_
Long, ByVal hTemplateFile As Long) As Long
' changed lpFileMappigAtt ributes to Any, makes life much easier
Public Declare Function CreateFileMappi ngTwo Lib "kernel32" Alias _
"CreateFileMapp ingA" (ByVal hFile As Long, ByVal
lpFileMappigAtt ributes _
As Any, ByVal flProtect As Long, ByVal dwMaximumSizeHi gh As Long, _
ByVal dwMaximumSizeLo w As Long, ByVal lpName As String) As Long
Public Declare Function MapViewOfFile Lib "kernel32" (ByVal _
hFileMappingObj ect As Long, ByVal dwDesiredAccess As Long, ByVal _
dwFileOffsetHig h As Long, ByVal dwFileOffsetLow As Long, ByVal _
dwNumberOfBytes ToMap As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function UnmapViewOfFile Lib "kernel32" (ByVal
lpBaseAddress As Any) As Long
Public Declare Function CloseHandle Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hObject
As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function FlushViewOfFile Lib "kernel32" (ByVal
lpBaseAddress As Long, ByVal dwNumberOfBytes ToFlush As Long) As Long

'type declarations
Public Structure LV_ITEM ' might need this if we ever figure out
Dim mask As Long ' how to retrieve the text
Dim iItem As Long
Dim iSubItem As Long
Dim State As Long
Dim stateMask As Long
Dim pszText As Long
Dim cchTextMax As Long
Dim iImage As Long
Dim lParam As Long ' I think we might need a second
Dim iIndent As Long ' memory mapped file
End Structure

Public Structure POINTAPI
Dim x As Long
Dim y As Long
End Structure

Dim c As POINTAPI
Public IconPosition() As POINTAPI
Public IconPosition2() As POINTAPI
Public TempIconPositio n2 As POINTAPI

'dimension some variables
Dim pNull As Long
Dim MyValue%, MyValue2%
Dim sFileName As String
Dim CurrentDirector y As String
Dim hdesk&, i%
Global icount&

Public Sub FindIcons()

'no error trapping done quick and dirty code
'this is Proof of Concept Code
'a problem for the reader <g>
pNull = 0
hdesk = FindWindow("pro gman", vbNullString)
hdesk = FindWindowEx(hd esk, 0, "shelldll_defvi ew",
vbNullString)
hdesk = FindWindowEx(hd esk, 0, "syslistview32" , vbNullString)
'hdesk is the handle of the Desktop's listview
icount = SendMessageByLo ng(hdesk, LVM_GETTITEMCOU NT, 0, 0&)
'bail if we get a zero count
If icount = 0 Then MsgBox("Error occurred: No icons found", _
vbOKOnly, "PauliesPet ") : Unload(Form1) : End
'tell me how many icons we found
Form1.Text1.Tex t = Str(icount) + " icons detected "
'redimension arrays
ReDim IconPosition(ic ount) As POINTAPI
ReDim IconPosition2(i count) As POINTAPI

'///// create a memory-mapped file /////

CurrentDirector y = App.Path
If Right$(CurrentD irectory, 1) <> "\" Then _
CurrentDirector y = CurrentDirector y + "\"

sFileName = CurrentDirector y + "TEMPPPPP.P PP"
' Open file
hFile = CreateFile(sFil eName, GENERIC_READ Or GENERIC_WRITE, 0, _
ByVal pNull, OPEN_ALWAYS, FILE_ATTRIBUTE_ NORMAL, _
pNull)
' get handle
hFileMap = CreateFileMappi ngTwo(hFile, ByVal pNull, PAGE_READWRITE, _
0, 16, "MyMapping" )
' Get pointer to memory representing file
pFileMap = MapViewOfFile(h FileMap, FILE_MAP_WRITE, 0, 0, 0)

For i = 0 To icount - 1
'lparam is mem-map file Pointer
Call SendMessageByLo ng(hdesk, LVM_GETITEMPOSI TION, i,
pFileMap)
'copy returned to our POINTAPI (c.x,c.y)
CopyMemoryTwo(c , pFileMap, 8)
'show me where the icons are
Form1.List1.Add Item(Str(i + 1) + " x-" + Str(c.x) + " y-" _
+ Str(c.y))
'put value in our arrays
IconPosition(i) = c
'back up array for swapping later
IconPosition2(i ) = c
Next i

'Release resources back to windows
FlushViewOfFile (pFileMap, 8)
UnmapViewOfFile (pFileMap)
CloseHandle(hFi leMap)
CloseHandle(hFi le)

End Sub

Sub RefreshDesktop( )

' refresh the whole desktop , we'll just invalidate everything
xcc% = InvalidateRect( 0, ByVal 0, 0)

End Sub

Sub RefreshIconPosi tions()

For i = 0 To icount - 1
'reset our icon switching array
IconPosition2(i ) = IconPosition(i)
'Set icon postions back to what we found originally
Call SendMessageByLo ng(hdesk, LVM_SETITEMPOSI TION, i, _
CLng(IconPositi on(i).x + IconPosition(i) .y * &H10000))
Next i

End Sub
End Class