Getting value from a address pointed to a c++ pointer

[FreeFry]

Hi, I'm trying to automate a windows search dialog using DllCalls, and I've come upon a problem:

I want to call this function: SHFindFiles, but it takes two tricky parameters:

PCIDLIST_ABSOLUTE pidlFolder,

PCIDLIST_ABSOLUTE pidlSaveFile

Reference can be found here: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms647744.aspx

The first parameter requires some kind of pid which I'm not really sure what it is, just that you can aquire it the function SHSimpleIDListFromPath.

Reference can be found here: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms647928.aspx

Problem is, that the SHSimpleIDListFromPath function returns a pointer to the id which I need for the first parameter in the SHFindFiles function.

So, my question is this, how can I retrive the value from the pointer?

This is the code I have so far(which doesn't work, because SHFindFiles doesn't expect a pointer, but the pid thing):

Dim $PCIDLIST_ABSOLUT = DllCall("shell32.dll", "ptr&quÝË  ][ÝÔÒÚ[RQÝÛT] ][ÝË  ][ÝÝÜÝ][ÝË    ][ÝÐÎÌLÉ]÷C² ¤bW'&÷"FVà¢×6t&÷ÂgV÷C´W'&÷"gV÷C²ÂW'&÷"¤VÇ6P¢×6t&à À°ÅÕ½ÐìÀÌØíA
%1%MQ}  M=1UPÅÕ½Ðì°ÀÌØíA
%1%MQ}  M=1UQlÁt¤)¹%((#036;Status = DllCall("shell32.dll", "int", "SHFin[É][ÝË    ][ÝÚ[ ][ÝË  ÌÍÔÒQTÕÐPÓÓU    ][ÝÚ[ ][ÝË  ][C²gV÷C² ¤bW'&÷"FVà¢×6t&÷ÂgV÷C´W'&÷"gV÷C²ÂW'&÷"¤VÇ6P¢5Í   ½à À°ÅÕ½ÐìÀÌØíMÑÑÕÌÅÕ½Ðì°ÀÌØíMÑÑÕÍlÁt¤)¹%(

Edit:

The "pid" thing I was referring to is not a Process Identifier - just to clarify that.

I would really appriciate any help.

Edited June 21, 2007 by FreeFry

[FreeFry]

bump

Anyone? or is it impossible (without a dll ) ?

Edited June 21, 2007 by FreeFry

[FreeFry]

Sorry to bump this again, but it's of greater importance ( work related ) :/

I hope someone at least can say if it's not possible or not...

[FreeFry]

Hmm.. bump..

I know this is really old, but I hope someone could answer my question about it..

I still can't get it to work..

I noticed a few small errors, where parameter types (probably) should've been ptr instead of int, but still it doesn't work. :/

[DaveF]

I feel that there'd be a simpler way to achieve your desired result in "pure" AutoIt; having said that I'm guessing that since this is shell functionality that you'd need to initialize COM (CoInitialize?) prior to calling the shell related functions.

Just a guess...

[DaveF]

Yup.

DLLCall("ole32.dll","int","CoInitialize","ptr",0)

Dim $PCIDLIST_ABSOLUT = DllCall("shell32.dll", "ptr", "SHSimpleIDListFromPath", "wstr", "C:\Program Files")

If @error Then
    MsgBox(0, "Error", @error)
Else
    MsgBox(0, "$PCIDLIST_ABSOLUT", $PCIDLIST_ABSOLUT[0])
EndIf

$Status = DllCall("shell32.dll", "int", "SHFindFiles", "ptr", $PCIDLIST_ABSOLUT[0], "ptr", 0)

If @error Then
    MsgBox(0, "Error", @error)
Else
    MsgBox(0, "$Status", $Status[0])
EndIf

; We're responsible for freeing the allocated PIDL
DllCall("shell32.dll", "none", "ILFree", "ptr", $PCIDLIST_ABSOLUT[0])

[FreeFry]

Thanks for the responses guys!

That's exactly what I was looking for DaveF.

I got a weird number back from the SHFindFiles function, and after a google on it, it turned up as some error regarding something not being initialized!

Hmm, may I ask how you know that you had to do that before using that function? :| MSDN doesn't say anything about it. >_>

[DaveF]

Thanks for the responses guys!

That's exactly what I was looking for DaveF.

I got a weird number back from the SHFindFiles function, and after a google on it, it turned up as some error regarding something not being initialized!

Hmm, may I ask how you know that you had to do that before using that function? :| MSDN doesn't say anything about it. >_>

Mostly suspicion from past experience with Windows shell and COM functionality, but to verify I just googled for SHFindFiles and SHSimpleIDListFromPath (and also the data structure names referred to on their MSDN pages) until I found C++ examples to show the process of using these and similar functions.

[FreeFry]

I see..

I tried googling it too for examples, but I couldn't find any examples though. >_>

Edit:

So this is the code that I have now:

expandcollapse popup

Opt("WinTitleMatchMode", 4)

DLLCall("ole32.dll","int","CoInitialize","ptr",0)

Dim $struct_Folder, $struct_SaveFile

Dim $struct_Folder = DllCall("shell32.dll", "ptr", "SHSimpleIDListFromPath", "wstr", @HomePath)

If @error Then
    MsgBox(0, "Error", @error)
    _CleanUp()
EndIf

Dim $struct_SaveFile = DllCall("shell32.dll", "ptr", "SHSimpleIDListFromPath", "wstr", @ScriptDir & "\Test.fnd")

If @error Then
    MsgBox(0, "Error", @error)
    _CleanUp()
EndIf

$Status = DllCall("shell32.dll", "int", "SHFindFiles", "ptr", $struct_Folder[0], "ptr", $struct_SaveFile[0])

If @error Then
    MsgBox(0, "Error", @error)
    _CleanUp()
EndIf

WinWait("[CLASS:CabinetWClass]")

ControlClick("[LAST]", "", "Button5")

_CleanUp()

Func _CleanUp()
    
    DllCall("shell32.dll", "none", "ILFree", "ptr", $struct_Folder[0])
    DllCall("shell32.dll", "none", "ILFree", "ptr", $struct_SaveFile[0])
    Exit
    
EndFunc

And guess what? It works!! :}

I wonder if there's any way to get the results from the search.. hmm

In any case, it works, and that's just what I wanted. (It would be used on several computers for searching out image files/other personal files, that then could be copied to a backup location)

Edited January 24, 2008 by FreeFry