DONE: Windows software shortcut (LNK) creator

[garbanzo]

Greetings

I have a need to create several hundred shortcuts to the same app, each with a different name and different arguments. My current "copy, rename, right-click, edit, confirm, repeat" process is cumbersome. This little project would benefit greatly from an app that would let me paste text in to the relevant fields, hit Create to make a shortcut, then repeat.

Here is a very similar app to what I'm imagining, but it is designed to create admin shortcuts, which I don't need.
http://www.softpedia...reenshot-168241.html

Required fields are Name, Target, Start Dir, and the directory where the file will be created. It would be nice if arguments could be put in a separate text box, since these have to change with every shortcut I create. Optional features could include selecting an icon, adding a description, and whatever else LNK files support, but I don't need these for my purposes. Ideally, form data would not be cleared after creating a shortcut, but maybe this could be an option.

Thanks!

[skwire]

Do you have these different names and arguments in a text file?  If so, it would be easier to simply make a script that reads that in and creates all your shortcuts in one pass without a GUI.  Thoughts?

[garbanzo]

I considered that. I don't have them right now, but I could enter the data into Excel as I work, then just export to CSV. So yes, a script would work too!

[c.gingerich]

Here ya go!   Should be self explanatory, but if you have any questions let me know.

[garbanzo]

Wow, great!

Working well for my purposes, thank you.

One little request: could you set it up so that hitting Return in any text box sends the command to create the link?

[c.gingerich]

Sure. I'll update in a few

[c.gingerich]

Ok. I updated Link Snack. Now pressing enter in any text box will create the link. Re-download from above.

[Ath]

Chris,
What tool/language/environment do you use for tools like these? AHK? (missed that info from the posts you made the last couple of days )

[c.gingerich]

It's called Visual Dialogscript. Unfortunately it is no longer in development. 
I have been using it for over 15 years.

[skwire]

@c.gingerich: Very nice!  Thanks for jumping in.  

@garbanzo: Are you good with this or did you still require a commandline app that could read a CSV file and spit out your shortcuts?  If not, I'll mark this thread as done and move it to the finished section.

[c.gingerich]

@skwire: Thanks   

I can add command line support for a CSV file if needed as well.

[garbanzo]

c.gingerich, now that I'm home from work and able to test the tool more thoroughly, I realize there is a bug.

Text inputted into the Parameters field ought to be added to the end of the Target string. Instead, it is showing up as the "Start in" data.

If you could have a look, I would really appreciate it!

[c.gingerich]

Sorry about that, should be fixed now. Download again from above.

[garbanzo]

Working perfectly, thank you so much 

Skwire, consider this thread closed.

[Josh]

c.gingerich, is there any way you could modify this program to simply require the target path and link name and pull this info from a CSV file?

[c.gingerich]

@Josh I'll try to add support for CSV as soon as I can.

[Josh]

That would be awesome!

[c.gingerich]

As per request I added CSV support to Link Snack. Create a CSV file in the following format:

Target file, Link Name, Start Dir, Location, Parameters, Icon

Start Dir, Parameters and Icon are optional

All file options require the fill path (i.e. Fill path to target, icon, location and Start Dir)
Start Link Snack and drag and drop the CSV file onto the dialog and it will be processed immediately. If there are any errors creating a link, a file called LinkErr.txt will be created in the same location as Link Snack.exe.

Download Link Snack 2.0

Enjoy!