Uses TSearchRec to loop through the Explorer favourites, which really are inifiles. Result is beeing placed in HTML and text files.
NOTE: This article is a couple of years old. And while the code still works fine as an example of using inifiles and recursive searches - Internet Explorer has had export possibilities built into the program.
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Collecting Explorer Favourites
Johan Lindgren
Recently a person at work was leaving for another company. Beeing a journalist, she was very interested in bringing the long list of favourite internet links that she had collected during her time with us. This is really a valueble journalistic tool these days. Well, if she were going to a company also equiped with Windows and Explorer you could simply copy the folder holding the favourites. But since she was going to a MAC-based company using Netscape it was a different situation. There might be a way in Explorer to do this. And there might be programs out there doing this. But I found none so I did a program to do it. What the program does is simply recursively search the folder with the Explorer favourites and adding it all to a textfile and a HTML-file. The big advantage with storing the result in the HTML-format is that you can make the links active and thus the file useful in any browser.
First of all there is an ini-file with settings for the searchpath to the favourites and the searchpath and names of the files where the result is to be stored. The file is named "favoriter.ini" and is placed in the same folder as the exe-file. (Some words you encounter are in Swedish!)
The inifile:
[Favoriter]
WindowsFavoriter=c:\windows\favoriter\
HTMLsave=c:\favoriter.html
TEXTsave=c:\favoriter.txt
It is important to get the search path right for the program to work.
The program consist of a richedit to hold the text result, a button to start, a button to close and a status bar. (Which is not necessary at all.)
The operation is pretty straight forward. When you click the start button the code attached to that button is executed. The search starts and if a subfolder is encountered a separate procedure is called. This procedure is recalled for each subfolder encountered. So the program will search out every subfolder.
This is search block from the click event. The routine in the procedure is very similar. (See the complete program listing.)
test := FindFirst(sokmapp+'*.*', faAnyFile, SearchRec); //See if we get any result from our first search
if test = 0 then //if we got a result. Indicated by a 0 in the FindFirst function!!
while test = 0 do begin //As long as we get 0's from our Searches there are more files or folders to process
case searchrec.Attr of //Check to see what attribute the searchresult had
16 : begin //If it was a 16 it is a sub folder
if (searchrec.name <> '.') and (searchrec.name <> '..') then //Check to see that it is not a . or a .. which are symbols for the folder above and the same folder
SokIEnMapp (sender,sokmapp+'\'+searchrec.name,searchrec.name); //If it was another folder, call a subroutine to investigate that folder
end;
32 : begin //If it was a 32 it is a file
if ansilowercase(extractfileext(searchrec.name)) = '.url' then begin //if the file name ends with .url it is an explorer favourite
inifil := tinifile.create (sokmapp+searchrec.name); //Create an inifile object for this file
try
temptext :=inifil.readstring ('InternetShortcut','URL',''); //Read the actual link from the file
richedit1.Lines.Add (stringreplace(searchrec.name,extractfileext(searchrec.name),'')+'='+temptext);//Show the file name and the link in the richedit
statusbar1.SimpleText := searchrec.name; //Show the filename in the status bar
statusbar1.Update; //Update the status bar
application.processmessages; //And give windows a chance to catch up
grunder.Add (''+stringreplace(searchrec.name,extractfileext(searchrec.name),'')+' '); //Add the favourite to our temporary stringlist
finally
inifil.Free; //Free the inifile object
end;
end;
end;
end;
test := findnext(searchrec); //Call findnext to see if there are more files or folders
end;
findclose(searchrec); //Release the search object
The resulting HTML-file contains the name of the link and the actual link in a ...
Johan Lindgren is an ex-journalist, now working with technical development for the Swedish News Agency (Tidningarnas Telegrambyrå). It involves work with SGML, XML and XSL. He uses Delphi to produce the various pieces of software that is needed. He can be reached at johan.lindgren@tt.se
Sourcecode:
unit favvo;
interface
uses
Windows, Messages, SysUtils, Classes, Graphics, Controls, Forms, Dialogs,
StdCtrls, ComCtrls,inifiles, ExtCtrls;
type
Tfavu = class(TForm)
RichEdit1: TRichEdit;
Panel1: TPanel;
startsearch: TButton;
StatusBar1: TStatusBar;
Button1: TButton;
procedure startsearchClick(Sender: TObject);
procedure Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
procedure FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
procedure SokIEnMapp (sender : Tobject;sokpath,katalog : string);
procedure FormDestroy(Sender: TObject);
private
{ Private declarations }
public
{ Public declarations }
SearchRec: TSearchRec; //The overall search object
sokmapp, htmlut, textut : string; //Strings for holding the folder to search and the files for the search results
htmlspar : tstringlist; //String list to hold the HTML file
end;
function KollaSlutet (rad,slut : string) : string;
function StringReplace (text,byt,mot : string ) :string;
var
favu: Tfavu;
implementation
{$R *.DFM}
//======= When program is launched ========//
procedure Tfavu.FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
var
inifil : TIniFile; //Inifile-object to read user preferences
exepath : string; //Searchpath for the application
begin
exepath := extractfilepath (application.exename); //Extract the searchpath for the application
exepath := kollaslutet(exepath,'\'); //Call a function that checks that the first string ends with the second string
inifil := tinifile.create(exepath+'favoriter.ini'); //Create the inifile object with the exepath combined with the inifile name.
try
sokmapp := inifil.readstring('Favoriter','WindowsFavoriter','c:\windows\favoriter\'); //Get the searchpath for the folder containing the explorer favourites
sokmapp := kollaslutet(sokmapp,'\'); //Call the routine "kollaslutet" to make sure that the string ends with a \
htmlut := inifil.readstring('Favoriter','HTMLsave','c:\favoriter.html'); //Get the name and path to the file where the html result is to be stored
textut := inifil.readstring('Favoriter','TEXTsave','c:\favoriter.txt'); //Get the name and the path to the file where the text result is to be stored
finally
inifil.free; //Free the resources for the inifile object
end;
htmlspar := tstringlist.create; //Create the stringlist to hold the HTML result
end;
//====== Clicking the button to start collecting the favourites ========//
procedure Tfavu.startsearchClick(Sender: TObject);
var
inifil : TIniFile; //Inifile object to get the content of the favourites
temptext : string; //Temporary string for storing
test : integer; //Integer for checking the search results
grunder : TStringList; //STring list to hold searchresult from one folder
begin
screen.cursor := crHourglass; //Show the hourglass to let the user know we're busy
grunder := TStringList.create; //Create the stringlist
htmlspar.add ('Internet Favourites ');//Set up the first HTML elements in that stringlist
try
test := FindFirst(sokmapp+'*.*', faAnyFile, SearchRec); //See if we get any result from our first search
if test = 0 then //if we got a result. Indicated by a 0 in the FindFirst function!!
while test = 0 do begin //As long as we get 0's from our Searches there are more files or folders to process
case searchrec.Attr of //Check to see what attribute the searchresult had
faDirectory : begin //If it was a 16 it is a sub folder
if (searchrec.name <> '.') and (searchrec.name <> '..') then //Check to see that it is not a . or a .. which are symbols for the folder above and the same folder
SokIEnMapp (sender,sokmapp+'\'+searchrec.name,searchrec.name); //If it was another folder, call a subroutine to investigate that folder
end;
32 : begin //If it was a 32 it is a file
if ansilowercase(extractfileext(searchrec.name)) = '.url' then begin //if the file name ends with .url it is an explorer favourite
inifil := tinifile.create (sokmapp+searchrec.name); //Create an inifile object for this file
try
temptext :=inifil.readstring ('InternetShortcut','URL',''); //Read the actual link from the file
richedit1.Lines.Add (stringreplace(searchrec.name,extractfileext(searchrec.name),'')+'='+temptext);//Show the file name and the link in the richedit
statusbar1.SimpleText := searchrec.name; //Show the filename in the status bar
statusbar1.Update; //Update the status bar
application.processmessages; //And give windows a chance to catch up
grunder.Add (''+stringreplace(searchrec.name,extractfileext(searchrec.name),'')+' '); //Add the favourite to our temporary stringlist
finally
inifil.Free; //Free the inifile object
end; //try finally
end; //if .url
end;//case 32
end; //case
test := findnext(searchrec); //Call findnext to see if there are more files or folders
end; //while
findclose(searchrec); //Release the search object
htmlspar.Text := htmlspar.text + 'Various links'+grunder.text+'
';//Add to the HTML stringlist a header line and the results from this folder
htmlspar.add (''); //Finally add the closing HTML elements
htmlspar.SaveToFile (htmlut); //Save the HTML stringlist to the designated name
richedit1.lines.SaveToFile (textut); //Save the lines of the richedit to the designated file. Make sure to have plaintext=true in the richedit
finally
grunder.free; //Free the stringlist
screen.cursor := crDefault; //Restore the cursor
end;
end;
//======= Procedure to search in a specific folder =====//
procedure Tfavu.SokIEnMapp (sender : Tobject;sokpath,katalog : string);
var
undermapp : tsearchrec; //Searchresult for this specific folder
inifil : tinifile; //Inifile to read content from url-files
temptext : string; //Temporary string
test2 : integer; //Integer to see what search result we got
begin
richedit1.lines.add (katalog); //Start by adding the name of the folder to be searched to the richedit
statusbar1.SimpleText := katalog; //Do the same with the status bar
statusbar1.Update; //Update the status bar
application.processmessages; //Make sure windows get's a chance
htmlspar.add ('
'+katalog+''); //Add the name of the folder to the HTML string list
test2 := findfirst(sokpath+'\*.*',faAnyFile,Undermapp); //Start a search in the sub folder
if test2 = 0 then //If we get a 0 we scored a hit
while test2 = 0 do begin //As long as we keep finding new folders or files
case undermapp.attr of //Check the attribute of the search result
16 : begin //If it was a 16 it is a subfolder
if (undermapp.name <> '.') and (undermapp.name <> '..') then //As long as the name is not . or .. we continue our search
SokIEnMapp (sender,sokpath+'\'+undermapp.name,undermapp.name); //Call the same routine to keep searching subfolders
end; //16
32 : begin //32 means a file
if ansilowercase(extractfileext(undermapp.name)) = '.url' then begin //If the filename ends with .url it is an explorer favourite
inifil := tinifile.create (sokpath+'\'+undermapp.name); //Create an inifile object for this file
try
temptext :=inifil.readstring ('InternetShortcut','URL',''); //Read the link in the file
richedit1.Lines.Add (stringreplace(undermapp.name,extractfileext(undermapp.name),'')+'='+temptext); //Add this to the richedit
statusbar1.SimpleText := undermapp.name; //Show the name of the file in the status bar
statusbar1.Update; //Update the status bar
application.processmessages; //Let windows do it's business
htmlspar.Add ('- '+stringreplace(undermapp.name,extractfileext(undermapp.name),'')+'
');//Add the filename and the link to the HTML stringlist
finally
inifil.Free; //free the inifile object
end; //try
end; //if
end; //32
end;
test2 := findnext (undermapp); //call find next to keep searching
end; //while
htmlspar.add ('
'); //Add a closing tag to the html string list
findclose (undermapp); //Call find close to close the search object
end;
//======== When closing the program ==========//
procedure Tfavu.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
begin
close; //Close the application
end;
procedure Tfavu.FormDestroy(Sender: TObject);
begin
htmlspar.free; //Free the resourse for the html string list
end;
//================ Functions ==============//
//========== Check that a string ends with a specific string =============//
function KollaSlutet (rad,slut : string) : string;
begin
if length(rad)>0 then //Make sure theres something there to check
if rad[length(rad)] <> slut then rad := rad+slut;//If it does not end with the proper ending - add it
result := rad; //Return the string
end;
//========== Function to change the first occurance of byt against mot in text ===========//
function StringReplace (text,byt,mot : string ) :string;
var
plats : integer;
begin
if pos(byt,text) > 0 then begin //if byt exist in text
plats := pos(byt,text); //Note where it is
delete (text,plats,length(byt)); //Remove the part matching byt
insert (mot,text,plats); //insert mot in the proper place
end; //if byt existed in text
result := text; //in any case return the text
end;
end