What the heck am I doing wrong?

[Buffman]

	tPath = {Desktop="SHF_DESKTOP",
			 DesktopCommon="SHF_DESKTOP_COMMON",
			 QuickLaunch="SHF_APPLICATIONDATA",
			 QuickLaunchCommon="SHF_APPLICATIONDATA_COMMON",
			 StartMenu="SHF_STARTMENU",
			 StartMenuCommon="SHF_STARTMENU_COMMON"
			 }
	-----
	for j,path in tPath do
		sPath = Shell.GetFolder(path);
		Dialog.Message("Return", path.." is "..sPath);
	end

sPath keeps resulting in the path to my desktop (the first evaluation)!! What the heck am I doing wrong?

[Lorne]

Those aren't strings, they're named constants that represent numbers.

For example, SHF_DESKTOP is a constant that represents the number 16.

Try this instead:

tPath = {Desktop=SHF_DESKTOP,
			 DesktopCommon=SHF_DESKTOP_COMMON,
			 QuickLaunch=SHF_APPLICATIONDATA,
			 QuickLaunchCommon=SHF_APPLICATIONDATA_COMMON,
			 StartMenu=SHF_STARTMENU,
			 StartMenuCommon=SHF_STARTMENU_COMMON
			 }
	-----
	for j,path in tPath do
		sPath = Shell.GetFolder(path);
		Dialog.Message("Return", path.." is "..sPath);
	end

...and you'll see what I mean.

[Buffman]

See, I knew they were number values, but I tried doing this:

Shell.GetPath(String.ToNumber(path));

and it was doing the same thing. I got thrown off track because I'm actually using the string values elsewhere in my script and just assumed that since it converted the first string value ok, it'd do subsequent ones okay too.

Which leads me to ask, why does it result the first string successfully and not the rest? Why wouldn't String.ToNumber work either?

Anyhow, I just created 2 tables, one for the numeric value and another for strings.

Thanks a lot Lorne!!

[Lorne]

Or do a table containing tables, with both items (the string to display and the id number).

tPath = { {str="Desktop", id=SHF_DESKTOP}
        , {str="DesktopCommon", id=SHF_DESKTOP_COMMON}
        , {str="QuickLaunch", id=SHF_APPLICATIONDATA}
        } --etc.
-----
for j,path in tPath do
	sPath = Shell.GetFolder(path.id);
	Dialog.Message("Return", path.str.." is "..sPath);
end

Or just do a reverse lookup table based on the numeric values.

tPath = {SHF_DESKTOP="Desktop",
			 SHF_DESKTOP_COMMON="DesktopCommon",
			 SHF_APPLICATIONDATA="QuickLaunch",
			 SHF_APPLICATIONDATA_COMMON="QuickLaunchCommon",
			 SHF_STARTMENU="StartMenu",
			 SHF_STARTMENU_COMMON="StartMenuCommon"
			 }
-----
for j,path in tPath do
	sPath = Shell.GetFolder(j);
	Dialog.Message("Return", path.." is "..sPath);
end

I suspect the reason it's always returning the SHF_DESKTOP is probably just because that's what Shell.GetFolder() returns by default if you pass it a number that it doesn't recognize. I'd check the source code and tell you for sure, but I'm at home and feeling kind of lazy.

[Intrigued]

Or do a table containing tables, with both items (the string to display and the id number).

tPath = { {str="Desktop", id=SHF_DESKTOP}
        , {str="DesktopCommon", id=SHF_DESKTOP_COMMON}
        , {str="QuickLaunch", id=SHF_APPLICATIONDATA}
        } --etc.
-----
for j,path in tPath do
	sPath = Shell.GetFolder(path.id);
	Dialog.Message("Return", path.str.." is "..sPath);
end

Or just do a reverse lookup table based on the numeric values.

tPath = {SHF_DESKTOP="Desktop",
			 SHF_DESKTOP_COMMON="DesktopCommon",
			 SHF_APPLICATIONDATA="QuickLaunch",
			 SHF_APPLICATIONDATA_COMMON="QuickLaunchCommon",
			 SHF_STARTMENU="StartMenu",
			 SHF_STARTMENU_COMMON="StartMenuCommon"
			 }
-----
for j,path in tPath do
	sPath = Shell.GetFolder(j);
	Dialog.Message("Return", path.." is "..sPath);
end

I suspect the reason it's always returning the SHF_DESKTOP is probably just because that's what Shell.GetFolder() returns by default if you pass it a number that it doesn't recognize. I'd check the source code and tell you for sure, but I'm at home and feeling kind of lazy.

(puts on lovingly Grampa like hat, clothes, and demeanor and says)

"That's what I like about them young folks up there, so honest!"