SHGetSpecialFolderPath to a System::String^

Question

I'm trying to parse a SHGetSpecialFolderPath into a string, a System::String^ to be precise.
I'm now using this code:

TCHAR appDataPath;
SHGetSpecialFolderPath(0, appDataPath, CSIDL_APPDATA, false);

I've tried things like this, but it doesn't work either:

LPWSTR appDataPath;
SHGetSpecialFolderPath(0, appDataPath, CSIDL_APPDATA, false);

I just want to get a System::String^ like this:

System::String ^ loc_inst = appDataPath + "\\inst\\info.xml";

Use Environment::GetFolderPath() instead. – Hans Passant Jun 21 '12 at 16:27 — Hans Passant, Jun 21 '12 at 16:27

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Jun 21 '12 at 16:11

I don't think C++/CLI can automatically concatenate char arrays and assign them to a string handle. I think you need to instantiate a new System::String object like this:

System::String^ loc_inst = gcnew System::String(appDataPath);
loc_inst.Append("\\inst\\info.xml");

Or you could use a StringBuilder, but if you want to make a new String object I think you've got to use gcnew and a constructor.

Keep in mind that appDataPath is not a String but a char array that you have previously allocated. However, System::String allows you to pass in char arrays in one of its constructors.

Ah, thank you, code now: StringBuilder^ build_str = gcnew StringBuilder("", MAX_PATH); for (int i = 0; i < appDataPath[MAX_PATH]; i++) { build_str->Append(gcnew array{appDataPath[i]}); } System::String^ loc_inst = build_str->ToString(); — Jers, Jun 22 '12 at 12:22

SHGetSpecialFolderPath to a System::String^

1 Answers1