Question

Using Delphi, how do I access the equivalent of .NET’s System.Environment.SpecialFolder.LocalApplicationData variable (which works on any version of Windows)? I assumed I could just do:

dir := GetEnvironmentVariable('LOCALAPPDATA'); 

This works on Vista but XP doesn’t seem to set that environment variable by default at least on my test machine.

Answer 1

In Delphi, the special system folder path constants are defined in ShlObj.DCU, and are referenced in the form of CSIDL_ followed by a symbolic name. Example:

• CSIDL_DESKTOPDIRECTORY returns the path to the current desktop
• CSIDL_PERSONAL is the My Documents directory
• CSIDL___LOCAL_APPDATA is the (user name)\Local Settings\Application Data directory

Here’s a quick function that will return the appropriate special folder path when given the symbolic name. Make sure you include the SHLOBJ.DCU unit in your USES statement, and use the following:

function GetSpecialFolderPath(Folder: Integer; CanCreate: Boolean): string;  // Gets path of special system folders // // Call this routine as follows: // GetSpecialFolderPath (CSIDL_PERSONAL, false) //        returns folder as result // var    FilePath: array [0..255] of char;  begin  SHGetSpecialFolderPath(0, @FilePath[0], FOLDER, CanCreate);  Result := FilePath; end; 

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For reference, the constants are as follows:

  CSIDL_DESKTOP                       = $0000; { <desktop> }   CSIDL_INTERNET                      = $0001; { Internet Explorer (icon on desktop) }   CSIDL_PROGRAMS                      = $0002; { Start Menu\Programs }   CSIDL_CONTROLS                      = $0003; { My Computer\Control Panel }   CSIDL_PRINTERS                      = $0004; { My Computer\Printers }   CSIDL_PERSONAL                      = $0005; { My Documents.  This is equivalent to CSIDL_MYDOCUMENTS in XP and above }   CSIDL_FAVORITES                     = $0006; { <user name>\Favorites }   CSIDL_STARTUP                       = $0007; { Start Menu\Programs\Startup }   CSIDL_RECENT                        = $0008; { <user name>\Recent }   CSIDL_SENDTO                        = $0009; { <user name>\SendTo }   CSIDL_BITBUCKET                     = $000a; { <desktop>\Recycle Bin }   CSIDL_STARTMENU                     = $000b; { <user name>\Start Menu }   CSIDL_MYDOCUMENTS                   = $000c; { logical 'My Documents' desktop icon }   CSIDL_MYMUSIC                       = $000d; { 'My Music' folder }   CSIDL_MYVIDEO                       = $000e; { 'My Video' folder }   CSIDL_DESKTOPDIRECTORY              = $0010; { <user name>\Desktop }   CSIDL_DRIVES                        = $0011; { My Computer }   CSIDL_NETWORK                       = $0012; { Network Neighborhood (My Network Places) }   CSIDL_NETHOOD                       = $0013; { <user name>\nethood }   CSIDL_FONTS                         = $0014; { windows\fonts }   CSIDL_TEMPLATES                     = $0015;   CSIDL_COMMON_STARTMENU              = $0016; { All Users\Start Menu }   CSIDL_COMMON_PROGRAMS               = $0017; { All Users\Start Menu\Programs }   CSIDL_COMMON_STARTUP                = $0018; { All Users\Startup }   CSIDL_COMMON_DESKTOPDIRECTORY       = $0019; { All Users\Desktop }   CSIDL_APPDATA                       = $001a; { <user name>\Application Data }   CSIDL_PRINTHOOD                     = $001b; { <user name>\PrintHood }   CSIDL_LOCAL_APPDATA                 = $001c; { <user name>\Local Settings\Application Data (non roaming) }   CSIDL_ALTSTARTUP                    = $001d; { non localized startup }   CSIDL_COMMON_ALTSTARTUP             = $001e; { non localized common startup }   CSIDL_COMMON_FAVORITES              = $001f;   CSIDL_INTERNET_CACHE                = $0020;   CSIDL_COOKIES                       = $0021;   CSIDL_HISTORY                       = $0022;   CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA                = $0023; { All Users\Application Data }   CSIDL_WINDOWS                       = $0024; { GetWindowsDirectory() }   CSIDL_SYSTEM                        = $0025; { GetSystemDirectory() }   CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES                 = $0026; { C:\Program Files }   CSIDL_MYPICTURES                    = $0027; { C:\Program Files\My Pictures }   CSIDL_PROFILE                       = $0028; { USERPROFILE }   CSIDL_SYSTEMX86                     = $0029; { x86 system directory on RISC }   CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILESX86              = $002a; { x86 C:\Program Files on RISC }   CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES_COMMON          = $002b; { C:\Program Files\Common }   CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES_COMMONX86       = $002c; { x86 C:\Program Files\Common on RISC }   CSIDL_COMMON_TEMPLATES              = $002d; { All Users\Templates }   CSIDL_COMMON_DOCUMENTS              = $002e; { All Users\Documents }   CSIDL_COMMON_ADMINTOOLS             = $002f; { All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools }   CSIDL_ADMINTOOLS                    = $0030; { <user name>\Start Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools }   CSIDL_CONNECTIONS                   = $0031; { Network and Dial-up Connections }   CSIDL_COMMON_MUSIC                  = $0035; { All Users\My Music }   CSIDL_COMMON_PICTURES               = $0036; { All Users\My Pictures }   CSIDL_COMMON_VIDEO                  = $0037; { All Users\My Video }   CSIDL_RESOURCES                     = $0038; { Resource Directory }   CSIDL_RESOURCES_LOCALIZED           = $0039; { Localized Resource Directory }   CSIDL_COMMON_OEM_LINKS              = $003a; { Links to All Users OEM specific apps }   CSIDL_CDBURN_AREA                   = $003b; { USERPROFILE\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\CD Burning }   CSIDL_COMPUTERSNEARME               = $003d; { Computers Near Me (computered from Workgroup membership) }   CSIDL_PROFILES                      = $003e;