shortcut : Java Glossary

A small (2K or less) *.lnk file that appears on your desktop. In Windows, it contains a link to a program or file. You click it to launch the associated program or view the file. You can create them by right clicking the desktop and clicking new ⇒ shortcut. Normally you rename them to get rid of the “shortcut to” prefix. The Start menu is backed by a directory filled with *.lnk shortcut files pointing to the various items.

In Vista/W7-32/W7-64, you can interconvert menu items and shortcuts by drag and drop.

You can use Ace Utilities to delete orphaned shortcuts that point to programs or files that no longer exist.

Unlike kickers, shortcuts cannot be used in *.bat files. Shortcuts are purely for interactive use. Java Web Start will optionally install shortcuts on your desktop and menu items.

*.lnk is a binary format file. Inside you can find the following data, some encoded in 8-bit characters and some in 16-bit.

• File type identifier at the start: Hex: 4C 00 00 00 01 14 02 00 00 00 00 00 C0 00 00 00 00 00 00 46
• The name of the *.exe file to run when the short cut is clicked.
• The command line parameters to feed the program when you run it.
• The name of the working directory where the program should run.
• The name of the file and offset within the file where to find the icon (*.ico) to represent the shortcut.
• The font to use on the console.
• A shortcut key.
• How to run: normal, minimised, maximised.
• Tooltip text.

Gotchas

• You cannot simply include shortcut *.lnk files in your distributions, because after they are installed they have to be touched up with pointers to precisely where the *.ico file is, and where corresponding *.exe file is. This is one of the tasks that an installer handles. They don’t contain the icon or executable, just point to them.
• Oddly, shortcuts do not have a separate field for the command parameters to the app. If you want a parameter, you must either tack the parameter onto the end of the target field or create a separate *.bat/btm file and create a shortcut to it.