MSDN > Windows > API Reference > Shell32 > File Operations

Shell32: File Operations

This section provides documentation for functions in the Shell32 library that are used for performing file and folder operations in Windows.

Core File Operations

SHFileOperation(LPSHFILEOPSTRUCT lpFileOp)
Performs a number of file operations, including copy, move, rename, and delete.

Parameters

  • LPSHFILEOPSTRUCT lpFileOp: A pointer to a SHFILEOPSTRUCT structure that contains all the information necessary for the function to perform the requested operation.

Return Value

  • Returns zero if the operation was successful, or a non-zero error value otherwise.
This is the primary function for performing high-level file operations. It handles user interaction, progress dialogs, and error reporting.
SHQueryRecycleFile(PCWSTR pszPath)
Determines if a file is currently in the Recycle Bin.

Parameters

  • PCWSTR pszPath: A pointer to a null-terminated Unicode string that specifies the full path of the file.

Return Value

  • Returns TRUE if the file is in the Recycle Bin, FALSE otherwise.
SHDeleteRecycleFile(PCWSTR pszPath)
Moves a file to the Recycle Bin.

Parameters

  • PCWSTR pszPath: A pointer to a null-terminated Unicode string that specifies the full path of the file to be deleted.

Return Value

  • Returns TRUE on success, FALSE on failure.

Folder Operations

SHCreateDirectoryEx(HWND hwnd, PCWSTR pszPath, const SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES *psa)
Creates a new directory, including any necessary parent directories.

Parameters

  • HWND hwnd: A handle to the owner window of the dialog box that the function displays to report errors.
  • PCWSTR pszPath: A pointer to a null-terminated Unicode string that specifies the path of the directory to create.
  • const SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES * psa: A pointer to a SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES structure that specifies the security attributes of the new directory.

Return Value

  • Returns ERROR_SUCCESS if the directory was created successfully, or an error code otherwise.
SHAutoComplete(HWND hwndEdit, DWORD dwFlags)
Enables AutoComplete for a specified edit control.

Parameters

  • HWND hwndEdit: The handle to the edit control.
  • DWORD dwFlags: Flags that specify how AutoComplete should function.

Return Value

  • Returns S_OK on success, or an error code otherwise.
While not directly a file operation, it's crucial for file path input.

Related Structures