How to get long filename from ARGV

Question

I want to make a tool that takes some filenames as parameters, but when I use this code:

ARGV.each do|a|
  puts "Argument: #{a}"
end

and I use drag and drop or "send to" in Windows, I get the short filename. So a file like "C:\Ruby193\bin\test\New Text Document.txt" becomes C:\Ruby193\bin\test\NEWTEX~1.TXT as the argument.

There is no problem when I run the script from the commandline, with the longfilenames as parameters.

How do i get the long filename when i use drag and drop or send to?

Answer 1

I don't know if it is possible to change the argument you recieve on a drag and drop, but you could use the Win32 getLongPathName() function, using the Ruby Win32 bindings

--edit--
Including @peter's solution formatted for readability:

require 'find'
require 'fileutils'
require 'Win32API'
def get_long_win32_filename(short_name)
  max_path = 1024
  long_name = " " * max_path
  lfn_size = Win32API.new("kernel32", 
      "GetLongPathName", ['P','P','L'],'L').call(short_name, long_name, max_path)
  return (1..max_path).include?(lfn_size) ? long_name[0..lfn_size-1] : short_name
end 

ARGV.each do|a|
  puts a
  puts get_long_win32_filename(a)
end

Answer 2

http://www.varioustopics.com/ruby/518646-rre-ruby-cygwin-and-paths.html

require 'find'
require 'fileutils'
require 'Win32API'

def get_long_win32_filename(short_name)
  max_path = 1024
  long_name = " " * max_path
  lfn_size = Win32API.new("kernel32", "GetLongPathName",     ['P','P','L'],'L').call(short_name, long_name, max_path)
  return (1..max_path).include?(lfn_size) ? long_name[0..lfn_size-1] :  short_name
end

ARGV.each do|a|
  puts a
  puts get_long_win32_filename(a)
end

Answer 3

I learned a lot trying to figure this out!

However, @peter beat me to it with a much simpler solution.

Here is mine, in case someone finds it useful. file_get_long_name.rb

I got the idea from: an archived vb-world.net article and converted it to ruby.

require 'win32ole'

def get_long_filename(shortpath, fso = WIN32OLE.new("Scripting.FileSystemObject"))
  path = case
  when fso.FolderExists(shortpath)
    fso.GetFolder(fso.GetAbsolutePathName(shortpath))
  when fso.FileExists(shortpath)
    fso.GetFile(fso.GetAbsolutePathName(shortpath))
  else
    return nil
  end  
  parts = path.Path.split(/\\/)

  working = fso.GetDrive(parts.shift).RootFolder
  longpath = working.Path
  parts.each do |part|
    temppath = fso.BuildPath(longpath, part)
    working = fso.GetFolder(longpath)
    if fso.FolderExists(temppath)
      working.SubFolders.each do |sub|
        longpath = fso.BuildPath(longpath, sub.Name) if part== sub.ShortName || part == sub.Name
      end
    elsif fso.FileExists(temppath)
      working.Files.each do |sub|
        longpath = fso.BuildPath(longpath, sub.Name) if part== sub.ShortName || part == sub.Name
      end
    end
  end
  longpath
end


fso = WIN32OLE.new("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
short = "C:\\DOCUME~1\\jamal\\Desktop\\NEWTEX~1.TXT"
long = get_long_filename(short, fso)
p long
# ==> "C:\\Documents and Settings\\jamal\\Desktop\\New Text Document.txt"

Answer 4

I found the reason my script receaved short filenames, i had done a registry patch to enable the drag and drop on ruby scripts and schortcuts as follows

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\rbfile\ShellEx\DropHandler]
@="{86C86720-42A0-1069-A2E8-08002B30309D}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\rbwfile\ShellEx\DropHandler]
@="{86C86720-42A0-1069-A2E8-08002B30309D}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\RubyFile\ShellEx\DropHandler]
@="{86C86720-42A0-1069-A2E8-08002B30309D}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\RubyWFile\ShellEx\DropHandler]
@="{86C86720-42A0-1069-A2E8-08002B30309D}"

But it had to be the following for LONG filenames

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\rbfile\ShellEx\DropHandler]
@="{60254CA5-953B-11CF-8C96-00AA00B8708C}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\rbwfile\ShellEx\DropHandler]
@="{60254CA5-953B-11CF-8C96-00AA00B8708C}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\RubyFile\ShellEx\DropHandler]
@="{60254CA5-953B-11CF-8C96-00AA00B8708C}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\RubyWFile\ShellEx\DropHandler]
@="{60254CA5-953B-11CF-8C96-00AA00B8708C}"