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Invoking SpecialFolderPath

SFP, in fact, is a command line utility that prints out the value of a single special folder path (this is the Win32-API term for referring to site-specific folders such as "Program Files" or "My Folders").

For specific use in batch script files, see Application in batch files.

Each special folder path has a symbolic name, such as "CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES", and this symbolic name must be given as the argument for SFP.

If you want to see the current "Program Files" folder, just enter the following command:

 SpecialFolderPath CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES
 

Of course, SFP could not be said to be very user-friendly if the users would be forced to remember names such as "CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES" for using it.

For that reason, SFP has command line options that may be used to display a list of all supported symbol names, along with a description and the current path of the associated system folder.

Use any of the following commands to get that description:

 SpecialFolderPath --query --verbose
 SpecialFolderPath -q -v
 SpecialFolderPath -qv
 

The first form uses long options that are more legible, the second form uses equivalent one-character short-options, and the third form even combines multiple single-character switches into a single one ("switch clustering").

No matter which form you prefer, the all do the same and will display the list of "CSIDL_..."-symbols, explanations, and associated paths.

If you are only interested in the current assignments but not in the explanations, use one of the following commands:

 SpecialFolderPath --query
 SpecialFolderPath -q
 

This will omit the rather lengthy explanations.

If you are just interested in the "CSIDL_..."-symbol names, use one of the following variants:

 SpecialFolderPath --names
 SpecialFolderPath -n
 

This will just give a list of symbol names.

Finally, if you are only interested in the symbol name and descriptions, but not in the actual site assignments for those, use one of the following:

 SpecialFolderPath --names --verbose
 SpecialFolderPath -n -v
 SpecialFolderPath -nv
 

You may have noted that symbol names always start with the prefix "CSIDL_". In order to save you some typing, SFP allows you to omit the prefix if you want. Thus,

 SpecialFolderPath CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES
 SpecialFolderPath PROGRAM_FILES
 

both do the same.

Next: More Options

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