Create a URL shortcut

Tim Golden > Python Stuff > Win32 How Do I...? > Create a URL shortcut

Introduction

The requirement: Create a URL shortcut on the desktop to the Python website.

The shell has these special URL-only shortcuts. I've no idea what advantage they offer over a normal shortcut with a URL as the command but...

import os, sys
import pythoncom
from win32com.shell import shell, shellcon

shortcut = pythoncom.CoCreateInstance (
  shell.CLSID_InternetShortcut,
  None,
  pythoncom.CLSCTX_INPROC_SERVER,
  shell.IID_IUniformResourceLocator
)
shortcut.SetURL ("http://python.org")
desktop_path = shell.SHGetFolderPath (0, shellcon.CSIDL_DESKTOP, 0, 0)
persist_file = shortcut.QueryInterface (pythoncom.IID_IPersistFile)
persist_file.Save (os.path.join (desktop_path, "python.url"), 0)