How to get the application executable name in WindowsC++/CLI?

Question

I need to change the functionality of an application based on the executable name. Nothing huge, just changing strings that are displayed and some internal identifiers. The application is written in a mixture of native and .Net C++-CLI code.

Two ways that I have looked at are to parse the GetCommandLine() function in Win32 and stuffing around with the AppDomain and other things in .Net. However using GetCommandLine won't always work as when run from the debugger the command line is empty. And the .Net AppDomain stuff seems to require a lot of stuffing around.

So what is the nicest/simplest/most efficient way of determining the executable name in C++/CLI? (I'm kind of hoping that I've just missed something simple that is available in .Net.)

Edit: One thing that I should mention is that this is a Windows GUI application using C++/CLI, therefore there's no access to the traditional C style main function, it uses the Windows WinMain() function.

score 42 · Accepted Answer · edited Nov 04 '20 at 17:20

Call GetModuleFileName() using 0 as a module handle.

Note: you can also use the argv[0] parameter to main or call GetCommandLine() if there is no main. However, keep in mind that these methods will not necessarily give you the complete path to the executable file. They will give back the same string of characters that was used to start the program. Calling GetModuleFileName(), instead, will always give you a complete path and file name.

score 16 · Answer 2 · edited Feb 13 '13 at 13:21

16

Ferruccio's answer is good. Here's some example code:

TCHAR exepath[MAX_PATH+1];

if(0 == GetModuleFileName(0, exepath, MAX_PATH+1))
    MessageBox(_T("Error!"));

MessageBox(exepath, _T("My executable name"));

edited Feb 13 '13 at 13:21

Ferruccio

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answered Sep 24 '08 at 02:27

Adam Pierce

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3

From msdn: `If the function fails, the return value is 0 (zero)` so yeah... you may want to use `==` instead of `!=` in your conditional statement – Ivan Nikolchov Jan 06 '12 at 22:24

score 8 · Answer 3 · edited Jun 17 '14 at 01:39

8

Use the argv argument to main:

int main(int argc, char* argv[])
{
    printf("%s\n", argv[0]);  //argv[0] will contain the name of the app.
    return 0;
}

You may need to scan the string to remove directory information and/or extensions, but the name will be there.

edited Jun 17 '14 at 01:39

nobody

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answered Sep 24 '08 at 01:33

This solution has the added advantage of being cross-platform. – Adam Pierce Sep 24 '08 at 01:49
Yes it does, although I'm not looking for a cross platform one, just one for Windows using Win32 or .Net. – Dominik Grabiec Sep 24 '08 at 02:08
1

-1, in some case it doesn't work. For example, only type toolname(ignore .exe extension) in a command prompt. – Kane Mar 02 '11 at 03:58

score 4 · Answer 4 · answered Sep 24 '08 at 06:54

4

Use __argv[0]

answered Sep 24 '08 at 06:54

computinglife

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The simpliest and the best answer. – Oct 12 '14 at 20:14
Only if the program started with `main` or `WinMain`, and not `wmain`, `wWinMain`. If "w" main is entry point, then `__wargv` has to be used. The other "argv" would remain null. – Ajay Aug 30 '17 at 12:12

Brian ONeil · Answer 5 · 2008-09-24T04:24:42.303

3

There is a static Method on Assembly that will get it for you in .NET.

Assembly.GetEntryAssembly().FullName

Edit: I didn't realize that you wanted the file name... you can also get that by calling:

Assembly.GetEntryAssembly().CodeBase

That will get you the full path to the assembly (including the file name).

edited Sep 24 '08 at 04:24

answered Sep 24 '08 at 01:45

Brian ONeil

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While this seemed the way to go initially, it actually does not work in practice, as the assembly name is the same regardless of what the executable name gets set to. – Dominik Grabiec Sep 24 '08 at 03:43

score 0 · Answer 6 · answered Sep 21 '18 at 14:25

0

I can confirm it works under win64/visual studio 2017/ MFC

TCHAR szFileName[MAX_PATH + 1];
GetModuleFileName(NULL, szFileName, MAX_PATH + 1);
auto exe = CString(szFileName);

exe contains full path to exe.

answered Sep 21 '18 at 14:25

ingconti

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score 0 · Answer 7 · answered Jun 05 '20 at 09:56

0

According to MSDN:

The global variable _pgmptr is automatically initialized to the full path of the executable file, and can be used to retrieve the full path name of an executable file.

answered Jun 05 '20 at 09:56

Serge Rogatch

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score 0 · Answer 8 · answered May 26 '22 at 23:07

I guess I like to make it a habit to add answers to really old questions. Let's do it again!

The very simplest way to get the current running .exe on a Windows system is to use the SDK defined global variable _pgmptr. However, it's considered "unsafe", so you use _get_pgmptr() instead.

So...

char *exe;
_get_pgmptr(&exe);
std::cout << "This executable is [" << exe << "]." << std::endl;

If you have a "wide" (UTF16) entrypoint, such as wmain or wWinMain, use this instead:

wchar_t* wexe;
_get_wpgmptr(&wexe);
std::wcout << L"This executable is [" << wexe << L"]." << std::endl;

If you really, really insist on using the simpler version, here's how to do it:

#define _CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS 1
#include <iostream>

int main(int argc, char** argv)
{
    std::cout << "This executable is [" << _pgmptr << "]." << std::endl;
}

Just don't get yourself pwned by hax0rs!

How to get the application executable name in WindowsC++/CLI?

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