How to get a PIDL from a Windows library's GUID?

Question

How can I get the PIDL of a library from its GUID?

For example, if I have the GUID of the Documents library ("{7B0DB17D-9CD2-4A93-9733-46CC89022E7C}"), how can I convert that into the library's ID list?

I thought SHParseDisplayName would do the job, but it returns "file not found."

Bear in mind that what I need is the PIDL of the library, not of its default folder.

This is straight C++, no .Net.

TIA

Edit: This is the code that works, from the response below (without error checks). guid is a GUID string prepended with 'shell:::', eg, 'shell:::{7B0DB17D-9CD2-4A93-9733-46CC89022E7C}'.

IShellFolder* pDesktop;
LPITEMIDLIST pidl;
SHGetDesktopFolder(&pDesktop);
pDesktop->ParseDisplayName(nullptr, nullptr, guid, nullptr, &pidl, 0);

Edit 2: Even easier: SHParseDisplayName works if the 'shell:::' is prepended:

SHParseDisplayName(guid, nullptr, &pidl, 0, nullptr); 

Answer 1

According to the documentation for IShellFolder::ParseDisplayName you can simply pass it a filename in the form ::{GUID} if you are using the desktop folder.

Edit: the documentation appears to be incomplete, according to this answer you need to add shell: to the start of the string.

p->ParseDisplayName(m_hWnd, NULL, _T("shell:::{7B0DB17D-9CD2-4A93-9733-46CC89022E7C}"), NULL, &pidl, NULL);

Answer 2

You want the function SHGetKnownFolderIDList .

• Given a KnownFolderID guid (eg FOLDERID_DocumentsLibrary - {7B0DB17D-9CD2-4A93-9733-46CC89022E7C} )
• returns you the absolute pidl of that KNOWNFOLDER

For example:

PIDLIST_ABSOLUTE pidl;
HRESULT hr = SHGetKnownFolderItem(FOLDERID_DocumentsLibrary, 0, NULL, out pidl);

Bonus Chatter

There are three shell functions for dealing with KNOWNFOLDERs

• SHGetKnownFolderPath : Get the full path of a known folder (eg C:\\Users\\Chris\\Documents )
• SHGetKnownFolderIDList : Get the absolute pidl of a known folder
• SHGetKnownFolderItem : Get the IShellItem of a known folder