My objective is to create a hyperlink that can function on various devices, not just my own. Here’s an example of a hyperlink that works for me:
C:\Users\bob\text.txt
Nonetheless, the hyperlink won’t operate for individuals utilizing a computer that lacks a user account with the name “bob.”
Is there a method to substitute the username with the presently logged-in user? Here’s an instance:
C:\Users\{current_user}\test.txt
I discovered the %USERPROFILE% option, but it doesn’t function as a solution.
To provide some context, our SharePoint 365 is available to everyone, and I want to generate hyperlinks to folders within the SharePoint that they have permission to access. These hyperlinks would open the file or file explorer. Currently, we have to create a share link that opens the file in a browser, which isn’t the ideal solution.
2 Answers
Introduction
Creating hyperlinks is a useful way to navigate users to specific files or folders on a computer or network. However, creating hyperlinks that work for all users on different machines can be challenging, especially when user accounts have different names. In this blog post, we will discuss how to create a hyperlink to a file using the current user’s account, which will work for everyone on different machines.
Using Environment Variables
One way to create a hyperlink that works for all users is to use environment variables. Environment variables are system-defined variables that store information about the environment, such as the current user’s account name. One such variable is “%USERPROFILE%,” which stores the path to the current user’s profile folder.
To use this variable in a hyperlink, you can replace the username in the file path with “%USERPROFILE%.” For example, if the file path is “C:Usersbobtext.txt,” you can replace “bob” with “%USERPROFILE%.” The resulting file path would be “C:Users%USERPROFILE%text.txt.”
However, this method has a limitation. The “%USERPROFILE%” variable only stores the path to the user’s profile folder, not the path to the file. Therefore, you need to specify the path to the file relative to the user’s profile folder. For example, if the file is located in the “Documents” folder in the user’s profile folder, the file path would be “%USERPROFILE%Documentstext.txt.”
Using UNC Paths
Another way to create a hyperlink that works for all users is to use Universal Naming Convention (UNC) paths. UNC paths are a way to specify the location of a file or folder on a network using a unique identifier. UNC paths use the format “\serversharefolderfile,” where “server” is the name of the server hosting the file, “share” is the name of the shared folder containing the file, “folder” is the path to the folder relative to the shared folder, and “file” is the name of the file.
To use UNC paths in a hyperlink, you need to specify the UNC path to the file or folder. For example, if the file is located in the shared folder “Files” on the server “Server1,” the UNC path would be “\Server1Filestext.txt.” You can then use this UNC path in the hyperlink.
Using UNC paths has the advantage that it works for all users, regardless of their user account name or the location of the file. However, it requires that the file or folder is located on a network share that is accessible to all users.
Linking to SharePoint Files
If you want to create a hyperlink to a file or folder in SharePoint, you can use the SharePoint URL to link to the file or folder. SharePoint URLs use the format “https://<domain>.sharepoint.com/<site>/<library>/<folder>/<file>,” where “<domain>” is the domain name of your SharePoint site, “<site>” is the name of the site containing the file or folder, “<library>” is the name of the document library containing the file or folder, “<folder>” is the path to the folder relative to the document library, and “<file>” is the name of the file.
To create a hyperlink to a file or folder in SharePoint, you can copy the SharePoint URL to the file or folder and use it as the hyperlink address. When users click on the hyperlink, it will open the file or folder in SharePoint.
Creating Hyperlinks in HTML
To create hyperlinks in HTML, you can use the “” tag. The “” tag is used to create a hyperlink to another web page or file. The syntax for the “” tag is as follows:
<a href="<url>"><text></a>
where “<url>” is the URL or file path of the hyperlink target, and “<text>” is the text to display for the hyperlink.
For example, to create a hyperlink to a file using UNC paths, you can use the following HTML code:
<a href="\Server1Filestext.txt">Link to text.txt</a>
When users click on the hyperlink, it will open the file on the network share.
Conclusion
In conclusion, creating hyperlinks that work for all users on different machines can be challenging, especially when user accounts have different names. However, by using environment variables, UNC paths, or SharePoint URLs, you can create hyperlinks that work for everyone. When creating hyperlinks in HTML, remember to use the “” tag and specify the URL or file path of the hyperlink target. By following these guidelines, you can create effective hyperlinks that make it easy for users to navigate to specific files or folders.
As per the Fundamental theorem of software engineering, any problem can be solved by adding an additional layer of indirection. Now, let’s explore how we can redirect a Microsoft Office hyperlink to something that supports environment variables.
To do this, we’ll create a batch file that includes the following code:
%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe %userprofile%\test.txt
Save this file on the network in a location that all users can access. For instance, let’s assume that it’s been saved as N:\OpenProfile.bat.
To generate the hyperlink, make it point to either N:\\OpenProfile.bat or file:///N://OpenProfile.bat.
(However, this approach is not scalable as a separate batch file would be required for each target file.)