Getting : Microsoft VBScript compilation error: Expected ')'

Question

I am new to vb script and want to create a shortcut for my .exe application which will open in an invisible window. Here is the code which I have written

Option Explicit

Private Sub Command1_Click()
'This will Create a ShortCut of test_application in our desktop, its name is "My-Test",    invisible windows when run, use the 2nd icon as the Shortcut icon.'

Create_ShortCut "C:\MyApp\bin\test_application.exe", "Desktop", "My-Test", , 0, 1
End Sub

Sub Create_ShortCut(ByVal TargetPath As String, ByVal ShortCutPath As String, ByVal    ShortCutname As String, Optional ByVal WorkPath As String, Optional ByVal Window_Style As Integer, Optional ByVal IconNum As Integer)

Dim VbsObj As Object
Set VbsObj = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")

Dim MyShortcut As Object
ShortCutPath = VbsObj.SpecialFolders(ShortCutPath)
Set MyShortcut = VbsObj.CreateShortcut(ShortCutPath & "\" & ShortCutname & ".lnk")
MyShortcut.TargetPath = TargetPath
MyShortcut.WorkingDirectory = WorkPath
MyShortcut.WindowStyle = Window_Style
MyShortcut.IconLocation = TargetPath & "," & IconNum
MyShortcut.Save

End Sub

I am stored the script as test.vbs and executed it in the following way

C:\Users\me\Desktop>cscript test.vbs

and it gave me the following error

Microsoft (R) Windows Script Host Version 5.8
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Users\me\Desktop\test.vbs(9, 38) Microsoft VBScript compilation error: Expected ')'

Is this a good way to create a shortcut or is there any better and more verbose way to do it ?

Jay Taplin Jay Taplin · Accepted Answer · 2013-09-19T16:30:33

There are a few problems with your script.

In answer to your question, the reason you are receiving an error is because VBScript only supports one data type - Variant. In your function "Create_Shortcut", you are defining your parameters as particular data types, such as "As String and "As Integer". Remove the data type declarations, and you've fixed your problem - kind of.

The next problem is that VBScript doesn't support optional parameters. So, you need to remove the Optional keyword in your "Create_Shortcut" method signature also. Ultimately, the method signature will look like this:

Private Sub Create_ShortCut(TargetPath, ShortCutPath, ShortCutname, WorkPath, Window_Style, IconNum)

Another concern I have about this script is that it looks like it is handling for a button click (Private Sub Command1_Click); if this is a VB Script and not a VB 6 application, you don't need the button click handler. You do, however, need to call your function, so if you remove the signature for the button click as well as the closing "End Sub", you will be calling your function properly. However....

The code in your "Create_Shortcut" method has a problem also. Just as in the description above, there is only one data type - Variant - so remove the "As Object" from the two lines declaring variables.

The function still does not work, but this last problem is because you are passing in an empty working directory path when calling the method; the working directory is required, so just be sure to pass it to your method. Change your code from:

Create_ShortCut "C:\MyApp\bin\test_application.exe", "Desktop", "My-Test", , 0, 1

to

Create_ShortCut "C:\MyApp\bin\test_application.exe", "Desktop", "My-Test", "C:\MyApp\bin" , 0, 1

So, ultimately, your VBS file will look like this:

Create_ShortCut "C:\MyApp\bin\test_application.exe", "Desktop", "My-Test", "C:\MyApp\bin" , 0, 1

Private Sub Create_ShortCut(TargetPath, ShortCutPath, ShortCutname, WorkPath, Window_Style, IconNum)
    Dim VbsObj
    Set VbsObj = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")

    Dim MyShortcut
    ShortCutPath = VbsObj.SpecialFolders(ShortCutPath)
    Set MyShortcut = VbsObj.CreateShortcut(ShortCutPath & "\" & ShortCutname & ".lnk")
    MyShortcut.TargetPath = TargetPath
    MyShortcut.WorkingDirectory = WorkPath
    MyShortcut.WindowStyle = Window_Style
    MyShortcut.IconLocation = TargetPath & "," & IconNum
    MyShortcut.Save
End Sub

Getting : Microsoft VBScript compilation error: Expected ')'

1 Answers