Use an exe file as a shortcut file or app execution alias:
- Serves as a lightweight intermediary to run executables seamlessly.
- Manages program dependencies and dynamic DLL loading correctly.
- Simplifies environment setup by preventing uncontrolled
PATHgrowth. - Resolves wildcards with FindFirstFileEx recursively for each path segment.
exelnk.exe :SET: file <path> # set target file
exelnk.exe :SET: args <cmdl> # set command line
exelnk.exe :SET: wdir <path> # set working directory
exelnk.exe :SET: scmd <scmd> # 1=normal | 2=min | 3=max
exelnk.exe :SET: flags <flags> # 0 | 1=:RAW:Use wildcards to link to files with version numbers in the path:
# Example with an app that contains the version number in the path.
exelnk.exe :SET: file "C:\Program Files\Python\3.*\python.exe"Execute the target file:
exelnk.exe [...args]Use :RAW: to disable argument parsing (useful with CMD):
exelnk.exe :RAW: [...args]Use :FIND: to resolve a path (for testing purposes):
exelnk.exe :FIND: <path>
# Example:
exelnk.exe :FIND: "C:/pro*les/win*der/msmpeng.e?e"
# Possible output:
# [15106] User stopped resource enumeration.
# "\\?\C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MsMpEng.exe"Use :DLL: to call functions from a DLL (similar to rundll32):
exelnk.exe :DLL: <path> <function> [...args]int function(int argc, wchar_t* argv[]);You can use the following wildcard characters:
| Wildcard | Description |
|---|---|
? |
Matches a single character. |
* |
Matches zero or more characters. |
Performs a recursive depth-first search to resolve wildcard patterns in the path.
At each path segment, it enumerates matching directories or files:
- Substitutes the current path segment with the candidate name, and recurses into the next level if the item is a directory.
- If the target path does not exist at some depth, backtracks and continues with the next candidate from the previous level.
- The search terminates as soon as a full valid path is found, or exhausts all options if none exists.
For example, given the pattern C:\XYZ_*\File.txt and the following file structure:
C:\
├─ XYZ_a\
├─ XYZ_b\
│ └─ File.txt
└─ XYZ_c\
└─ File.txt
The algorithm behaves as follows:
C:\XYZ_a\found →File.txtnot found → backtrack.C:\XYZ_b\found →File.txtfound → stop (full path resolved).
https://github.com/flipeador/exelnk/releases
Install Visual Studio 2026; add the workloads and components required for developing with C++.
Download or clone this repository to your local computer, open exelnk.slnx with Visual Studio.
Select the Release configuration, right click the exelnk project and Build it.