feat: add app.getRecentDocuments() (#47924)

feat: add app.getRecentDocuments()

Co-authored-by: trop[bot] <37223003+trop[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: Shelley Vohr <shelley.vohr@gmail.com>

docs/api/app.md

@@ -776,6 +776,22 @@ bar, and on macOS, you can visit it from dock menu.
 
 Clears the recent documents list.
 
+### `app.getRecentDocuments()` _macOS_ _Windows_
+
+Returns `string[]` - An array containing documents in the most recent documents list.
+
+```js
+const { app } = require('electron')
+
+const path = require('node:path')
+
+const file = path.join(app.getPath('desktop'), 'foo.txt')
+app.addRecentDocument(file)
+
+const recents = app.getRecentDocuments()
+console.log(recents) // ['/path/to/desktop/foo.txt'}
+```
+
 ### `app.setAsDefaultProtocolClient(protocol[, path, args])`
 
 * `protocol` string - The name of your protocol, without `://`. For example,

docs/tutorial/recent-documents.md

@@ -77,6 +77,11 @@ To clear the list of recent documents, use the
 In this guide, the list of documents is cleared once all windows have been
 closed.
 
+#### Accessing the list of recent documents
+
+To access the list of recent documents, use the
+[app.getRecentDocuments][getrecentdocuments] API.
+
 ## Additional information
 
 ### Windows Notes
@@ -138,5 +143,6 @@ of `app` module will be emitted for it.
 [dock-menu-image]: https://cloud.githubusercontent.com/assets/639601/5069610/2aa80758-6e97-11e4-8cfb-c1a414a10774.png
 [addrecentdocument]: ../api/app.md#appaddrecentdocumentpath-macos-windows
 [clearrecentdocuments]: ../api/app.md#appclearrecentdocuments-macos-windows
+[getrecentdocuments]: ../api/app.md#appgetrecentdocuments-macos-windows
 [app-registration]: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/shell/app-registration
 [menu-item-image]: https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/3168941/33003655-ea601c3a-cd70-11e7-97fa-7c062149cfb1.png

shell/browser/api/electron_api_app.cc

@@ -1720,6 +1720,8 @@ gin::ObjectTemplateBuilder App::GetObjectTemplateBuilder(v8::Isolate* isolate) {
                  base::BindRepeating(&Browser::AddRecentDocument, browser))
       .SetMethod("clearRecentDocuments",
                  base::BindRepeating(&Browser::ClearRecentDocuments, browser))
+      .SetMethod("getRecentDocuments",
+                 base::BindRepeating(&Browser::GetRecentDocuments, browser))
 #if BUILDFLAG(IS_WIN)
       .SetMethod("setAppUserModelId",
                  base::BindRepeating(&Browser::SetAppUserModelID, browser))

shell/browser/browser.h

@@ -125,6 +125,9 @@ class Browser : private WindowListObserver {
   // Clear the recent documents list.
   void ClearRecentDocuments();
 
+  // Return the recent documents list.
+  std::vector<std::string> GetRecentDocuments();
+
 #if BUILDFLAG(IS_WIN)
   // Set the application user model ID.
   void SetAppUserModelID(const std::wstring& name);

shell/browser/browser_linux.cc

@@ -95,6 +95,10 @@ bool SetDefaultWebClient(const std::string& protocol) {
 
 void Browser::AddRecentDocument(const base::FilePath& path) {}
 
+std::vector<std::string> Browser::GetRecentDocuments() {
+  return std::vector<std::string>();
+}
+
 void Browser::ClearRecentDocuments() {}
 
 bool Browser::SetAsDefaultProtocolClient(const std::string& protocol,

shell/browser/browser_mac.mm

@@ -162,19 +162,31 @@ void Browser::Show() {
 }
 
 void Browser::AddRecentDocument(const base::FilePath& path) {
-  NSString* path_string = base::apple::FilePathToNSString(path);
-  if (!path_string)
+  NSURL* url = base::apple::FilePathToNSURL(path);
+  if (!url) {
+    LOG(WARNING) << "Failed to convert file path " << path.value()
+                 << " to NSURL";
     return;
-  NSURL* u = [NSURL fileURLWithPath:path_string];
-  if (!u)
-    return;
-  [[NSDocumentController sharedDocumentController] noteNewRecentDocumentURL:u];
+  }
+
+  [[NSDocumentController sharedDocumentController]
+      noteNewRecentDocumentURL:url];
 }
 
 void Browser::ClearRecentDocuments() {
   [[NSDocumentController sharedDocumentController] clearRecentDocuments:nil];
 }
 
+std::vector<std::string> Browser::GetRecentDocuments() {
+  NSArray<NSURL*>* recentURLs =
+      [[NSDocumentController sharedDocumentController] recentDocumentURLs];
+  std::vector<std::string> documents;
+  documents.reserve([recentURLs count]);
+  for (NSURL* url in recentURLs)
+    documents.push_back(std::string([url.path UTF8String]));
+  return documents;
+}
+
 bool Browser::RemoveAsDefaultProtocolClient(const std::string& protocol,
                                             gin::Arguments* args) {
   NSString* identifier = [base::apple::MainBundle() bundleIdentifier];

shell/browser/browser_win.cc

@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include "base/base_paths.h"
 #include "base/command_line.h"
 #include "base/file_version_info.h"
+#include "base/files/file_enumerator.h"
 #include "base/files/file_path.h"
 #include "base/logging.h"
 #include "base/path_service.h"
@@ -315,14 +316,33 @@ void GetApplicationInfoForProtocolUsingAssocQuery(
               app_display_name, std::move(promise));
 }
 
+std::string ResolveShortcut(const base::FilePath& lnk_path) {
+  std::string target_path;
+
+  CComPtr<IShellLink> shell_link;
+  if (SUCCEEDED(CoCreateInstance(CLSID_ShellLink, nullptr, CLSCTX_INPROC_SERVER,
+                                 IID_PPV_ARGS(&shell_link)))) {
+    CComPtr<IPersistFile> persist_file;
+    if (SUCCEEDED(shell_link->QueryInterface(IID_PPV_ARGS(&persist_file)))) {
+      if (SUCCEEDED(persist_file->Load(lnk_path.value().c_str(), STGM_READ))) {
+        WCHAR resolved_path[MAX_PATH];
+        if (SUCCEEDED(
+                shell_link->GetPath(resolved_path, MAX_PATH, nullptr, 0))) {
+          target_path = base::FilePath(resolved_path).MaybeAsASCII();
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  return target_path;
+}
+
 void Browser::AddRecentDocument(const base::FilePath& path) {
   CComPtr<IShellItem> item;
   HRESULT hr = SHCreateItemFromParsingName(path.value().c_str(), nullptr,
                                            IID_PPV_ARGS(&item));
   if (SUCCEEDED(hr)) {
-    SHARDAPPIDINFO info;
-    info.psi = item;
-    info.pszAppID = GetAppUserModelID();
+    SHARDAPPIDINFO info = {item, GetAppUserModelID()};
     SHAddToRecentDocs(SHARD_APPIDINFO, &info);
   }
 }
@@ -331,6 +351,33 @@ void Browser::ClearRecentDocuments() {
   SHAddToRecentDocs(SHARD_APPIDINFO, nullptr);
 }
 
+std::vector<std::string> Browser::GetRecentDocuments() {
+  ScopedAllowBlockingForElectron allow_blocking;
+  std::vector<std::string> docs;
+
+  PWSTR recent_path_ptr = nullptr;
+  HRESULT hr =
+      SHGetKnownFolderPath(FOLDERID_Recent, 0, nullptr, &recent_path_ptr);
+  if (SUCCEEDED(hr) && recent_path_ptr) {
+    base::FilePath recent_folder(recent_path_ptr);
+    CoTaskMemFree(recent_path_ptr);
+
+    base::FileEnumerator enumerator(recent_folder, /*recursive=*/false,
+                                    base::FileEnumerator::FILES,
+                                    FILE_PATH_LITERAL("*.lnk"));
+
+    for (base::FilePath file = enumerator.Next(); !file.empty();
+         file = enumerator.Next()) {
+      std::string resolved_path = ResolveShortcut(file);
+      if (!resolved_path.empty()) {
+        docs.push_back(resolved_path);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  return docs;
+}
+
 void Browser::SetAppUserModelID(const std::wstring& name) {
   electron::SetAppUserModelID(name);
 }

spec/api-app-spec.ts

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import * as http from 'node:http';
 import * as https from 'node:https';
 import * as net from 'node:net';
 import * as path from 'node:path';
+import { setTimeout } from 'node:timers/promises';
 import { promisify } from 'node:util';
 
 import { collectStreamBody, getResponse } from './lib/net-helpers';
@@ -19,6 +20,8 @@ import { closeWindow, closeAllWindows } from './lib/window-helpers';
 
 const fixturesPath = path.resolve(__dirname, 'fixtures');
 
+const isMacOSx64 = process.platform === 'darwin' && process.arch === 'x64';
+
 describe('electron module', () => {
   it('does not expose internal modules to require', () => {
     expect(() => {
@@ -356,6 +359,44 @@ describe('app module', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  // GitHub Actions macOS-13 runners used for x64 seem to have a problem with this test.
+  ifdescribe(process.platform !== 'linux' && !isMacOSx64)('app.{add|get|clear}RecentDocument(s)', () => {
+    const tempFiles = [
+      path.join(fixturesPath, 'foo.txt'),
+      path.join(fixturesPath, 'bar.txt'),
+      path.join(fixturesPath, 'baz.txt')
+    ];
+
+    afterEach(() => {
+      app.clearRecentDocuments();
+      for (const file of tempFiles) {
+        fs.unlinkSync(file);
+      }
+    });
+
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      for (const file of tempFiles) {
+        fs.writeFileSync(file, 'Lorem Ipsum');
+      }
+    });
+
+    it('can add a recent document', async () => {
+      app.addRecentDocument(tempFiles[0]);
+      await setTimeout(2000);
+      expect(app.getRecentDocuments()).to.include.members([tempFiles[0]]);
+    });
+
+    it('can clear recent documents', async () => {
+      app.addRecentDocument(tempFiles[1]);
+      app.addRecentDocument(tempFiles[2]);
+      await setTimeout(2000);
+      expect(app.getRecentDocuments()).to.include.members([tempFiles[1], tempFiles[2]]);
+      app.clearRecentDocuments();
+      await setTimeout(2000);
+      expect(app.getRecentDocuments()).to.deep.equal([]);
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('app.relaunch', () => {
     let server: net.Server | null = null;
     const socketPath = process.platform === 'win32' ? '\\\\.\\pipe\\electron-app-relaunch' : '/tmp/electron-app-relaunch';