How can I make a whole listings line into a hyperlink?

Question

Let's say I have a document with a listings. And I want to convert that listing into a hyperlink (e.g. to the source code).

The first instinctive attempt will be something like:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{hyperref}
\usepackage{listings}
\usepackage{xcolor}
\lstset{basicstyle=\ttfamily,}
\begin{document}
  \href{file}{
    \begin{lstlisting}[columns=fullflexible, backgroundcolor=\color{black!20}]
      code code
    \end{lstlisting}
  }
\end{document}

This fails because of know limitation (see Strange interaction between hyperref, listings and animate)

The second attempt will be to create a escape inside the code:

\begin{lstlisting}[columns=fullflexible, backgroundcolor=\color{black!20}, escapeinside={\%*}{*)}]
   %*\href{file}{Link}*)code code
\end{lstlisting}

(Note, above the line starting with % is not a comment because but a escape combination in a verbatim/lstlistings)

This works but still doesn't cover the whole environment (or at least something that covers most of the line).

I need something like this (fake code to make the typeset code into a link)

\begin{lstlisting}[columns=fullflexible, backgroundcolor=\color{black!20}, escapeinside={\%*}{*)}]
   "\href"{file}{code code}
\end{lstlisting}

How can I convert most of the listings line into a hyperlink? I am mostly interested in one-line (or very short) listings.

Answer 1

The following approach (borrowed from egreg's answer) allows you to turn the text of the listing (but not the whole frame/box) into a hyperlink. First, save the listing in an lrbox; then, use the latter in the second argument of \href:

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage{hyperref}
\usepackage{listings}
\usepackage{xcolor}

\newsavebox\lstA

\lstset{basicstyle=\ttfamily,}

\begin{document}
\begin{lrbox}{\lstA}
\begin{lstlisting}[
    columns=fullflexible,
    backgroundcolor=\color{black!20},
    gobble=4,
]
    code code
\end{lstlisting}
\end{lrbox}
\href{http://www.google.com}{\usebox{\lstA}}
\end{document}

Edit: with the same approach but using tcolorbox instead of listings, you can turn the whole box into a hyperlink. You may have to tweak the box's appearance to your liking, but if you're going to typeset your listings inside fancy boxes, you're better off using tcolorbox anyway.

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage{hyperref}
\usepackage[most]{tcolorbox}
\newtcblisting{mylisting}{%
  spartan,
  boxrule = 0pt,
  colback = black!20,
  listing only,
  listing options = {%
    basicstyle = \ttfamily,
    columns    = fullflexible,
    gobble     = 4,
  }
}
\newsavebox\lstA

\begin{document}
\begin{lrbox}{\lstA}
\begin{mylisting}
code code
code code
\end{mylisting}
\end{lrbox}
\href{http://www.google.com}{\usebox{\lstA}}
\end{document}