Shell integration

[Chris Dunaway]

When you double click on a .zip file in a default Windows XP
installation, it opens a folder view of the .zip archive and it appears
to be well integrated into the OS. In other words, it looks and
behaves much like a standard folder.

I would like to create this same sort of viewer for my file types. I
want the viewer integrated like the XP one for .zip files is.

Can someone point me to some resources that describe windows shell
integration?

thanks,

 

[Shane Story]

Not sure, but if you just make viewer for a file type, make it accept a
command-line arg as the first param--and that being a filepath, then in the
registry associate the filetype with your viewer, it would open with it.
Are you wanting more integration than this? Are you wanting it to appear
insider of explorer?

 

[Chris Dunaway]

Are you wanting more integration than this? Are you wanting it to appear
Yes. I am interested in knowing how it is accomplished. Perhaps just
writing a viewer as you suggested will be sufficient to start with, but
I would like to integrate it seamlessly with Explorer so that when my
file type is double clicked, it will open my viewer in the same window
used by Explorer.

 

[Atul]

If you are looking for file/folder viewers, take a look at Shell MegaPack at
http://www.ssware.com/megapack.htm