Shell MegaPack.Net brings drop-in Windows Explorer shell browsing functionality to your .Net application. Consisting of a folder tree control, a file/folder list control and a drive-selection control, it mimics every Windows Explorer feature including Thumbnail/Details/Group Views, dragdrop, icons, context menus, virtual items, infotips and renaming. Its powerful behavior control and customization functionality takes it miles ahead of Windows Explorer by adding features like item filtering, item checkboxes, custom items, custom columns and customization of context menus, dragdrop, appearance, display names, icons, overlay icons and infotips. Also included is ShellObjects - a set of controls which bring various useful shell features to your app included the ability to display multiple MSN/Office2003 style popups, animated tray icons and create and read shortcuts and internet shortcuts.

SoftWidgets Corporation has published an illustrated step-by-step Reference Implementation that demonstrates how you can use SoftWidgets Radar to detect many incoming files on a server and execute processes to handle the files.

FolderView ActiveX Control 5.1 brings a Windows-Explorer-like folder treeview control to your applications. It mimics all Windows Explorer functionality including AutoUpdate, dragdrop, icons, contextmenus, virtual items, default key-handling, infotips and renaming, while powerful behavior control and customization functionality takes it miles ahead of Windows Explorer by adding features like filtering, checkboxes, custom appearance, custom items, custom displaynames, custom icons, custom infotips, powerful event notification and 2-line integration with FileView and ShComboBox controls.

I always wanted the cool Microsoft Office (TM) like hover button look in my application. Somehow the ordinary toolbar did'nt seem to satisfy me. Now here's a article which does just that. Includes "Copy-N-Paste" code snippets

Another article on Shell Programming (Win95). Actually the name says it all but for the uninitiated (those who dont know !!) the open with dialog box appears when you double click on the icon of a file which is not associated with any application. It can also be invoked with a "Shift+Right Click" on any associated file as well.

Getting information on the current system font settings using the "SysInfoParameterInfo" API call

Disable to Windows Standard Close [X] Button and force the user to user you own "Cancel" or maybe "Exit" or "Quit" button. User Win32 API and includes "Copy-N-Paste" code snippets.

Ever wondered how the Internet Explorer manages to complete the URL even when you're half-way thru typing it. Well, i've got an answer for you !! Check this one out !!

Add icons into the System Tray, something every programmer should try atleast once to fully understand the power of Win32 API.

Have you ever wondered how applications manage to recorgnize Audio CD's from Data CD's ? Well i did !! And i believe that this might just be the solution !

how to run the file association, such as the default browser, by running the document (or http:// page). ShellExecute API.

make the Start menu pop up using code. keybd_event API. This is the one to use to simulate global keyboard presses (can be used to Print Screen capture the screen to the clipboard via code).

how to implement the Win 95 standard file delete, copy, move, and rename (demos multiple file copy). SHFileOperation API.

How to put your program in the system tray and respond to mouse clicks WITHOUT needing a callback procedure (uses special MouseMove event parameters). Shell_NotifyIconA and setNOTIFYICONDATA APIs.

You can use the Windows API ShellExecute() function to start the application associated with a given document extension without knowing the name of the associated application. For example, you could start the Paintbrush program by passing the filename ARCADE.BMP to the ShellExecute() function.

The Windows API provides the ability to perform a copy, move, rename, or delete operation on a file system object using the SHFileOperation API function exported by Shell32.dll. This article shows how to copy a list of files into a named folder while displaying a dialog box with a copy animation and an animated scroll bar displayed to show the progress of the copy operation. The article also shows how to create a sample project that demonstrates how the use of this API function.

Sometimes it is necessary to create shortcuts to your applications or documents somewhere on another user's system. Do this by calling the fCreateShellLink API function found in the STKIT432.DLL file that ships with the Setup Kit in Microsoft Visual Basic version 4.0 for Windows. Below are the steps that show you how to do this.

Heaps of VB3/4 and 5 source code along with tips page

The Start command in Win 95 is very impressive. I used the API calls it uses before discovering all I have to do is just shell to it. For example: If you go to the start button in Win 95 and choose the run command then type mailto:gencross@intnet.net it will start your default mail client and fill in the email address. Same for a URL or anything....

Launch the default browser

How do I launch a file in its associated program? The Shell statement unfortunately only supports launching an EXE file directly. If you want to be able to launch, i.e. Microsoft Word by calling a .DOC file only, you can make your VB application launch the associated program with the document using the following method:

Launch PIF/DOS application/change icon

This 1 line code will open up a webpage when the user clicks on a lable or image or even a button.

I finally figured it out, you can just shell to themes.exe with the right parameters.

Runs a program and handles all possible errors (such as running out of memory, file can't be opened, etc.) Also, unlike the VB Shell command, it allows you to specify a 'default working directory'! Also, allows you to run a file that is only an association--example:you can run a .txt file with this function!