Descriptions VB Shell Programming: Integrating Applications with the Windows Shell (Visual Basic) for Free
The author sets out to demonstrate the feasability of writing shell level programs in Visual Basic. Microsoft recommends C++ for shell programming--basically, adding or altering the features of the Windows GUI.
Changing shell behaviours is accomplished using the COM (Component Object Model), for example, extending the Windows namespace so you can browse the Registry with Explorer. This is one of the seven example shell programming projects in the book. Other projects include a new icon handler, new Property pages, new drop handlers, new Clipboard formats and other goodies. Each or any of these can be used to integrate your program's behaviours more tightly into the Windows shell.
It has to be said, Microsoft never intended you to do these things with VB. As a consequence the author is forced to put VB though some unusual hoops, such as changing the way it derives classes. While there's nothing intrinsically wrong with pushing the VB envelope, changing Windows' default behaviours should be done with care. For example, each file type can have only one drop handler. If you change the handler to suit a program of your own it can have knock-on effects on existing programs which assume the default behaviour. This is why the author uses a made up .rad filetype in the projects.
This book is well and enthusiastically written with working examples that are nevertheless simple enough to showcase the essentials. If you're a VB programmer, Visual Basic Shell Programming, read this book and you may never have sand kicked in your face by the C++ folk again. --Steve Patient, 4Th Grade Reading Books .
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