I would like to write a context menu for Markdown files for Windows XP, when I right click on a Markdown file it should display "View in browser" option. It could use MardownSharp or Discount to convert it in HTML and show it using the default browser. I guess that building such feature shouldn't require too much knowledge of the Windows platform. My question is: where should I start considering the fact that I would want to write this tool without using MS Visual Studio (I would like to use opensource software)? Could it be possible to use Mono?
See this answer on how to convert Markdown to HTML. As far as adding this as a context menu, this is a built-in feature of the Windows registry:
Browse to or create the following key. This assumes the file extension is .mdml (as I am unfamiliar with any set standard on this file format). If that's not the case, replace .mdml with the file extension(s) you are looking for, or * for all files, regardless of extension.
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.mdml\Shell\
Browse to or create a new sub-key called something like "View in browser" and a sub-sub-key called "Command" (must be this word). In that key, modify the default to display the program and arguments to launch (e.g. C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\NOTEPAD.EXE "%1").
You should now be able to browse to
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.mdml\Shell\View in browser\Command\
and see the launch parameters in (Default).
Related
I am trying to make my own coding language and I want to have a custom file extension for it. I need to have a custom icon, and a way to check for text editors (vscode etc.). So it can run on any computer with the custom icon and and a way to check for a text editor that it will automatically open when you open the file, included. I am willing to use any coding languages as long as you help me out with it and dont just tell me what to do.
I have tried using the whole HKEY stuff and since I am using a custom file extension that is not associated with windows it doesn't show up in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT like file extensions that are associated with windows do.
Let's say you want to have an icon associated with file extension .xyz. And your icon is resource ID #0 in Resources.dll.
These registry keys become relevant:
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.xyz]
#="XYZ"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\XYZ\DefaultIcon]
#="C:\\Path\\To\\File\\With\\Resources\\Resources.dll, 0"
I have been working on creating a pretty advanced GUI enabled database in Microsoft Access and am now in the implementation phase of my project.
My dream is to make an .exe file that will point to the actual .accdb database file (which will be hidden) as I cannot change the icon of the .accdb but will be able to modify the .exe's icon thus giving my implementation a more professional feel.
I'd prefer not to just create a shortcut to the .accdb and change that icon.
Through some quick digging, my plan was to create a .bat file that opens the .accdb and then use some online ".bat to .exe" converter to then add an icon to the .exe.
I can't figure out how to create a .bat file that opens my .accdb. I've tried a variety of different things like:
start "" C:\Program Files (x86)\CompassTrack "Science Department.accdb"
and other things that dont work.
It occurred to me that a .bat to .exe approach may not be the best way to do this. I don't particularily like the brief command prompt window appearance and would be open to any suggestions as to how to get a nice looking .exe file to open my .accdb.
If the best way really is a .bat file, I'd appreciate some help with the .bat file. The path to the file is C:\Program Files (x86)\CompassTrack\Science Department.accdb but for some reason every time, command prompt would return "Cannot find C:\Program "
Thanks in advance!
to change icon of an exe file using batch, look here
and to start your file use:
cd "C:\Program Files (x86)\CompassTrack"
start "" "Science Departement.accdb"
I believe you can just change the icon of your Access database. Go to Current Database (in recent versions under Office Button > Access Options) and the option is in there.
Here's a really simple C# program that you can compile into an exe very easily to if you have .NET 3.5 installed. it uses a utility called the command line compiler. You'll have to change the file path obviously.
using System;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.IO;
public class App
{
public static void Main(string[] args)
{
Process myProcess = new Process();
myProcess.StartInfo.FileName = #"c:/your_file_path_goes_here/YourDB.accdb";
myProcess.Start();
}
}
You'll write the above to a text file with the extension .cs. Then create a batch file (a text file with the extension .bat) with this code.
#echo OFF
echo Compiling A File . . .
C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v3.5\csc.exe /win32icon:_.ico /target:winexe /recurse:*.cs
echo.
#pause
Put these in the same dir as whatever icon you want to use, but make sure the icon is an iso file named _, as seen in the batch program. When you run the bat file, it will create the exe with the icon of your choice and it will simply launch the access database.
The feature and ability is part of the Access development system. Attempting to modify some .exe file etc. will not work.
I do suggest that you set the icon under file->options current database. It not clear why this is not working (perhaps start a new question to resolve that issue).
Keep in mind that if you deploy or change the resulting location, then you have to change the above “options” setting (manually, or by code – this much explain why your icon is not displaying – the path name cannot be relative – must be absolute.
ALSO select the box that says to use the icon for all forms and reports (this will give your application a MUCH more polished look. Since the .exe that actually runs your file is msacces.exe, then you can’t really change the application icon any other way. You see icons for the application AND ALSO forms like this "when" you set the application icon as per above:
So you WILL want to set the application icon. You then create a shortcut on your desktop. And again set the icon for that windows shortcut (it will nicely show up in the task bar with that icon).
The actual shortcut will look much like this:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14\MSACCESS.EXE"
"c:\RidesDev\SkiRides\ RidesXP.accde" /runtime
The above shortcut will be on a single line (space between the two lines). The above is for Access 2010, so for 2013, then the folder is office15, and for 2016, it is office16 in above.
Also NOTE very important is the /runtime. This will ensure that the access icon NEVER shows during start-up.
Also, during start-up you will often see the MS Access splash logo during start-up. E.g. this:
You can replace this splash screen by placing a .bmp (picture) file in the SAME folder as the accDE with the same name.
So in above, if I place a RidesXMP.bmp picture file, then during start-up in place of the access splash screen, you see this:
Since you likely want the forms + reports icon to be custom, then the above makes the most sense. Your approach would ONLY give you a desktop icon, not one for the task bar, forms etc.
The above will result in hiding the access splash logo during start-up, and also apply an icon to all forms etc. I don’t suggest some approach that attempts to modify some .exe or some such – that’s likely to cause issues on customers computers. And using some .exe will not give you the icon for forms and repots.
How would one go about adding a submenu item to the windows explorer context menu (like for example 7-Zip does) for a Java application?
I am aware of two ways to do it. The fancy way is to write a windows shell extension, which is how powerarchiver, winzip etc do it I believe (this involves running code to determine what the context menu items will be dependent on the file chosen).
The simple way, for simple functionality, is you can add an entry in the registry :
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\<file type>\shell\<display text>\command
Where <file type> is the files that this context menu should apply to i.e. *, .mdb, .doc
and
<display text> what you want to show in the context menu.
Then add the default string as a path to the application you want to launch from the context menu, and you can use %1 to refer to the currently selected file i.e. for MS Access I use :
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\MS Access 2000\command
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\MSACCESS.EXE" "%1"
This then adds a context menu item for any file I select (hence the *), which allows me to launch it in MS Access 2000.
Of course, always back up your registry before hacking it.
Your program could do this during install, or on first run.
You could also package the java program in an installer like NSIS and you could use NSIS script to generate explorer context menu
I have both InDesign CS2 and CS3 installed. Both use files with .indd extension. How does Windows know which icon to use? It uses correct icons i.e. CS2 files have cs2 icon and CS3 files have CS3 icon.
How does Windows know how to do this?
And how can I extract or use this version-detection system in my programs?
Edit:
Thank you for your shell-extension-icon-handler answers. Something new to me. But is there any way I could connect to IconHandler that InDesign provides and use it to detect version of the InDesign file?
You need to write an Icon Handler shell extension. See the MSDN documentation for IExtractIcon. The basic mechanism is that you create a shell extension and register the icon handler for the file type you want (look in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/.indd) and then the shell loads your handler, passes the file information and requests an icon in return. There's also the IExtractImage method if you want to provide a thumbnail bitmap rather than just an icon.
Note that you need to be especially careful writing shell extension handlers as any memory leaks or crashes can nuke the explorer and any other applications that display a file open/save dialog.
For some files it's HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\<file extension here>\DefaultIcon registry entry, but most files map to a more friendly name, e.g. .pdf\(Default) -> AcroExch.Document (if Adobe Reader is installed).
In that case you have to go along the registry to AcroExch.Document and see that either
DefaultIcon is right there or
AcroExch.Document\CLSID\(Default) is some GUID. Then, follow HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\<insert that guid here> and you'll notice that this key contains DefaultIcon
... and DefaultIcon is where the icon is loaded from.
Hope that was clear enough ;). I don't know about your special case but there should be a distinction in the registry.
It almost certainly installs a shell icon extension handler. Writing your own and knowing how to detect the version in a file format that isn't documented well or at all is quite tricky.
Problem: I have to support users who need to edit web pages. Some of these web pages exist only as textarea controls. Fortunately, there is a firefox plugin that allows the user to open the textarea in a default text editor. Unfortunately, this plugin requires you to point to the EXE file of the text editor you want to invoke.
This is a reasonable requirement, but ##$%^ Microsoft Expression Web is one of those applications whose shortcut .lnk file does not appear to point to a real EXE file. If there is an EXE file somewhere, it's hidden.
Question:
How can I locate the actual EXE file so people can configure Microsoft Expression web to be their editor of choice?
Update: I should have emphasized that I was looking for a way to automate this via script or batch file (hence the SO posting, in case anyone's "not-programming-related" spidey sense was tingling).
I found my executable in the following location:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Expression\Web Designer\EXPRWD.EXE
I'm not sure if that gives you what you need, but you can always have your users (or programmatically) search for EXPRWD.EXE and go from there.