OverviewFrom my past posts about implementing your own Shell Namespace, there have been some great questions posted by readers.  Many of these stem from the fact that the Namespace example is fairly simple in that it does not implement all of the behavior that is possible in Explorer.  This was done to focus on the core steps in getting ...

OverviewIn my earlier post, I showed how to create a Shell Namespace Extension using the default IShellView implementation (also known as DefView).  One thing you might have noticed from the sample is that the Commands Module is void of even the default items such as “Organize” and “Views”.  If you are developing ...

In the first part of my posts for the IFileOperation interface, I wanted to give an overview of what it is used for and leave the real meat for later.  Now it’s time for the fun stuff.  In this post I want to dig into the use of the IFileOperationProgressSink.   In the MSDN docs for IFileOperation, you will notice that some of ...

In past versions of Windows, when a user encountered a file that is in use by another process, he would be presented with an unfriendly dialog like this:What process is using this file?  What should the user do?  There is nothing actionable for the user on this dialog.  Some savvy users may use a utility to determine which process ...

OverviewWhen implementing a Shell namespace extension, a developer must provide an object that implements the IShellView interface. However, Microsoft® Windows® provides a default implementation of IShellView known as the System Folder View Object (colloquially known as DefView), that can be used in place of a custom implementation. This ...

In Build 5728, we got to see examples of the kind of fit-and-finish the Windows Shell Team is making to Windows Vista as they progress toward RTM. I'd like to show you a few that I found. I imagine there is quite a bit more. In “Computer”, you will notice that the “System Properties” and “Map Network Drive” icons have been changed from RC1. ...

Over at the Windows Shell blog, Program Manager Vinny Pasceri explains the balance necessary to be struck in order to complete the UI polish, or ''fit-and-finish'', of Windows Vista's UI.  Questions like ''will it affect the user’s habits in a bad way?'' must always be faced when changing any part of the user interface -- a UI to which ...

A quick update on CPP status:   Windows Vista RC1 is now publicly available.  This means that 32- and 64-bit downloads for all three languages (English, German, and Japanese) are live.  If you did not receive and email in the previous wave, you can now both download the ISO image and request a product key (PID).   More ...