How to get the info from the shell about the headers in "Detailed" view

The information is the caption for every header item in "detailed" view with 0-based index.
For example: 0 = Name, 1 = Size, 2 = Type, 3 = Date etc etc.

You need any type lib that can handle IShellFolder, IShellfolder2 and IShellItem.

Code:

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Public Function GetShellColumns(ByVal pidl As Long, ByVal iColumn As Long, ByRef lpzColText As Long, Optional ByRef nColFormat As Long)
  Dim hr As Long
  Dim pISI As IShellItem
  Dim pISF As IShellFolder
  Dim pISF2 As IShellFolder2
  Dim lpSD As SHELLDETAILS
 
  'If pidl is zero there is nothing to do...so just exit the function
  If pidl = 0 Then Exit Function
 
  'Get the shellitem from pidl
  hr = SHCreateItemFromIDList(pidl, IID_IShellItem, pISI)
 
  'if hr <> S_OK can depend on following...
  'If the pidl couldn't give us a shellitem, just exit the function BUT (Desktop pidl DOESN'T expose a shellitem so check if this is the Desktop pidl or not!)
  'If is this the desktop we need to fix it. This about the desktop is a bit tricky because you have a given pidl but it's empty = zero - then it's the desktop pidl.
  If ShIsDeskTopPidl(pidl) = True Then
    Set pISF = m_cShell32.GetDesktopFolder
  Else
    'It's not the the desktop pidl so just proceed as normal...
    hr = SHCreateItemFromIDList(pidl, IID_IShellItem, pISI)
    'It's not the Desktop and the pidl still not want to expose any shellitem we must asume there is an error so just quit the function.
    If hr <> S_OK Then Exit Function
  End If
 
  'We can assume the Shellfolder still not set (if it's not the desktop) so let's set it
  If pISF Is Nothing Then
    'Bind it to the ishellitem - YOU MUST BIND THE ISHELLFOLDER BECAUSE ISHELLITEM DOES NOT PROVIDE THIS INFORMATION!!
    hr = pISI.BindToHandler(0, BHID_SFObject, IID__IShellFolder, pISF)
    If hr <> S_OK Then Exit Function
    'IShellFolder2 got expanded features needed for this so just set it - See MSDN for further info.
    Set pISF2 = pISF
    hr = pISF2.GetDetailsOf(pidl, iColumn, lpSD)
    'If there was any error just quit the function
    If hr <> S_OK Then Exit Function
    'Return the info from the column (format and text)
    nColFormat = lpSD.fmt
    'I have to assumed we use 64 bit UNICODE - If not switch to the StrRetToStrA version
    'Since we not use pOleStr (this member is deleted) we use Cstr member ONLY.
    StrRetToStrW lpSD.Str, pidl, lpzColText
  Else
    'It was the desktop
    Set pISF2 = pISF
    hr = pISF2.GetDetailsOf(pidl, iColumn, lpSD)
    'If there was any error just quit the function
    If hr <> S_OK Then Exit Function
    'Return the info from the column (format and text)
    nColFormat = lpSD.fmt
    'I have assumed we use 64 bit or UNICODE - If not switch to the StrRetToStrA version
    'Since we not use use pOleStr (this member is deleted) we use Cstr member and therefore STRRET_WSTR also deleted.
    'Process the string pointer
    StrRetToStrW lpSD.Str, pidl, lpzColText
  End If
  'No need to free up on string pointers here because they are by Byref = outgoing

  'Free up pidl and zero the ref counts on involved interfaces
  CoTaskMemFree pidl
  Set pISF = Nothing
  Set pISF2 = Nothing
  Set pISI = Nothing
End Function

Public Function GetStrAFromStrPtrW(ByVal lpzStrPtr As Long) As String
  'If the pointer is 0 threr is nothing to do- exit function
  If lpzStrPtr = 0 Then Exit Function
 
  'Call the API that reallocates your string pointer and pass it as VarPtr and NOT StrPtr (there is a ceration difference in this)
  SysReAllocString VarPtr(GetStrAFromStrPtrW), lpzStrPtr
  'Clean up the memory of the outgoing pointer.
  Call CoTaskMemFree(lpzStrPtr)
End Function

Private Sub Command1_Click()
 Dim lpzText As Long
 Dim dwColFlags As Long
 Dim pidl As long
 
 pidl = ILCreateFromPathW(StrPtr("C:\"))
 
 'You can if you feel for it enum this function and set the max enum value to aprox 20 something (I'm not sure how many there is because it depends on the locals..you will realize it then the panels more than names is enumerated because they become blank)
 GetShellColumns pidl, 0, lpzText, dwColFlags
 
 MsgBox GetStrAFromStrPtrW(lpzText)

End Sub

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Definitely worth knowing as background, but IPropertyStore and related interfaces/APIs is definitely what any new app should be using; tons of new features to the property system the ancient win9x method can't help with, not the least of which is writing properties like you can from Explorer.

For default columns with the new system, for an IShellItem, you'd bind to IShellView, cast to IColumnManager, then use .GetColumns CM_ENUM_VISIBLE.

Quote:

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Desktop pidl DOESN'T expose a shellitem so check if this is the Desktop pidl or not!)

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?? You can get an IShellItem for the desktop.

I have earlier recieved an error message when trying that.

Yes, any type lib that can handle IShellFolder, IShellfolder2 and IShellItem.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nebeln

I have earlier recieved an error message when trying that.

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SHGetKnownFolderItem FOLDERID_Desktop, KF_FLAG_DEFAULT, 0 IID_IShellItem, psi

Ok I did not use that API. I did use SHCreateItemFromIDList. However in this particual sample you don’t need the shellitem from the desktop.

You can still use that API. Not sure where you had an issue.

Code:

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Dim psi As IShellItem

SHCreateItemFromIDList VarPtr(0), IID_IShellItem, psi

Dim lp As Long

psi.GetDisplayName SIGDN_NORMALDISPLAY, lp

Dim sName As String
SysReAllocStringW ByVal VarPtr(sName), lp
Debug.Print "Desktop? " & sName

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Desktop? Desktop

VarPtr(0) is a handy shortcut for the desktop pidl.

Yes, It's working again...I was using SHGetSpecialFolderLocation API to get the Desktop's pidl. Unforunatly it was a tiny spell error which made the API to pass a 0-pidl.