File associations... etc.

[HeSaidJoe]

'for your applications, you may need to create file
'associations for your saved data.
'File associations allow your program to be run
'when a file with a certain extension is 'double-clicked
'in explorer. To do this in VB involves a little bit of


Option Explicit

Public Type mnuCommands
Captions As New Collection
Commands As New Collection
End Type

Public Type filetype
Commands As mnuCommands
Extension As String
ProperName As String
FullName As String
ContentType As String
IconPath As String
IconIndex As Integer
End TypePublic

Const REG_SZ = 1
Public Const HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT = &H80000000

Public Declare Function RegCloseKey Lib _
"advapi32.dll" (ByVal hKey As Long) As Long

Public Declare Function RegCreateKey Lib _
"advapi32" Alias "RegCreateKeyA" (ByVal _
hKey As Long, ByVal lpszSubKey As String, _
phkResult As Long) As Long

Public Declare Function RegSetValueEx Lib _
"advapi32" Alias "RegSetValueExA" (ByVal _
hKey As Long, ByVal lpszValueName As String, _
ByVal dwReserved As Long, ByVal fdwType As _
Long, lpbData As Any, ByVal cbData As Long) As Long


Public Sub CreateExtension(newfiletype As filetype)

Dim IconString As String
Dim Result As Long, Result2 As Long, ResultX As Long
Dim ReturnValue As Long, HKeyX As Long
Dim cmdloop As Integer

IconString = newfiletype.IconPath & "," & _
newfiletype.IconIndex

If Left$(newfiletype.Extension, 1) <> "." Then _
newfiletype.Extension = "." & newfiletype.Extension

RegCreateKey HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, _
newfiletype.Extension,Result
ReturnValue = RegSetValueEx(Result, "", 0, REG_SZ, _
ByVal newfiletype.ProperName, _
LenB(StrConv(newfiletype.ProperName, vbFromUnicode)))

' Set up content type
If newfiletype.ContentType <> "" Then
ReturnValue = RegSetValueEx(Result, _
"Content Type", 0, REG_SZ, ByVal _
CStr(newfiletype.ContentType), _
LenB(StrConv(newfiletype.ContentType, vbFromUnicode)))
End If

RegCreateKey HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, _
newfiletype.ProperName, Result

If Not IconString = ",0" Then
RegCreateKey Result, "DefaultIcon", _
Result2 'Create The Key of "ProperName\DefaultIcon"
ReturnValue = RegSetValueEx(Result2, _
"", 0, REG_SZ, ByVal IconString, _
LenB(StrConv(IconString, vbFromUnicode)))
'Set The Default Value for the Key
End If

ReturnValue = RegSetValueEx(Result, _
"", 0, REG_SZ, ByVal newfiletype.FullName, _
LenB(StrConv(newfiletype.FullName, vbFromUnicode)))
RegCreateKey Result, ByVal "Shell", ResultX

' Create neccessary subkeys for each command
For cmdloop = 1 To newfiletype.Commands.Captions.Count
RegCreateKey ResultX, ByVal _
newfiletype.Commands.Captions(cmdloop), Result
RegCreateKey Result, ByVal "Command", Result2
Dim CurrentCommand$
CurrentCommand = newfiletype.Commands.Commands(cmdloop)
ReturnValue = RegSetValueEx(Result2, _
"", 0, REG_SZ, ByVal CurrentCommand$, _
LenB(StrConv(CurrentCommand$, vbFromUnicode)))
RegCloseKey Result
RegCloseKey Result2
Next

RegCloseKey Result2
End Sub


' <<<<<< Form Event Code >>>>>>

Dim myfiletype As filetype

myfiletype.ProperName = "MyFile"
myfiletype.FullName = "My File Type"
myfiletype.ContentType = "SomeMIMEtype"
myfiletype.Extension = ".MYF"
myfiletype.Commands.Captions.Add "Open"
myfiletype.Commands.Commands.Add _
"c:\windows\notepad.exe ""%1"""
myfiletype.Commands.Captions.Add "Print"
myfiletype.Commands.Commands.Add _
"c:\windows\notepad.exe ""%1"" /P"
CreateExtension myfiletype

'The filetype type is pretty self-explanatory.
'Extension contains the file type extension.
'Proper name is the name of the type, which you would
'refer to the type as (do not use spaces).
'FullName is the description of the file type.
'ContentType is the description that you would see
'in your Internet browser, if you were to download a
'file of this type. You could think of the extension
'as the "shortcut key", the proper name as the "name",
'and the fullname as the "caption".

'This Commands part of the filetype contains
'the "verbs" for the file type. When you right-click on
'a file of this type, you would see these options.
'Open is set as the default "verb", so when you double
'click on the file type, it executes the command associated
'with "Open". You can add others, such as "Print" as needed.

'Be careful with registry editing, as it can have disasterous effects.

[Nitro]

Hello Dennis!

This is a sample of an association.

Option Explicit

Private Declare Function RegCreateKey Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegCreateKeyA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpSubKey As String, phkResult As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function RegSetValue Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegSetValueA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpSubKey As String, ByVal dwType As Long, ByVal lpData As String, ByVal cbData As Long) As Long
Private Const HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT = &H80000000
Private Const MAX_PATH = 260&
Private Const REG_SZ = 1

Sub Main()
Dim sKeyName As String   'Holds Key Name in registry.
Dim sKeyValue As String  'Holds Key Value in registry.
Dim ret&                 'Holds error status if any from API calls.
Dim lphKey&              'Holds created key handle from RegCreateKey.

'This creates a Root entry called "CacApp".
    sKeyName = "CacApp"
    sKeyValue = "Cac Application"
    
    ret& = RegCreateKey&(HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, sKeyName, lphKey&)
    ret& = RegSetValue&(lphKey&, "", REG_SZ, sKeyValue, 0&)
    
'This creates a Root entry called .BAR associated with "CacApp".
    sKeyName = ".BAR"
    sKeyValue = "CacApp"
    ret& = RegCreateKey&(HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, sKeyName, lphKey&)
    ret& = RegSetValue&(lphKey&, "", REG_SZ, sKeyValue, 0&)
    
'This sets the command line for "CacApp".
    sKeyName = "CacApp"
    sKeyValue = "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\EXCEL.EXE %1"
    ret& = RegCreateKey&(HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, sKeyName, lphKey&)
    ret& = RegSetValue&(lphKey&, "shell\open\command", REG_SZ, sKeyValue, MAX_PATH)
End Sub

If you want to open a program with its default, use the API Shell Execute.

Here is a link that I helped someone this morning on the same subject.
http://forums.vb-world.net/showthrea...threadid=20372

Let me know if you need anything else.

thanks.
could you please repost that code with smilies disabled?

also, where do I put the shellexecute code?

and for the "Hello.doc" part. since I am opening the file from someone dbl clicking it... what will I put there?

[Nitro]

I disable the smile Dennis.

You can put the ShellExecute in a Double Click event of a listbox or a command button. Keep that separate from the above codes because it is a separate step.

The ShellExecute is just to open your files with the associated program. It is equivalent to VB Shell command but much more powerful.

"Hello.doc" is your file name. Replace the file name and it will open with the associate program.

The codes above will cause association and it is just a one time deal type of thing. Once you have run it, it will be associate from that point on.

I highly recommend you test these two steps separately before combining it together.


If you need furthur help, I will make a small program for you Dennis.

Have a nice day.

[Edited by Nitro on 06-22-2000 at 03:48 PM]

hmmm I am not sure if you understand this correctly,
but i want my file(lets say I associate my prog. with txt files.) to be open in the program, like a txt file in notepad, how would I know what the filename is?

[Andrew Empson]

If you want to know what the user double clicked on in Explorer to run your program, use the Command$ variable

i.e. in the form load event,

FileNm=Command$
Open FileNm for input as #1
Input #1,NewText
Close #1