Amazon.com Windows users take advantage of shell extensions on the desktop every single day, but understanding what they are and how to program with them can be tricky and, until now anyway, usually required the use of Visual C++. Filled with expert knowledge of the underlying Windows shell COM objects, Visual Basic Shell Programming is all that you need to write shell-enabled applications that look more professional, as well as rival the functionality of programs that are written in C++. First and foremost, this efficiently packaged text is a reference to all of the COM objects and APIs that are needed to program with the Windows shell successfully. Each section is organized by topic, with an explanation of what kind of functionality you can add, and then all of the COM objects, methods, and constants that you'll need to use in VB, along with sample code. For many of the examples, a custom file extension (.rad) illustrates how to integrate this file into the desktop, and extend what it can do within the Windows desktop. Reading this book is also an education in the features that the Windows shell actually offers. For example, you'll learn how to add dynamic, context-sensitive menus to desktop icons, and drag-and-drop processing and custom property sheets that pop up on the desktop. Later sections turn to the Internet, with browser extensions, which can customize the look and feel of Internet Explorer (and File Explorer). One sample presents the code for a Web site crawler, which automatically downloads a group of files. Throughout, the book is careful to point out those features that are easy to do in VB and those that require advanced programming techniques. (Generally speaking, there's a lot of VB expertise on display here.) The author provides a custom COM type library for exposing all of the shell functionality to VB programmers. Of course, you can use this file to develop your own VB shell applications. Overall, this book helps explain a rather difficult topic in Windows programming, and makes accessible for the very first time this exciting area of functionality to experienced VB programmers. Read Visual Basic Shell Programming to create applications that both are more professional looking and take full advantage of every available feature in today's Windows desktop. --Richard Dragan Topics covered: * Introduction to Visual Basic and the Windows shell * COM basics (including type libraries, IUnknown, and IDispatch) * Introduction to shell extensions * Context menu handlers (static and dynamic) * Icon and property-sheet handlers * Drop handlers (and drag-and-drop processing) * Data handlers * Copy hook handlers * InfoTip handlers * Basics of namespace extensions * Pointer to identifier list (PIDL) * Browser extensions * Browser help objects * Band objects * Sample code for a Web site crawler * Docking Windows * VBShell (custom type library for letting VB programmers access shell objects) * Reference material on all Windows shell COM objects and APIs * Techniques for copying memory and using pointers within VB --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Book Description Visual Basic's outstanding set of resources for rapidly developing stand-alone applications doesn't include shell extensions for integrating those applications or their data files with the Windows shell. Typically, such extensions as customized context menu handlers, per instance icons (such as a data file icon that's based on the contents of the file), and customized property sheets are written in C++, and all of the available documentation focuses on using C++ for shell extensions. But even C++ programmers find the task rough going, given the woefully inadequate state of the documentation. Very few programmers know that writing shell extensions is not tied to a single language or development environment, and that Visual Basic is an excellent tool for creating shell extensions that more closely tie an application to the Windows shell. That, however, is precisely the focus of Visual Basic Shell Programming. It shows how to take advantage of shell services to develop shell extensions and it provides the basic documentation needed for accomplishing this. Each major type of shell extension gets attention, including: * Context menu handlers that can add items to the popup menu that appears when the user right clicks a file. * con handlers for displaying per instance icons that, like the standard Recycle Bin icon, vary depending on some condition * Property sheet pages, which appear when the user selects the Properties option from a file's context menu. * InfoTip handlers, which display tooltips, or "info" tips for a file object on a per instance basis. In showing how to integrate applications with the Windows shell by building shell extensions, author J.P. Hamilton provides a concrete tutorial on COM programming with Visual Basic. And while developing their own shell extensions, readers get to learn advanced VB concepts and techniques such as: * Pointers. Since VB tends to hide pointers from the programmer, Hamilton shows how to take advantage of the undocumented VarPtr, StrPtr, and ObjPtr functions, as well as the Win32 * RtlMoveMemory function. * Using class identifiers (CLSIDs) from Visual Basic. * VTable modification, which allows control of the HRESULT (or status code) returned by a call to a COM method. Visual Basic Shell Programming ventures where none have gone before by giving readers both the know-how to develop shell extensions and an advanced treatment of COM programming with Visual Basic. year: 2000 # 373 pages # ISBN-10: 1565926706 # ASIN: B00007FY99 PDF HERE: http://rapidshare.com/files/88053482/vbs.pdf CHM HERE: http://rapidshare.com/files/88053405/Vming.chm