A Context Menu Handler for Windows Users That Can't Let Go

Screenshots

Introduction

I wrote CMDCMX back in 1996. I have found similar implementations but nothing quite as useful as my own. Everyone I share it with seems to love it, so I figured I would update it and post it.

As a code example: CMDCMX demonstrates using afxCurrentResourceHandle and afxCurrentInstanceHandle globals which is sometimes required when using MFC from within Windows shell extensions. There are some other cool things in there, but nothing earth shattering.

As a utility: CMDCMX allows you to open a command window with the current working directory set to the folder you right-clicked on in Explorer. CMDCMX also allows you to copy both the long and short versions of a file, or folder path to the clipboard from within Explorer. Lastly, CMDCMX allows you to easily launch executable files with command line arguments from within Explorer.

Using the Utility

The pre-built utility requires two MS redistributables: mfc71u.dll and msvcr71.dll. If the MS files do not already exist on your system (they are installed by VC 7.1), then they should be copied to the same directory as the CMDCMX files. You can download the MS files here:

MFC71u.dll
msvcr71.dll

Using the Code

The project is all self-contained. After extracting the source, open the cmdcmx.vcproj file with VC 7.1. Select either the Release or the Debug target. Build the project.

Look for afxCurrentResourceHandle and afxCurrentInstanceHandle in cmdcmx.cpp to see an example of how they are used.

Points of Interest

The project also includes a sub-project to build a configuration utility for CMDCMX. Called cmdcmxcfg.exe, the application allows selection of menu items to add. In addition, the application allows selection of the command interpreter to be used.

History

Version 1.00, posted October 1, 2003

License

This article has no explicit license attached to it but may contain usage terms in the article text or the download files themselves. If in doubt please contact the author via the discussion board below.

A list of licenses authors might use can be found here

About the Author

Shaun Harrington

Web Developer

United States

Member

16yrs of GUI programming experience gained at: (most recent first) BlackBall, Veritas, Seagate Software, Arcada, Stac, Mountain, and Emerald Systems.

Languages/Scripting: C, C++, JAVA, BASIC, JAVASCRIPT, HTML, XML, PHP, and SQL

Tools: MS Visual Studio, MS Visual SourceSafe, CVS, PVCS, Bounds Checker, VMWare, ToDoList, InstallShield, and Office Applications

Libraries and API: RTL, STL, WIN32, MFC, ATL, .NET, ActiveX, DirectX, COM, DCOM, Shell Extensions, and Shell Namespaces

Strengths: Honest, communicative, keen eye for usability, good at estimating workload and completion dates, ready to take on grunt work, team player, experienced working with QA, localization, Tech Pubs, Sales, and Marketing teams.

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Can I use icon instead of bitmap ?

unionize

23:11 21 Jun '05

First thank you for your great work ! but I think icon is more beautiful than bitmap , Can you tell me how to do that ?
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Re: Can I use icon instead of bitmap ?

Shaun Harrington

5:23 22 Jun '05

Are you asking how to use an icon, instead of a bitmap, for the menu item image? Check out MENUITEMINFO. Look for usage in the source code... modify as needed. Use MIIM_BITMAP in fMask. Use HBMMENU_SYSTEM or HBMMENU_CALLBACK maybe. Good luck!
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Desktop menu?

dragomir

0:04 9 Apr '04

Hi, How can I add entries to the Desktop menu that Windows displays when the user right-clicks on an empty area on the desktop? (NOT the menu that is displayed when the user right-clicks on a folder/icon etc but the menu that is displayed when the user right-clicks on an EMPTY area). Thanks!
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Re: Desktop menu?

Jeremy Stanley

5:48 28 Apr '04

Add your shell extension here: HKCR\Directory\Background\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers
Sign In·View Thread·Permalink	5.00/5 (1 vote)

"Open in command window" suggestion

mikerj

23:04 24 Feb '04

Firstly, thanks for a very usefull utility. It's better in every way than the XP PowerToys shell extension. One suggestion I have that is the ability to open a command shell from a file rather than a directory, i.e. the command shell would be opened at the directory containing the file I right clicked.
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Couldn't compile in VC 6.0

Arshad Parvez

4:28 1 Jan '04

I tried to compile the VC6.0 version you have provided but it gave errors on two lines: 1. 'CContextMenu' : cannot instantiate abstract class due to following members: see declaration of 'CContextMenu' 2. 'DWORD_PTR' : undeclared identifier I can manage the second one, but have no clue about `CContextMenu` error. Please help. Arshad Parvez
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suggestions

vherva

2:51 15 Oct '03

It would be nice to be able to select multiple filenames at once. (I mailed you a patch that implements this - don't know if you received it) In addition to file paths, it would be handy to be able to just to copy file names When launching a program with command line args, the program's working dir could also be settable and/or default to where the .exe is located.
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Re: suggestions

Anonymous

6:56 16 Jan '04

If you add more items you might want to consider a cascading menu like winace and winrar use in order to keep the menu less cluttered.
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Quit Cool, also see...

AllenR

21:57 8 Oct '03

This article is quite cool as it show how to easily get some Context Menu Handler put in place. The features provided are also cool , I've been using Ninotech's Path Copy for a couple of years now (version 4.0 latest) and find it as an essential part of my tool kit. Again, NOT to distract from the article, Thanks, Well Done. AllenR
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Nice 'n' great but...

vagy__

11:17 5 Oct '03

...i've seen all kinds of context menu handlers
but none to allow the user to insert a new menu
entry easily and flexibly. I hope there is something like
this out there but i havent seen it so far.
OS/2 has this since ages but then os/2 has an
OO shell so the user can efectively say
'when this menu entry that i just added to this
particular menu is invoked do this' where 'this' is
whatever he can do with the shell via direct manipulation
(usually through the mouse).
Since explorer isnt that OO (on 21st century? ouch!)
someone could make a tool to allow the user to insert the
menu entry at the menu of her choice and at minimum allow
her to fire up her command from there, which could be an
.exe, a script etc etc. Plus, since many of the operations
explorer does are performed through a 'rundll' call with
some bizzare parameters the tool could include as many as
possible of these to allow maximum shell integration with
the user menu entry invocation. Tc

Re: Nice 'n' great but...

Shaun Harrington

4:19 6 Oct '03

I think that is what the "Send to" menu is for. You wouldn't want non-context sensitive menu item on there would you?
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Very nice!

Tom Hunter

1:28 5 Oct '03

It never occurred to me to write a shell extension to accept command line parameters. I'm also impressed that you supplied a VC6 version too.
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Re: Very nice!

Shaun Harrington

6:44 5 Oct '03

Thanks for the kind words! -Shaun
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Error registering dll in win2k

Atif Mushtaq

0:38 3 Oct '03

Well i am not able to register ure dll, as well project is not opening in VC7.0 saying it is version 7.01 can u post a project in VC7.0 or 6.0
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Re: Error registering dll in win2k

Shaun Harrington

5:55 3 Oct '03

You need MFC71u.dll and msvcr71.dll to use the prebuilt utility. I updated the artical... waiting on review for the update to post. In the mean time you can get the files you need here: MFC71u.dll msvcr71.dll Sorry for the trouble. I'll see what I can do about digging up my older project files for you ASAP. -Shaun
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Re: Error registering dll in win2k

Shaun Harrington

8:00 3 Oct '03

I have a vc60 version... the code base is out of date but it works... I can send it to you if you want me to. Really the best thing to do would to make your own vc60 MFC DLL project, update the app object and stdafx.h with any mods made to mine, and pull my other implemetation files into your project. My source should be ready for localization too, if you're into it. -Shaun
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Re: Error registering dll in win2k

Shaun Harrington

9:22 3 Oct '03

Here is a link to a VC6 version of the source: http://www.wickedworlds.com/codeproject/cc100vc6_src.zip Here is a link to a VC6 version of utility that does not require redistributables but does not support Visual Styles: http://www.wickedworlds.com/codeproject/cc100vc6.zip -Shaun
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Re: Error registering dll in win2k

Shaun Harrington

5:13 4 Oct '03

BTW - I updated the code in the vc6 project to be in sync with the vc1 project. -Shaun
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Re: Error registering dll in win2k

WREY

8:46 5 Oct '03

Because I have VC++ 6.0, my interest is with those set of files, utilities, dll's (etc.) that represents the complete and successful working of your sample.

Having downloaded both the source code and utility files for this version from the link you listed above, I was able to obtain a clean compile and link. However, there was no executable built. Could you explain why this was?

Perhaps of interest is this, that even though I downloaded the VC++ 6.0 version of the utility files, when I built the application, I noticed a CMDCMX.dll file was created of size 129 KB. Contrast that to the other 'dll' file you presented for VC++ 6.0 whose size was only 36 KB.

The program I was able to compile and link, seemed to have used the CMDCMX.dll file. So the question is, "Do I absolutely need the VC++ 6.0 version you offered, or could I stick with the CMDCMX.dll version?"

Thanks for any help you can offer. (I would really like to get this sample to work!!)

Cool | :cool:

William

Fortes in fide et opere!

Re: Error registering dll in win2k

Shaun Harrington

11:16 5 Oct '03

It failed to build the executable because the executable's "project" was not the active project. In the project pane right click on the cmdcmxcfg project and select "set as active project". This cmscmxcfg project has a "depends" on the cmdcmx project and will thus build both.

The size difference is because you built "debug"... switch to the "release" build to get smaller and faster binaries.

Hope this helps!

-Shaun

Missing DLLs

Anthony_Yio

15:36 2 Oct '03

Your shell extension requires MFC71U.DLL and MSVCR71.DLL. It is better if you could include it in your download. Sonork 100.41263:Anthony_Yio
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Re: Missing DLLs

Shaun Harrington

17:15 2 Oct '03

Thank you. The issue I had with posting them is that if everybody that needs them in their demos posted them a lot of space would be wasted on the server.

I have an updated version of the readme ready to post but was waiting for some feedback from the site monitors. I'll post the things on my site and post a link in the artical if the codeproject does not have a redistributables folder.

Again, thank you very much for the feedback.