InfoTip on Windows explorer context menu item

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I'm creating a c# application that adds entries in the registry to add items to the windows context menu here's an example of a structure :
HKCR -> * -> shell -> MyApp -> command
Is there a way to get an infotip while I'm hovering MyApp in the Context Menu ?
I added a string value infoTip under MyApp key but it doesn't work.

I was thinking that the menu that pops up when you click on the arrow in (Start -> Shutdown) is a (contextmenu #32768) but i checked its class name and it turns out to be a (toolbarwindow32)
Note : that menu has an infotip for every item (like shutdown, restart... ect) as shown in this picture :

http://s15.postimg.org/nq9t05eh7/Info_Tip.png

Posted 3-Nov-14 4:43am

Neokyuubi

Updated 3-Nov-14 4:51am

v4

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Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 3-Nov-14 17:31pm

This thing is usually called "tooltip". The answer depends on your application type and/or UI library you are using.
—SA

Neokyuubi 4-Nov-14 12:21pm

Well i did not called it tooltip because Microsoft does not consider a Contextmenu as progressive disclosure control

By the way the way that i described the action does not even need doing it from c# just by adding entries in the registry.

I was thinking about an other approach, since i can get : when a Contextmenu is invoked or destroyed by tracking the WM_CONTEXTMENU, and i can get a handler of that Contextmenu.
Maybe if i can extract or get items from that Contextmenu, i would create a new custom window based on the cursor position as a infotip or tooltip

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 4-Nov-14 14:33pm

Interesting control you referenced, it looks like. Is it for WPF, Forms, anything else?
(As you consider WM_CONTEXTMENU, I guess you are using System.Windows.Forms. Is that right? You need to indicate the UI library you use.)
—SA

Neokyuubi 6-Nov-14 15:09pm

Yes, as you guessed I'm using "System.Windows.Forms".

BillWoodruff 7-Nov-14 2:35am

In Win 8.1 I do not have tool-tips on the Start/ShutDown => press Arrow pop-up Menu.

Bernhard Hiller 7-Nov-14 3:00am

Interesting question.
When looking thru the Windows Start menu on my Win 7 machine, I find that kind of extra information mostly on Microsoft programs, hardly any other program.
But there is an exception to that rule: Tortoise svn does have it. SInce you can get the source code ( http://code.google.com/p/tortoisesvn/source/checkout ), take a look at it. And report later on the decisive steps (as an answer, tip or article depending on the amount of steps and details of your description).

[no name] 9-Nov-14 10:19am

' Is there a way to get an infotip while I'm hovering MyApp in the Context Menu ? '

I'm not sure what you are trying to do here, but if you are looking to get the tool tip inside your own application, then drag the tooltip component to your form, then in your status strip or other control at the bottom of the properties is under Misc is a ToolTip property, set that to say what you like.

If you are trying to add additional tooltips to existing Windows Features, then you would be best using Windows API and not poking around in the registry.

Neokyuubi 10-Nov-14 13:08pm

I gave an example for what i'm trying to do : i want to produce the same result (in the Windows explorer context menu) as when you hover items in the menu from - Start => ShutDown => arrow => Menu (in Windows 7).
What i have done in the registry is just adding an entry called MyApp to the "Windows explorer ContextMenu"

Now i will try to use UI Automation (from the Windows SDK) to get the even that an menu item is hovered. and i will combine it with WM_CONTEXTMENU to know when i have to show/destroy my own window/tooltip.
I know that's a rare case, so if this works i will post the solution or maybe an entire article.

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