Windows Shell exposed by Delphi

When in the need of storing some content related to your Delphi application on the user's hard disk, you should take care of the support for state separation of user data, user settings, and computer settings.

This document describes what Windows hooks are and how to use them within a Delphi application.

Going undercover with Delphi: hiding from the task list, disabling task-switch, removing from the TaskBar, disabling Windows shut down, ...

In the heart of the OS. Working with the Desktop, Tray, Screen Savers, Cursors, processes. Disabling tasks, associate a file type, etc.

Unlike regular .LNK shortcuts (that point to a document or an application), Internet Shortcuts point to an URL (web document). Here's how to create an .URL file, Internet Shortcut, using Delphi.

Wanna get notified when a file gets created, renamed or deleted on the system? Need to know the exact folder and file name? Let's start monitoring system shell changes! What a great extension to your "Big Brother" Delphi code toolkit - part 3.

Placing Delphi applications in the System Tray in easy steps. The perfect place form programs that are left running for long periods of time with no user interaction.

Use Delphi (and API) to display the directory structure of a computer and allow a user to select a folder without using the Common Dialog control. Plus: select a printer or network computer.

Creating a standard Windows shortcut file from Delphi.

A sample Delphi application, with full source code, that can be used to locate all the shortcut files (.LNK) on a drive (directory) and find the target that is executed by a shortcut.

Creating the InfoTip Shell Extension, which lets us, control the information that appears in Explorer when the mouse hovers over a file. Creating a Delphi Infotip that will display the FileName, the project type (Program or Library), the Project Name (from the source file), and the size of the file in bytes.

Monitoring Registry Changes. Need to get notified about changes to the attributes or contents of a specified Registry key.

How to create a reasonable Delphi facsimile of the Windows explorer, all without writing a single line of code

Executing and running applications and files from Delphi.

Creating four Windows 9x shell-extension COM objects. The Context-Menu Handler, the Drag-and-drop Handler, the Property-Sheet Handler and the Icon Handler.

Getting Windows to Share Some of Its Secrets. "It's undocumented, so just how does Windows keep itself abreast of current events?"

How to extend the Windows Explorer shell by creating custom COM servers that implement specific interfaces.