Desktop integrated file browser

18 Apr 2006 1:23 PM

franjorge

Hi,

I am trying to build a file explorer that is somehow integrated in
Windows' desktop. To achieve this, I am facing two issues:

- How can I simulate a 'deklet' behavior? That means, how can I make a
form behave in such a way that it does not appear in the taskbar nor in
the Alt+Tab list, it does not minimize when I hit the Win+D keys and it
is not 'always on top' but rather 'always on bottom' of normal
aplication's windows?

- Is there a control available that fully emulates the file explorer
behavior or must I build it from scratch? By file explorer behavior I
mean the user being able to sort files by name, have the icons shown as
list, icons, details, etc., supports drag and drop, right click on
icons in order to get the contextual menu, ...

Any help in any of both questions would be of great help.

Regards,
Fran

18 Apr 2006 5:09 PM

Jeff Dillon

So you want to write a virus? Good luck

<franjo***@gmail.com> wrote in message
Show quoteHide quote

news:1145366588.208043.169750@t31g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> Hi,
>
> I am trying to build a file explorer that is somehow integrated in
> Windows' desktop. To achieve this, I am facing two issues:
>
> - How can I simulate a 'deklet' behavior? That means, how can I make a
> form behave in such a way that it does not appear in the taskbar nor in
> the Alt+Tab list, it does not minimize when I hit the Win+D keys and it
> is not 'always on top' but rather 'always on bottom' of normal
> aplication's windows?
>
> - Is there a control available that fully emulates the file explorer
> behavior or must I build it from scratch? By file explorer behavior I
> mean the user being able to sort files by name, have the icons shown as
> list, icons, details, etc., supports drag and drop, right click on
> icons in order to get the contextual menu, ...
>
>
> Any help in any of both questions would be of great help.
>
> Regards,
> Fran
>

19 Apr 2006 7:08 AM

franjorge

Could you be more specific? What problem(s) do you see?

Regards,
Fran

18 Apr 2006 5:53 PM

Mattias Sjögren

>- How can I simulate a 'deklet' behavior? That means, how can I make a
>form behave in such a way that it does not appear in the taskbar nor in
>the Alt+Tab list, it does not minimize when I hit the Win+D keys and it
>is not 'always on top' but rather 'always on bottom' of normal
>aplication's windows?

Sounds like you want to use Active Desktop. It can host ActiveX
controls among other things.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/shellcc/platform/shell/programmersguide/shell_adv/activedesktop.asp

>- Is there a control available that fully emulates the file explorer
>behavior or must I build it from scratch?

There are third party controls that does that, commersial and free.
See for example http://www.ssware.com and http://ccrp.mvps.org

Mattias

--
Mattias Sjögren [C# MVP] mattias @ mvps.org
http://www.msjogren.net/dotnet/ | http://www.dotnetinterop.com
Please reply only to the newsgroup.

19 Apr 2006 7:53 AM

franjorge

Hi,

First of all, thanks for your answer.

Do you know if this is the way widgets (Yahoo widgets, Kapsules, ...)
work, using Active Desktop? Don't know why, but I have a rather bad
image of Active Desktop, something about security issues, I think. Am I
right?

Regards,
Fran