Using FolderItemVerbs and invoke or DoIt to execute a submenu item in a windows shell from VBA
See the question and my original answer on StackOverflowWhile the Scriptable Shell Objects are very useful (and well known by many developers...), including with .NET, they don't fully support context items and sub items (it looks like Microsoft has lost interest in this COM utility for quite a time now).
So, here is a .NET class (sorry, it's C#, but you should be able to convert it to VB.NET) that has better support for these.
Here is how you can list a given file's menu items hierarchy in a Console app:
class Program
{
// [STAThread] things can vary with that set or not...
static void Main(string[] args)
{
foreach (var item in ShellMenuItem.ExtractMenu(@"c:\mypath\myfile.txt"))
{
Dump(0, item);
}
}
static void Dump(int indent, ShellMenuItem item)
{
var s = new string(' ', indent);
if (item.IsSeparator)
{
Console.WriteLine("-");
return;
}
Console.WriteLine(s + item.Text);
Console.WriteLine(s + " id:" + item.Id);
Console.WriteLine(s + " state:" + item.State);
Console.WriteLine(s + " type:" + item.Type);
Console.WriteLine(s + " verb:" + item.Verb);
foreach (var child in item.Items)
{
Dump(indent + 1, child);
Console.WriteLine();
}
if (item.Items.Count == 0)
{
Console.WriteLine();
}
}
}
Here is how you can invoke the "Properties" menu item on a file, from a Windows Forms app:
public partial class Form1 : Form
{
public Form1()
{
InitializeComponent();
}
private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
ShellMenuItem.InvokeMenuItem(@"c:\mypath\myfile.txt", item => item.Verb == "properties");
}
}
Note that how this works (or not) heavily depends on many contextual parameters such as the process bitness (32 or 64 bit), the type of process (Console vs Windows), or the current thread's COM apartment state (STA vs MTA, etc.). It also depends on how dynamic context menu handlers choose to add or not menu items.
For example, if you know Notepad++, the "Edit with Notepad++" entry is only listed in Console mode and therefore can only be invoked from a Console app. This is quite an exception, as most standard Shell menu items (like "Properties") will only work from Windowed apps.
public sealed class ShellMenuItem
{
private List<ShellMenuItem> _items = new List<ShellMenuItem>();
private ShellMenuItem()
{
}
public int Id { get; private set; }
public string Text { get; private set; }
public string Verb { get; private set; }
public MFS State { get; private set; }
public MFT Type { get; private set; }
public bool IsSeparator => Type.HasFlag(MFT.MFT_SEPARATOR);
public IReadOnlyList<ShellMenuItem> Items => _items;
public override string ToString() => IsSeparator ? "-" : Text;
public static IReadOnlyList<ShellMenuItem> ExtractMenu(string path)
{
if (path == null)
throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(path));
var list = new List<ShellMenuItem>();
ExtractMenu(path, (parent, item) =>
{
if (parent == null)
{
list.Add(item);
}
else
{
parent._items.Add(item);
}
});
return list;
}
public static void ExtractMenu(string path, Action<ShellMenuItem, ShellMenuItem> action)
{
if (path == null)
throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(path));
if (action == null)
throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(action));
ExtractMenu(path, (parent, item, cm) => action(parent, item));
}
private static void ExtractMenu(string path, Action<ShellMenuItem, ShellMenuItem, IContextMenu2> action)
{
int hr = SHCreateItemFromParsingName(path, null, typeof(IShellItem).GUID, out var item);
if (hr < 0)
throw new Win32Exception(hr);
var pai = (IParentAndItem)item;
hr = pai.GetParentAndItem(out var folderPidl, out var folder, out var itemPidl);
if (hr < 0)
throw new Win32Exception(hr);
hr = folder.GetUIObjectOf(IntPtr.Zero, 1, new[] { itemPidl }, typeof(IContextMenu).GUID, IntPtr.Zero, out var obj);
if (hr < 0)
throw new Win32Exception(hr);
var menu = CreateMenu();
try
{
var cm = (IContextMenu2)obj;
hr = cm.QueryContextMenu(menu, 0, 0, 0x7FFF, CMF.CMF_NORMAL);
if (hr < 0)
throw new Win32Exception(hr);
ExtractMenu(path, cm, menu, null, action);
}
finally
{
DestroyMenu(menu);
Marshal.FreeCoTaskMem(folderPidl);
Marshal.FreeCoTaskMem(itemPidl);
}
}
public static void InvokeMenuItem(string path, Func<ShellMenuItem, bool> predicate) => InvokeMenuItem(path, IntPtr.Zero, predicate);
public static void InvokeMenuItem(string path, IntPtr hwnd, Func<ShellMenuItem, bool> predicate)
{
if (path == null)
throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(path));
if (predicate == null)
throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(predicate));
ExtractMenu(path, (parent, item, cm) =>
{
if (predicate(item))
{
var info = new CMINVOKECOMMANDINFOEX();
info.cbSize = Marshal.SizeOf(info);
info.hwnd = hwnd;
info.lpVerb = new IntPtr(item.Id);
int hr = cm.InvokeCommand(ref info);
if (hr < 0)
throw new Win32Exception(hr);
}
});
}
private static void ExtractMenu(string path, IContextMenu2 cm, IntPtr menuHandle, ShellMenuItem parent,
Action<ShellMenuItem, ShellMenuItem, IContextMenu2> action)
{
int count = GetMenuItemCount(menuHandle);
for (int i = 0; i < count; i++)
{
var mii = new MENUITEMINFO();
mii.cbSize = Marshal.SizeOf(typeof(MENUITEMINFO));
mii.fMask = MIIM.MIIM_FTYPE | MIIM.MIIM_ID | MIIM.MIIM_STATE | MIIM.MIIM_STRING | MIIM.MIIM_SUBMENU | MIIM.MIIM_DATA;
if (!GetMenuItemInfo(menuHandle, i, true, ref mii))
throw new Win32Exception(Marshal.GetLastWin32Error());
if (mii.fType == MFT.MFT_STRING)
{
mii.dwTypeData = new string('\0', (mii.cch + 1) * 2);
mii.cch++;
if (!GetMenuItemInfo(menuHandle, i, true, ref mii))
throw new Win32Exception(Marshal.GetLastWin32Error());
}
var item = new ShellMenuItem();
item.Text = mii.dwTypeData;
item.Id = mii.wID;
item.Type = mii.fType;
item.State = mii.fState;
if (!item.IsSeparator)
{
var sb = new StringBuilder(256);
cm.GetCommandString(new IntPtr(item.Id), GCS_VERBW, IntPtr.Zero, sb, sb.Capacity);
if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(sb.ToString()))
{
item.Verb = sb.ToString();
}
if (mii.hSubMenu != IntPtr.Zero)
{
ExtractMenu(path, cm, mii.hSubMenu, item, action);
}
}
action(parent, item, cm);
}
}
private const int GCS_VERBW = 4;
[DllImport("shell32", CharSet = CharSet.Unicode)]
private static extern int SHCreateItemFromParsingName(string path, IBindCtx pbc, [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPStruct)] Guid riid, out IShellItem ppv);
[DllImport("user32")]
private static extern IntPtr CreateMenu();
[DllImport("user32")]
private static extern bool DestroyMenu(IntPtr hMenu);
[DllImport("user32")]
private static extern IntPtr GetSubMenu(IntPtr hMenu, int nPos);
[DllImport("user32")]
private static extern int GetMenuItemCount(IntPtr hMenu);
[DllImport("user32", CharSet = CharSet.Unicode, SetLastError = true)]
private static extern bool GetMenuItemInfo(IntPtr hMenu, int uItem, bool fByPosition, ref MENUITEMINFO pmii);
[Flags]
private enum MIIM
{
MIIM_STATE = 0x00000001,
MIIM_ID = 0x00000002,
MIIM_SUBMENU = 0x00000004,
MIIM_CHECKMARKS = 0x00000008,
MIIM_TYPE = 0x00000010,
MIIM_DATA = 0x00000020,
MIIM_STRING = 0x00000040,
MIIM_BITMAP = 0x00000080,
MIIM_FTYPE = 0x00000100,
}
[Flags]
private enum CMF
{
CMF_NORMAL = 0x00000000,
CMF_DEFAULTONLY = 0x00000001,
CMF_VERBSONLY = 0x00000002,
CMF_EXPLORE = 0x00000004,
CMF_NOVERBS = 0x00000008,
CMF_CANRENAME = 0x00000010,
CMF_NODEFAULT = 0x00000020,
CMF_INCLUDESTATIC = 0x00000040,
CMF_ITEMMENU = 0x00000080,
CMF_EXTENDEDVERBS = 0x00000100,
CMF_DISABLEDVERBS = 0x00000200,
CMF_ASYNCVERBSTATE = 0x00000400,
CMF_OPTIMIZEFORINVOKE = 0x00000800,
CMF_SYNCCASCADEMENU = 0x00001000,
CMF_DONOTPICKDEFAULT = 0x00002000,
CMF_UNDOCUMENTED1 = 0x00004000,
CMF_DVFILE = 0x10000,
CMF_UNDOCUMENTED2 = 0x20000,
CMF_RESERVED = unchecked((int)0xffff0000)
}
[Flags]
public enum CMIC_MASK
{
CMIC_MASK_ASYNCOK = 0x00100000,
CMIC_MASK_HOTKEY = 0x00000020,
CMIC_MASK_FLAG_NO_UI = 0x00000400,
CMIC_MASK_UNICODE = 0x00004000,
CMIC_MASK_NO_CONSOLE = 0x00008000,
CMIC_MASK_NOASYNC = 0x00000100,
CMIC_MASK_SHIFT_DOWN = 0x10000000,
CMIC_MASK_CONTROL_DOWN = 0x40000000,
CMIC_MASK_FLAG_LOG_USAGE = 0x04000000,
CMIC_MASK_NOZONECHECKS = 0x00800000,
CMIC_MASK_PTINVOKE = 0x20000000,
}
[StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential, CharSet = CharSet.Unicode)]
private struct MENUITEMINFO
{
public int cbSize;
public MIIM fMask;
public MFT fType;
public MFS fState;
public int wID;
public IntPtr hSubMenu;
public IntPtr hbmpChecked;
public IntPtr hbmpUnchecked;
public IntPtr dwItemData;
public string dwTypeData;
public int cch;
public IntPtr hbmpItem;
}
[StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential, CharSet = CharSet.Unicode)]
private struct CMINVOKECOMMANDINFOEX
{
public int cbSize;
public CMIC_MASK fMask;
public IntPtr hwnd;
public IntPtr lpVerb;
[MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPStr)]
public string lpParameters;
[MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPStr)]
public string lpDirectory;
public int nShow;
public int dwHotKey;
public IntPtr hIcon;
[MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPStr)]
public string lpTitle;
public IntPtr lpVerbW;
public string lpParametersW;
public string lpDirectoryW;
public string lpTitleW;
public long ptInvoke;
}
[Guid("000214e4-0000-0000-c000-000000000046"), InterfaceType(ComInterfaceType.InterfaceIsIUnknown)]
private interface IContextMenu
{
// we don't need anything from this, all is in IContextMenu2
}
[Guid("000214f4-0000-0000-c000-000000000046"), InterfaceType(ComInterfaceType.InterfaceIsIUnknown)]
private interface IContextMenu2
{
// IContextMenu
[PreserveSig]
int QueryContextMenu(IntPtr hmenu, int indexMenu, int idCmdFirst, int idCmdLast, CMF uFlags);
[PreserveSig]
int InvokeCommand(ref CMINVOKECOMMANDINFOEX pici);
[PreserveSig]
int GetCommandString(IntPtr idCmd, int uType, IntPtr pReserved, [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPWStr)] StringBuilder pszName, int cchMax);
// IContextMenu2
[PreserveSig]
int HandleMenuMsg(int uMsg, IntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam);
}
[Guid("43826d1e-e718-42ee-bc55-a1e261c37bfe"), InterfaceType(ComInterfaceType.InterfaceIsIUnknown)]
private interface IShellItem
{
// we don't need anything from this
}
[Guid("000214e6-0000-0000-c000-000000000046"), InterfaceType(ComInterfaceType.InterfaceIsIUnknown)]
private interface IShellFolder
{
void _VtblGap1_7(); // skip 7 methods we don't need
[PreserveSig]
int GetUIObjectOf(IntPtr hwndOwner, int cidl, [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPArray)] IntPtr[] apidl, [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPStruct)] Guid riid, IntPtr rgfReserved, [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.IUnknown)] out object ppv);
}
[Guid("b3a4b685-b685-4805-99d9-5dead2873236"), InterfaceType(ComInterfaceType.InterfaceIsIUnknown)]
private interface IParentAndItem
{
void _VtblGap1_1(); // skip 1 method we don't need
[PreserveSig]
int GetParentAndItem(out IntPtr ppidlParent, out IShellFolder ppsf, out IntPtr ppidlChild);
}
}
[Flags]
public enum MFS
{
MFS_GRAYED = 3,
MFS_CHECKED = 8,
MFS_HILITE = 128,
MFS_ENABLED = 0,
MFS_UNCHECKED = 0,
MFS_UNHILITE = 0,
MFS_DEFAULT = 4096,
}
[Flags]
public enum MFT
{
MFT_STRING = 0,
MFT_BITMAP = 4,
MFT_MENUBARBREAK = 32,
MFT_MENUBREAK = 64,
MFT_RADIOCHECK = 512,
MFT_SEPARATOR = 2048,
MFT_RIGHTORDER = 8192,
MFT_RIGHTJUSTIFY = 16384,
}