Adding a tab to default Properties' window of image files

Question

I want to add a tab to Properties dialog of image files in Windows 7.

I have many family images and I'd like see the details of each images with a tab in window's properties.

Details like 'Camera Model', 'Date Taken' and so on in Persian date.

How can this be done?

Answer 1

To do this you need to implement and install a "shell extension" (which basically are a bunch of COM interfaces)...

Remark: If the system you are running on doesn't have .NET 4 then Microsoft recommended NOT to use .NET for this because of the inherent restriction with the older versions that one process can't run multiple framework versions at the same time. Depending on the OS etc. case it could be recommended to implement this with C/C++.

In this specific case you need to build a shell extension which implements IShellPropSheetExt.

That aside the implementation of shell extension is a really tough job... some links with information / samples / source code / libraries etc.:

• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/bb774328%28v=VS.85%29.aspx
• http://blogs.msdn.com/b/codefx/archive/2010/09/14/writing-windows-shell-extension-with-net-framework-4-c-vb-net-part-1.aspx
• http://www.ssware.com/ezshell/ezshell.htm
• http://www.codeproject.com/KB/shell/ratingcolumn.aspx?q=shell+extensions+c%23
• http://www.codeproject.com/KB/shell/shellextguideindex.aspx
• http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/shexview.html
• http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/forums/en-US/netfxbcl/thread/1428326d-7950-42b4-ad94-8e962124043e/