buildul
24th January 2006 17:55 UTC

Creating shellex extensions using NSIS
Hello,

Thanks for a wonderful install system.

We are developing a Java application which we wrap in a windows executable using jsmooth (http://jsmooth.sourceforge.net/). And we use NSIS to create an installer for the same.

We now would like to create a windows shell extension to open files using our application. How do we do that using NSIS?

The files that can be opened by our application are any text file (no particular file extension, and in some cases no extension also). So the context menu should show the option to "Open with MyApp" for any file type - much like GVIM or EditPlus.

I have searched the Wiki and posts on the forum, but they are pointers to create file type associations.

Any help would be appreciated.

TIA
Bindul

kichik
24th January 2006 18:59 UTC

For shell extensions, there's The Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing Shell Extensions. However, for what you seek, there may be no need for a full blown shell extension. You can simply create a key named "shell" under "*" in HKCR as with every other type you register. The following pages in the Wiki show how to do this for other file types. Simply use "*" instead your own type.

http://nsis.sourceforge.net/Add_your...e_context_menu
http://nsis.sourceforge.net/File_Association

wilsonronl
25th September 2006 22:56 UTC

I see how to add an action for any extension, but how about just for files with no extension?

kichik
29th September 2006 10:44 UTC

I don't know if that's possible using the registry alone. With a DLL shell extension, you could easily check the file name and decide for yourself.