Registry Entries for Extending the Shell

An application that creates and maintains files, such as a spreadsheet, word proces-sor, or graphics application, typically adds two keys to the system registry: a file association key and an application identifier key. The file association key maps a filename extension to an application identifier. For example, a word processing application might register the following key under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT

.doc=AWordProcessor

The value name (.doc) specifies the filename extension, and the value (AWordProcessor) denotes the key name that contains the information about the application handling the filename extension.

The application identifier key is the second registry entry made by an application handling files.

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT

AWordProcessor=A Word Processor

The value (A Word Processor) is a string describing the application that recognizes files having the given filename extension. (In this case, it is the .DOC filename extension.)

Extending the shell requires that you add other entries below the file association and application identifier keys. The system checks these entries to determine the commands to add to various shell menus, when to load an extension DLL, where to find the DLL, and so on.

There are several registry keys that allow you to extend the shell without having to write any code at all. These keys let you set the default icon for a class of files or add commands to the File menu and its New submenu in Windows Explorer.

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