Associate exe name along with the file name and lpVerb = Print with ShellExecuteEx

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Hi All,

We have a VC++ application that displays document contents in a specified format. And prints the same. The document type of this applcation is a special one. That has file extension .SCE. Let this be app2.

I am trying to invoke the print functionality of this exe inside another application. Let this be app1.
For that I am trying the below code snippet

SHELLEXECUTEINFO ShExecInfo = {0};
ShExecInfo.cbSize = sizeof(SHELLEXECUTEINFO);
ShExecInfo.fMask = SEE_MASK_NOCLOSEPROCESS;
ShExecInfo.hwnd = NULL;
ShExecInfo.lpVerb = _T("Print");
ShExecInfo.lpFile = FileName;  // file name to be printed
ShExecInfo.lpParameters = NULL;
ShExecInfo.lpDirectory = ExeDir;
ShExecInfo.nShow = SW_HIDE;
ShExecInfo.hInstApp = NULL;
BOOL bProc = ShellExecuteEx(&ShExecInfo);
if(ShExecInfo.hProcess !=NULL)
{
 ::WaitForSingleObject(ShExecInfo.hProcess, INFINITE);
 ::CloseHandle(ShExecInfo.hProcess);
}

The executables are present in shared drive. I m trying to access those from a machine that doesnt knows any details of my print application(app2).

When I tried to invoke the print functionality for the first time from app1- The "Open With" dialog gets displayed .

This is because the file type is not associated with the application.This error occurs only for the first time. For print preview i m invoking app2 with
shellexecute(). From now on print functionality starts works.

I want print functionality to be succesful for the first time. Is there any means I can associate exe along with the file name and PrintDDE. Thanks in advance

Thanks,
Sengottian E

Posted 28-Feb-11 0:45am

sengottian

Updated 28-Feb-11 4:43am

Sandeep Mewara

v2

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Blake Tullysmith · Answer 1 · 2011-03-02T07:26:00

The name of teh registry key depends on your file extension. For *.txt the key name is:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.txt

The value of that key is txtfile which indicates the meat of the handler is in this key:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\txtfile

Taking a look at the shell sub key you will see keys for various actions, open, print, etc:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\txtfile\shell
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\txtfile\shell\open
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\txtfile\shell\open\command
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\txtfile\shell\print
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\txtfile\shell\print\command
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\txtfile\shell\printto
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\txtfile\shell\printto\command

The value of the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\txtfile\shell\print\command is something like:

%SystemRoot%\system32\NOTEPAD.EXE /p %1

This is the command line for printing, environment variables can be used, and %1 is the first file name selected.

So if your extension is *.bob you should be able to add a registry key:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.bob

Then set the key to myfilehandler then create the key:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\myfilehandler \shell\print\command

with the value of:

C:\the\path\to\my\app.exe /myprintcommandlineswitch %1

That should do it.

Henry Minute · Answer 2 · 2011-03-02T08:11:00

Solution 2

Associating a particular file type with a particular application is, as Blake said, done via the registry manually.

It can also be done programatically and this[^] thread on MSDN has some examples. I would have been more specific but you do not say which OS you need it for.

Posted 2-Mar-11 8:11am

Henry Minute