Class ShellAPI.SHELLEXECUTEINFO

  • Enclosing interface:
    ShellAPI

    @FieldOrder({"cbSize","fMask","hwnd","lpVerb","lpFile","lpParameters","lpDirectory","nShow","hInstApp","lpIDList","lpClass","hKeyClass","dwHotKey","hMonitor","hProcess"})
    public static class ShellAPI.SHELLEXECUTEINFO
    extends Structure

    Contains information used by ShellExecuteEx.

     typedef struct _SHELLEXECUTEINFO {
       DWORD     cbSize;
       ULONG     fMask;
       HWND      hwnd;
       LPCTSTR   lpVerb;
       LPCTSTR   lpFile;
       LPCTSTR   lpParameters;
       LPCTSTR   lpDirectory;
       int       nShow;
       HINSTANCE hInstApp;
       LPVOID    lpIDList;
       LPCTSTR   lpClass;
       HKEY      hkeyClass;
       DWORD     dwHotKey;
       union {
         HANDLE hIcon;
         HANDLE hMonitor;
       } DUMMYUNIONNAME;
       HANDLE    hProcess;
     } SHELLEXECUTEINFO, *LPSHELLEXECUTEINFO;
     

    Remarks

    The SEE_MASK_NOASYNC flag must be specified if the thread calling ShellExecuteEx does not have a message loop or if the thread or process will terminate soon after ShellExecuteEx returns. Under such conditions, the calling thread will not be available to complete the DDE conversation, so it is important that ShellExecuteEx complete the conversation before returning control to the calling application. Failure to complete the conversation can result in an unsuccessful launch of the document.

    If the calling thread has a message loop and will exist for some time after the call to ShellExecuteEx returns, the SEE_MASK_NOASYNC flag is optional. If the flag is omitted, the calling thread's message pump will be used to complete the DDE conversation. The calling application regains control sooner, since the DDE conversation can be completed in the background.

    When populating the most frequently used program list using the SEE_MASK_FLAG_LOG_USAGE flag in fMask, counts are made differently for the classic and Windows XP-style Start menus. The classic style menu only counts hits to the shortcuts in the Program menu. The Windows XP-style menu counts both hits to the shortcuts in the Program menu and hits to those shortcuts' targets outside of the Program menu. Therefore, setting lpFile to myfile.exe would affect the count for the Windows XP-style menu regardless of whether that file was launched directly or through a shortcut. The classic style-which would require lpFile to contain a .lnk file name-would not be affected.

    To include double quotation marks in lpParameters, enclose each mark in a pair of quotation marks, as in the following example.

     sei.lpParameters = "An example: \"\"\"quoted text\"\"\"";
     

    In this case, the application receives three parameters: An, example:, and "quoted text".

    • Field Detail

      • cbSize

        public int cbSize

        Type: DWORD

        Required. The size of this structure, in bytes.

      • fMask

        public int fMask

        Type: ULONG

        Flags that indicate the content and validity of the other structure members; a combination of the following values:

        SEE_MASK_DEFAULT (0x00000000)

        Use default values.

        SEE_MASK_CLASSNAME (0x00000001)

        Use the class name given by the lpClass member. If both SEE_MASK_CLASSKEY and SEE_MASK_CLASSNAME are set, the class key is used.

        SEE_MASK_CLASSKEY (0x00000003)

        Use the class key given by the hkeyClass member. If both SEE_MASK_CLASSKEY and SEE_MASK_CLASSNAME are set, the class key is used.

        SEE_MASK_IDLIST (0x00000004)

        Use the item identifier list given by the lpIDList member. The lpIDList member must point to an structure.

        SEE_MASK_INVOKEIDLIST (0x0000000C)

        Use the interface of the selected item's . Use either lpFile to identify the item by its file system path or lpIDList to identify the item by its PIDL. This flag allows applications to use to invoke verbs from shortcut menu extensions instead of the static verbs listed in the registry.

        Note   SEE_MASK_INVOKEIDLIST overrides and implies SEE_MASK_IDLIST.

        SEE_MASK_ICON (0x00000010)

        Use the icon given by the hIcon member. This flag cannot be combined with SEE_MASK_HMONITOR.

        Note  This flag is used only in Windows XP and earlier. It is ignored as of Windows Vista.

        SEE_MASK_HOTKEY (0x00000020)

        Use the keyboard shortcut given by the dwHotKey member.

        SEE_MASK_NOCLOSEPROCESS (0x00000040)

        Use to indicate that the hProcess member receives the process handle. This handle is typically used to allow an application to find out when a process created with terminates. In some cases, such as when execution is satisfied through a DDE conversation, no handle will be returned. The calling application is responsible for closing the handle when it is no longer needed.

        SEE_MASK_CONNECTNETDRV (0x00000080)

        Validate the share and connect to a drive letter. This enables reconnection of disconnected network drives. The lpFile member is a UNC path of a file on a network.

        SEE_MASK_NOASYNC (0x00000100)

        Wait for the execute operation to complete before returning. This flag should be used by callers that are using ShellExecute forms that might result in an async activation, for example DDE, and create a process that might be run on a background thread. (Note: runs on a background thread by default if the caller's threading model is not Apartment.) Calls to ShellExecuteEx from processes already running on background threads should always pass this flag. Also, applications that exit immediately after calling ShellExecuteEx should specify this flag.

        If the execute operation is performed on a background thread and the caller did not specify the SEE_MASK_ASYNCOK flag, then the calling thread waits until the new process has started before returning. This typically means that either has been called, the DDE communication has completed, or that the custom execution delegate has notified that it is done. If the SEE_MASK_WAITFORINPUTIDLE flag is specified, then ShellExecuteEx calls and waits for the new process to idle before returning, with a maximum timeout of 1 minute.

        For further discussion on when this flag is necessary, see the Remarks section.

        SEE_MASK_FLAG_DDEWAIT (0x00000100)

        Do not use; use SEE_MASK_NOASYNC instead.

        SEE_MASK_DOENVSUBST (0x00000200)

        Expand any environment variables specified in the string given by the lpDirectory or lpFile member.

        SEE_MASK_FLAG_NO_UI (0x00000400)

        Do not display an error message box if an error occurs.

        SEE_MASK_UNICODE (0x00004000)

        Use this flag to indicate a Unicode application.

        SEE_MASK_NO_CONSOLE (0x00008000)

        Use to inherit the parent's console for the new process instead of having it create a new console. It is the opposite of using a CREATE_NEW_CONSOLE flag with .

        SEE_MASK_ASYNCOK (0x00100000)

        The execution can be performed on a background thread and the call should return immediately without waiting for the background thread to finish. Note that in certain cases ignores this flag and waits for the process to finish before returning.

        SEE_MASK_NOQUERYCLASSSTORE (0x01000000)

        Not used.

        SEE_MASK_HMONITOR (0x00200000)

        Use this flag when specifying a monitor on multi-monitor systems. The monitor is specified in the hMonitor member. This flag cannot be combined with SEE_MASK_ICON.

        SEE_MASK_NOZONECHECKS (0x00800000)

        Introduced in Windows XP. Do not perform a zone check. This flag allows to bypass zone checking put into place by .

        SEE_MASK_WAITFORINPUTIDLE (0x02000000)

        After the new process is created, wait for the process to become idle before returning, with a one minute timeout. See for more details.

        SEE_MASK_FLAG_LOG_USAGE (0x04000000)

        Introduced in Windows XP. Keep track of the number of times this application has been launched. Applications with sufficiently high counts appear in the Start Menu's list of most frequently used programs.

        SEE_MASK_FLAG_HINST_IS_SITE (0x08000000)

        Introduced in Windows 8. The hInstApp member is used to specify the of an object that implements . This object will be used as a site pointer. The site pointer is used to provide services to the function, the handler binding process, and invoked verb handlers.

      • hwnd

        public WinDef.HWND hwnd

        Type: HWND

        Optional. A handle to the parent window, used to display any message boxes that the system might produce while executing this function. This value can be NULL.

      • lpVerb

        public String lpVerb

        Type: LPCTSTR

        A string, referred to as a verb, that specifies the action to be performed. The set of available verbs depends on the particular file or folder. Generally, the actions available from an object's shortcut menu are available verbs. This parameter can be NULL, in which case the default verb is used if available. If not, the "open" verb is used. If neither verb is available, the system uses the first verb listed in the registry. The following verbs are commonly used:

        edit

        Launches an editor and opens the document for editing. If lpFile is not a document file, the function will fail.

        explore

        Explores the folder specified by lpFile.

        find

        Initiates a search starting from the specified directory.

        open

        Opens the file specified by the lpFile parameter. The file can be an executable file, a document file, or a folder.

        print

        Prints the document file specified by lpFile. If lpFile is not a document file, the function will fail.

        properties

        Displays the file or folder's properties.

      • lpFile

        public String lpFile

        Type: LPCTSTR

        The address of a null-terminated string that specifies the name of the file or object on which will perform the action specified by the lpVerb parameter. The system registry verbs that are supported by the ShellExecuteEx function include "open" for executable files and document files and "print" for document files for which a print handler has been registered. Other applications might have added Shell verbs through the system registry, such as "play" for .avi and .wav files. To specify a Shell namespace object, pass the fully qualified parse name and set the SEE_MASK_INVOKEIDLIST flag in the fMask parameter.

        Note  If the SEE_MASK_INVOKEIDLIST flag is set, you can use either lpFile or lpIDList to identify the item by its file system path or its PIDL respectively. One of the two values-lpFile or lpIDList-must be set.
        Note  If the path is not included with the name, the current directory is assumed.
      • lpParameters

        public String lpParameters

        Type: LPCTSTR

        Optional. The address of a null-terminated string that contains the application parameters. The parameters must be separated by spaces. If the lpFile member specifies a document file, lpParameters should be NULL.

      • lpDirectory

        public String lpDirectory

        Type: LPCTSTR

        Optional. The address of a null-terminated string that specifies the name of the working directory. If this member is NULL, the current directory is used as the working directory.

      • nShow

        public int nShow

        Type: int

        Required. Flags that specify how an application is to be shown when it is opened; one of the SW_ values listed for the ShellExecute function. If lpFile specifies a document file, the flag is simply passed to the associated application. It is up to the application to decide how to handle it.

      • hInstApp

        public WinDef.HINSTANCE hInstApp

        Type: HINSTANCE

        [out] If SEE_MASK_NOCLOSEPROCESS is set and the call succeeds, it sets this member to a value greater than 32. If the function fails, it is set to an SE_ERR_XXX error value that indicates the cause of the failure. Although hInstApp is declared as an HINSTANCE for compatibility with 16-bit Windows applications, it is not a true HINSTANCE. It can be cast only to an int and compared to either 32 or the following SE_ERR_XXX error codes.

        SE_ERR_FNF (2)

        File not found.

        SE_ERR_PNF (3)

        Path not found.

        SE_ERR_ACCESSDENIED (5)

        Access denied.

        SE_ERR_OOM (8)

        Out of memory.

        SE_ERR_DLLNOTFOUND (32)

        Dynamic-link library not found.

        SE_ERR_SHARE (26)

        Cannot share an open file.

        SE_ERR_ASSOCINCOMPLETE (27)

        File association information not complete.

        SE_ERR_DDETIMEOUT (28)

        DDE operation timed out.

        SE_ERR_DDEFAIL (29)

        DDE operation failed.

        SE_ERR_DDEBUSY (30)

        DDE operation is busy.

        SE_ERR_NOASSOC (31)

        File association not available.

      • lpIDList

        public Pointer lpIDList

        Type: LPVOID

        The address of an absolute ITEMIDLIST structure (PCIDLIST_ABSOLUTE) to contain an item identifier list that uniquely identifies the file to execute. This member is ignored if the fMask member does not include SEE_MASK_IDLIST or SEE_MASK_INVOKEIDLIST.

      • lpClass

        public String lpClass

        Type: LPCTSTR

        The address of a null-terminated string that specifies one of the following:

        • A ProgId. For example, "Paint.Picture".
        • A URI protocol scheme. For example, "http".
        • A file extension. For example, ".txt".
        • A registry path under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT that names a subkey that contains one or more Shell verbs. This key will have a subkey that conforms to the Shell verb registry schema, such as

          shell\verb name

          .

        This member is ignored if fMask does not include SEE_MASK_CLASSNAME.

      • hKeyClass

        public WinReg.HKEY hKeyClass

        Type: HKEY

        A handle to the registry key for the file type. The access rights for this registry key should be set to KEY_READ. This member is ignored if fMask does not include SEE_MASK_CLASSKEY.

      • dwHotKey

        public int dwHotKey

        Type: DWORD

        A keyboard shortcut to associate with the application. The low-order word is the virtual key code, and the high-order word is a modifier flag (HOTKEYF_). For a list of modifier flags, see the description of the WM_SETHOTKEY message. This member is ignored if fMask does not include SEE_MASK_HOTKEY.

      • hMonitor

        public WinNT.HANDLE hMonitor
        This is actually a union:
         union { HANDLE hIcon; HANDLE hMonitor; } DUMMYUNIONNAME;
         
        DUMMYUNIONNAME
        hIcon

        Type: HANDLE

        A handle to the icon for the file type. This member is ignored if fMask does not include SEE_MASK_ICON. This value is used only in Windows XP and earlier. It is ignored as of Windows Vista.

        hMonitor

        Type: HANDLE

        A handle to the monitor upon which the document is to be displayed. This member is ignored if fMask does not include SEE_MASK_HMONITOR.

      • hProcess

        public WinNT.HANDLE hProcess

        Type: HANDLE

        A handle to the newly started application. This member is set on return and is always NULL unless fMask is set to SEE_MASK_NOCLOSEPROCESS. Even if fMask is set to SEE_MASK_NOCLOSEPROCESS, hProcess will be NULL if no process was launched. For example, if a document to be launched is a URL and an instance of Internet Explorer is already running, it will display the document. No new process is launched, and hProcess will be NULL.

        Note   ShellExecuteEx does not always return an hProcess, even if a process is launched as the result of the call. For example, an hProcess does not return when you use SEE_MASK_INVOKEIDLIST to invoke IContextMenu .
    • Constructor Detail

      • SHELLEXECUTEINFO

        public SHELLEXECUTEINFO()