Feature: "Open with" toolbar dropdown

[SilverGreen93]

What feature or improvement do you think would benefit Files?

Add an "Open with" dropdown option next to the "New" button in the toolbar.
When a file is selected, the associated applications would show up in the dropdown.

Requirements

This helps in quickly open a file in different programs. For example, you may open a C file in Notepad++ or Visual Studio Code.

Files Version

3.9.12.0

Windows Version

10.0.26100.4652

Comments

No response

[Josh65-2201]

Thanks for the feedback, you can currently do this in the context menu.

[SilverGreen93]

Thanks for the feedback, you can currently do this in the context menu.

Yes, you can. But opening the context menu is a bit slow to load, and using the main toolbar would be faster, also requiring one less click.

[yaira2]

I thought we already had an issue for this, it's been on my mind for some time 🙂

[0x5bfa]

Just FYI to everyone here: we query the sub menu of "openas" verb menu item that was queried thru the main IContextMenu, which means unless we use the direct API, not the verbs, we can't expect the performance improvements.

While the API for the Open With menu is undocumented, I know how to get it, and since it's typically a normal to thing (because those APIs (e.g., ShellNew menu, OpenWith menu) are *expected* to be used only in File Explorer), I'm pretty sure we're safe to use them.

Let me know if someone tries to. I'll send the API definition.

[0x5bfa]

Here's the pseudocode (this has no error handlings and lacks of disposing)

// @WindowsStorableHelpers.Shell.cs

internal static void EnumerateOpenWithMenuItems()
{
	HRESULT hr = default;

	using ComPtr<IContextMenu> pOpenWithContextMenu = default;
	using ComPtr<IContextMenu2> pOpenWithContextMenu2 = default;
	using ComPtr<IShellExtInit> pShellExtInit = default;
	using ComPtr<IShellItem> pShellItem = default;
	using ComPtr<IShellItem> pParentFolderShellItem = default;
	using ComPtr<IDataObject> pDataObject = default;
	ComHeapPtr<ITEMIDLIST> pParentAbsolutePidl = default;
	ComHeapPtr<ITEMIDLIST> pThisAbsolutePidl = default;
	ComHeapPtr<ITEMIDLIST> pThisRelativePidl = default;

	PInvoke.CoCreateInstance(CLSID.CLSID_OpenWithMenu, null, CLSCTX.CLSCTX_INPROC_SERVER, IID.IID_IContextMenu, (void**)pOpenWithContextMenu.GetAddressOf());
	hr = pOpenWithContextMenu.Get()->QueryInterface(IID.IID_IShellExtInit, (void**)pShellExtInit.GetAddressOf());
	hr = pOpenWithContextMenu.Get()->QueryInterface(IID.IID_IContextMenu2, (void**)pOpenWithContextMenu2.GetAddressOf());
	fixed (char* pszPath = "D:\\Branding.svg") hr = PInvoke.SHCreateItemFromParsingName(pszPath, null, IID.IID_IShellItem, (void**)pShellItem.GetAddressOf());

	// Get the absolute PIDL of the parent folder
	pShellItem.Get()->GetParent(pParentFolderShellItem.GetAddressOf());
	PInvoke.SHGetIDListFromObject((IUnknown*)pParentFolderShellItem.Get(), pParentAbsolutePidl.GetAddressOf());

	// Get the relative PIDL of the current item
	PInvoke.SHGetIDListFromObject((IUnknown*)pShellItem.Get(), pThisAbsolutePidl.GetAddressOf());
	pThisRelativePidl.Attach(PInvoke.ILFindLastID(pThisAbsolutePidl.Get()));

	hr = PInvoke.SHCreateDataObject(pParentAbsolutePidl.Get(), 1U, pThisRelativePidl.GetAddressOf(), null, IID.IID_IDataObject, (void**)pDataObject.GetAddressOf());

	// The 2nd parameter must not be null, others aren't used.
	hr = pShellExtInit.Get()->Initialize(null, pDataObject.Get(), HKEY.Null);

	// Inserts "New (&W)"
	HMENU hMenu = PInvoke.CreatePopupMenu();
	hr = pOpenWithContextMenu.Get()->QueryContextMenu(hMenu, 0, 1, 256, 0);

	// Invokes CNewMenu::_InitMenuPopup(), which populates the hSubMenu
	HMENU hSubMenu = PInvoke.GetSubMenu(hMenu, 0);
	hr = pOpenWithContextMenu2.Get()->HandleMenuMsg(PInvoke.WM_INITMENUPOPUP, (WPARAM)(nuint)hSubMenu.Value, 0);

	uint dwCount = unchecked((uint)PInvoke.GetMenuItemCount(hSubMenu));
	if (dwCount is unchecked((uint)-1)) return;

	// Enumerates and populates the list
	for (uint dwIndex = 0U; dwIndex < dwCount; dwIndex++)
	{
		MENUITEMINFOW mii = default;
		mii.cbSize = (uint)sizeof(MENUITEMINFOW);
		mii.fMask = MENU_ITEM_MASK.MIIM_STRING | MENU_ITEM_MASK.MIIM_ID | MENU_ITEM_MASK.MIIM_STATE;
		mii.dwTypeData = (char*)NativeMemory.Alloc(256U);
		mii.cch = 256;

		if (PInvoke.GetMenuItemInfo(hSubMenu, dwIndex, true, &mii))
		{
			Console.WriteLine($"{mii.wID:3}: \"{mii.dwTypeData.ToString()}\" ({mii.fState})");
		}

		NativeMemory.Free(mii.dwTypeData);
	}
}

@yaira2 Do you wanna proceed? I can add this helper now after testing it on my playground app.

[yaira2]

I'd like to see a proof of concept, but it sounds good in theory.

[0x5bfa]

Here you go

[yaira2]

We also need to consider whether there should be an option to hide this toolbar button.

[SilverGreen93]

We also need to consider whether there should be an option to hide this toolbar button.

Rather than making show/hide options for certain toolbar elements, it would be better to allow the customization of the toolbar. This way we can also include the Split pane vertical/horizontal buttons or any other we like.

[yaira2]

We also need to consider whether there should be an option to hide this toolbar button.

Rather than making show/hide options for certain toolbar elements, it would be better to allow the customization of the toolbar. This way we can also include the Split pane vertical/horizontal buttons or any other we like.

This is being planned in #16188, however, we would need something for this feature until that's ready to be implemented.