Shell Folder Unit
Information Sheet

Contents

• Overview
• Compatibility
• Installation
• Bugs
• Change log
• License
• About the author

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Overview

This unit provides various components, classes and routines for handling Windows shell folders. It contains:

• A component that provides information about a specified special shell folder.
• A class that enumerates all the special shell folders.
• Routines to manipulate special shell folder information.
• A component that encapsulates the Windows Browse for Folder dialog box.
• A property editor that enumerates special shell folder identifiers.

Help file

A OpenHelp compatible help file is supplied. It provides help on all the components, classes, interfaces and routines. The help file integrates with the help system of Delphi 4 to 7. Although it does not integrate with the Delphi 2005 and later IDE at can be used independently of the IDE, albeit with some loss of functionality.

An .als file is also supplied to assist in integration with Delphi 6 and 7.

Demo program

A demo program with associated explanatory notes is included in the download. The demo lists and provides information about all the special shell folders supported by the unit.

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Compatibility

The Shell Folders Unit compiles with Delphi 4 and later. It has been tested with Delphi 4, 6, 7 and 2006.

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Installation

The Shell Folders Unit and components, the property editors, documentation and demo program are supplied in a zip file. Before installing you need to extract all the files from the zip file, preserving the directory structure. The following files will be extracted:

• PJShellFolders.pas – classes, routines and component source code.
• PJShellFolders.dcr – resource file containing component palette glyphs.
• PJShellFoldersDsgn.pas – source file for component registration and property editors.
• PJShellFolders.hlp – help file that integrates with the Delphi 3 to 7 OpenHelp system.
• PJShellFolders.als – a-link keyword file for integration with the Delphi 6 or 7 OpenHelp system.
• ReadMe.htm – this file.
• ChangeLog.txt – component's change log.
• SpecialFolderDescs.html – description of each of the supported shell folder constants.
• Demo\DelphiDabbler.ico – demo program icon.
• Demo\DemoReadMe.html – description of how to use the demo program along with review of source code.
• Demo\ShellFolderDemo.dpr – demo project file.
• Demo\ShellFolderDemo.res – icon resource for demo.
• Demo\ShellFolderDemo.cfg – demo compiler configuration file.
• Demo\ShellFolderDemoForm.pas – demo form source file.
• Demo\ShellFolderDemoForm.dfm – demo form file.

You can now proceed to install the components and property editor using the emphasised files above. Installation methods vary between Delphi versions, so follow the instructions that apply to your version below. Note that $(DELPHI) represents the path where the appropriate version of Delphi was installed. Similarly $(BDS) refers to the installation path of a version of the Borland Development System.

• Installation with Delphi 2005 & 2006
• Installation with Delphi 4 to 7

Installation with Delphi 2005 & 2006

The components must be installed into a Delphi Win32 design package. It is assumed that you will be installing into an existing package. You may decide to install into the "user" package: $(BDS)\Lib\dclusr.dpk.

1. Decide upon a suitable location into which to install the components. This may be a subdirectory of your Borland Studio Projects or $(BDS)\lib folders.
2. Copy PHShellFolders.pas, PHShellFolders.dcr and PHShellFoldersDsgn.pas to the chosen installation folder.
3. Start the Development System (selecting the Delphi Win32 personality if appropriate) then:
   • Open the required package. Select File | Open menu and choose a suitable package source file.
   • The package will now be displayed in the Project Manager with a .bpl extension. Right click the package's entry and select Add to display the Add dialog box. Enter the full path to PHShellFolders.pas in the Unit file name edit box (use the Browse button to navigate to the file). Click OK to add the component to the package.
   • Repeat the previous step for PHShellFoldersDsgn.pas.
   • Back in the Project Manager, check that all the added files appear under the package's Contains node. If so, right click the package's entry again and select Compile. If the resulting compilation succeeds a message should be displayed confirming that TPJSpecialFolderInfo and TPJBrowseDialog have been registered. The components should now appear in the "DelphiDabbler" section of the Tool Palette. (Note this will only appear when a form is selected in the designer).
   • If the components do not appear the package may not have been installed. Install it from the Project Manager by selecting the package's Install right click menu option.
   • Close the package project using the File | Close menu item. Accept any prompt that offers to save the package project.
4. If you wish you can now delete PHShellFolders.pas and PHShellFoldersDsgn.pas from the chosen installation folder.
5. The supplied help file cannot be integrated with the IDE's help system. However it can be used independently of the IDE, albeit with reduced functionality.
6. The demo program can be loaded into Delphi and compiled and run as required.

Installation with Delphi 4 to 7

The components must be installed into a design package. It is assumed that you will be installing into an existing package. You may wish to use the "user" package named dclusr.dpk or dclusrXX.dpk (where XX is a version number). This package can be found in $(DELPHI)\Lib. For Delphi 6 and 7 ensure that the chosen package "requires" designide.dcp.

1. Decide upon a suitable location into which to install the components. This may be a subdirectory of your $(DELPHI)\lib folder.
2. Copy PHShellFolders.pas, PHShellFolders.dcr and PHShellFoldersDsgn.pas to the chosen installation folder.
3. Start Delphi then:
   • Choose the Component | Install Component menu option to display the Install Component dialog box. Ensure the Into existing package tab is selected. Enter the full path to PJShellFolders.pas in the Unit file name edit box (use the adjacent Browse button to navigate to the file). Repeat the previous step for PJShellFoldersDsgn.pas. Choose the required package from the Package description combo box, or by navigating to the package using Browse. Click OK to confirm your selections.
   • A confirmation dialog box may displayed, querying whether it is OK to rebuild and reinstall the package. Click Yes to proceed.
   • The package will now be built and a dialog box should be displayed stating that the TPJSpecialFolderInfo and TPJBrowseDialog components have been installed. Click OK to dismiss the dialog box.
   • The components will appear on the "DelphiDabbler" palette.
4. If you wish you can now delete PHShellFolders.pas and PHShellFoldersDsgn.pas from the chosen installation folder.
5. The provided help file can be integrated with the IDE's OpenHelp system. Delphi 6 and 7 also require the use of the supplied .als file. The simplest way to install help is to use my Component Help Installer Expert (v2.2.1 or later). If you prefer to install manually, this article explains the process.
6. The demo program can be loaded into Delphi and compiled and run as required.

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Bugs

There are no known outstanding bugs.

The following is a list of reported bugs along with notes of the releases where they were fixed:

• PJShellFolders.pas would not compile with Delphi 2005/6. Fixed in release 2.2.2.
• Range check error in demo program. Fixed in release 2.2.2.
• Special folder ID property editor was read-only and not permitting special folder IDs to be edited at design time. Fixed in release 2.2.1.
• HelpContext property did not have default specifier. Fixed in release 2.2.
• Compiler warning "deprecated" was being displayed when PJShellFolders.pas was compiled with Delphi 6 or 7. Fixed in release 2.1.
• Folder display names not being shown correctly on Windows NT OSs. Fixed in release 2.0.

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Change log

A complete change log is provided in a text file that is included in the download.

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License

This source code is subject to the Mozilla Public License Version 1.1 (the "License"); you may not use this program except in compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at http://www.mozilla.org/MPL/.

Software distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" basis, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License for the specific language governing rights and limitations under the License.

The Original Code is Shell Folders Unit.

The Initial Developer of the Original Code is Peter Johnson (http://www.delphidabbler.com/).

Portions created by the Initial Developer are Copyright © 2001-2005 Peter Johnson. All Rights Reserved.

Contributor(s):

Philippe Lucarz
Ryan Fischbach

All relevant trademarks are acknowledged.

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About the author

I'm Peter Johnson – a hobbyist programmer living in Ceredigion in West Wales, UK, writing write mainly in Delphi. My programs are available for download from: http://www.delphidabbler.com/.