Reg Keys

Here are some regkeys that you can use to add commands to Windows Explorer.

Just copy the parts between the begin and end lines to a file. The file type should be REG and the name doesn't matter.

FreeZip extensions

I've been using FreeZip for a long time and have been very pleased with it. Recently I realized that it is really just a delivery mechanism for the open source zip program (from Info-ZIP) and a set of registry keys. I don't mean to denigrate FreeZip, it is one of my favourite programs; it does the job it is designed for and moreover does it simply and without fuss, without unnecessary complications.

of course FreeZip delivers more than the registry keys, it also delivers a sophisticated .INF file that does the more complicated work; this is another minor masterpiece, an object lesson in doing more with less.

However knowing how it is done lets you develop the idea further or use similar techniques for other purposes. So here is a variant on the Zip command that FreeZip adds to the context menu for folders:

An important thing to remember is that the value of the command key can be any executable command line. That includes calls to console programs, windows programs, the NT console itself. The programs can have any arguments you like. If the command line doesn't specify the full path to an executable then the path will be searched for a matching name. You can pass the full path to the currently selected item by using %1. It is usually a good idea to enclose that in quotation marks in case there are any spaces in the path.

If you write any .REG files by hand remember that the quotation marks must be escaped with backslashes because the whole string value is also enclosed in quotation marks.

Move Files Into Zip

========================================================================= REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\Zip (Move files into Zip)\command] @="zip -rSm \"%1\" " =========================================================================

The command line moves all the files from the current folder and its sub-folders into a zip file named the same as the folder.

In contrast to FreeZip's version this one doesn't specify the path to the zip executable, this means that the executable must be placed in the path, nor does it specify the type so BAT, CMD, COM or EXE files will all work (of course they must understand the same command line).

* Get a Copy of the Directory into Notepad

The following command line can be used

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Updated: 2004-05-30

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