running context menu entry from commandline?

Hi there,

I try to figure out the simplest method to start any context menu
(right-click menu) entry from a commandline or perhaps an automation tool.

I know I could use rundll32.exe for most of those entries. I could also get
myself a very complex automation tool that would do anything I like on my
WinXP.

But I really only need to run some entries from the context menu.

Any pointer is very much welcome..

Dan

Hi Dan,

Customizing Right-Click Menu Options in Windows:
http://www.jfitz.com/tips/rclick_custom.html

Add or remove entries in the New objects list (ShellNew)
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/shellnew.htm

Manage the context-menu entries for folders, drives and Namespace
objects
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/context_folders.htm

Creating Context Menu Handlers
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...nuhandlers.asp

--
Regards,
Bert Kinney [MS-MVP DTS]
http://dts-l.org/


Dan wrote:
Hi there,

I try to figure out the simplest method to start any
context menu (right-click menu) entry from a commandline
or perhaps an automation tool.

I know I could use rundll32.exe for most of those
entries. I could also get myself a very complex
automation tool that would do anything I like on my WinXP.

But I really only need to run some entries from the
context menu.

Any pointer is very much welcome..

Dan

Thanks Bert,

I checked the links. Thanks. Unfortuantely, this is not what I was looking
for.

I do not want to add/change/delete any context-menu entries..
I just want to run them without having to right-click on them.

For example, I do have the Layout.dll installed. That is, I can save and
restore my desktop Icon layout by right-clicking on the My Computer icon and
choose "Restore Desktop Icon Layout". So, for this I need to use the mouse
or keyboard-shortcuts.

Well I do not want to do this. I want to perform the same action from the
commandline. Without touching the mouse.

I know I can do similar things when the funtion I want is exposed to the
shell. In that sense I could use rundll32. But that is not possible for all
context entries. Layout.dll is one of those..

Again, what I search is a way to start any contex-menu entry from the
command line or a script.

Can that be done?

Dan


"Bert Kinney" wrote in message
...
Hi Dan,

Customizing Right-Click Menu Options in Windows:
http://www.jfitz.com/tips/rclick_custom.html

Add or remove entries in the New objects list (ShellNew)
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/shellnew.htm

Manage the context-menu entries for folders, drives and Namespace
objects
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/context_folders.htm

Creating Context Menu Handlers

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...nuhandlers.asp

--
Regards,
Bert Kinney [MS-MVP DTS]
http://dts-l.org/


Dan wrote:
Hi there,

I try to figure out the simplest method to start any
context menu (right-click menu) entry from a commandline
or perhaps an automation tool.

I know I could use rundll32.exe for most of those
entries. I could also get myself a very complex
automation tool that would do anything I like on my WinXP.

But I really only need to run some entries from the
context menu.

Any pointer is very much welcome..

Dan

Context menu handlers are stored in the registry and may invoke different
kinds of commands to execute their action. For example, as you note, if
that action is to launch a dll, you could use rundll32 as a command line.
Another context command might launch an exe with or without certain command
line parameters, etc. In theory, a program could be developed for use from
the command line that would look up the command for a particular shell
extension in the registry and execute it, but there is no native capability
in Windows to do this.
--

"Dan" wrote in message
...
Hi there,

I try to figure out the simplest method to start any context menu
(right-click menu) entry from a commandline or perhaps an automation tool.

I know I could use rundll32.exe for most of those entries. I could also
get
myself a very complex automation tool that would do anything I like on my
WinXP.

But I really only need to run some entries from the context menu.

Any pointer is very much welcome..

Dan