A Tiny But Useful Windows Explorer Extension For Developers

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• Features
• Get Setup File
• Getting Started
• Automatic Project Setup (recommended)
• Manual Project Setup
• Running The Tests
• Debugging The ShellServer
• Deployment
• Documentation
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Bugs And Feature Requests
• Contributing
• Versioning
• Creator
• Copyright And License
• Built With
• Acknowledgments

This application extends the Windows Explorer context menu. After installation, you'll find the Sonnenberg icon with a drop down inside the Windows Explorer context menu. Depending on the context, you'll be able to:

• Copy the path(s) of the clicked item(s), folder(s) or directory/directories, also in Unix-style
• Open PowerShell inside any directory and folder
• Open Command Prompt inside any directory and folder
• Count lines of text and code files, with or without blank lines, and copy the result to the clipboard

Works with any theme.

If you're just interested in using or testing the resulting software, you can get an installer file from here. Choose your language and architecture, and install the package. You can enable and disable the context menu extension via the Windows Start Menu, and the application can easily be uninstalled again.

These instructions will get you a copy of the project up and running on your local machine for development and testing purposes.

Software:

• Visual Studio Community
• WiX Toolset 3.11.2

Visual Studio Extensions:

• Microsoft Visual Studio Installer Projects
• WiX Toolset Visual Studio Extension from here
• Wax

Project:

• Clone the repository.

This method depends on Visual Studio Command Prompt, which is shipped with recent versions of Visual Studio. It will be located automatically.

Do not open any project files or the solution in an editor or an IDE while running the setup script, or you will get error messages and you will have to repeat the setup process. In the solution folder on your file system, right-click on setupSolution.ps1 script from within a Windows Explorer Window and select Run with PowerShell. Enter your name and your company name. This script will take care of all the necessary steps and actions it takes to get your own clone up and running, and ensure that you can run the tests and build MSI packages (for more information, see "Manual Project Setup"). After the setup script has finished, open the solution with the IDE of your choice, restore the packages and build the solution. To create the installer file, just build the installer project for the platform of your choice. To reset the solution, simply run Reset.ps1

If the Quick Start option should fail, you have to setup the solution manually. Just follow these simple steps in order to get up and running:

Create a GUID for each project's AssemblyInfo.cs file where it says YOUR_GUID_HERE.

Inside the Installer Project, open Product.wxs and create unique UPPERCASE GUIDs in it where it says YOUR_GUID_HERE.

Replace YOUR_MANUFACTURER_NAME_HERE with your name (required).

Restore the packages and build the solution. To create the installer file, just build the installer project for the platform of your choice.

Run your tests.

Note #1:
if you already take advantage of Sonnenberg on your computer, you need to stop the service first (e.g. via the Start Menu), in order to debug the ShellServer.dll you built.

Note #2:
In order to debug the ShellServer.dll, you need a copy of the SharpShell ServerManager. Download and unzip it.

1. Execute ServerManager.exe as Administrator. Select File->Load Server, navigate to "Sonnenberg\ShellServer\bin\Debug", and select ShellServer.dll.
2. Click Server, and then first install the Server and then register it for the architecture you want to debug.
3. Click Explorer. Make sure there is a tick where it says Always Unload DLLs.
4. Click Restart Explorer.
5. Open a Windows Explorer window up again.
6. In your IDE, click on the Debug tab and attach to process (explorer.exe).
7. Debug.
8. In order to rebuild, you need to go trough the Stop Debugging process described below.

Note #3 (of 3): In order to rebuild anything, you need to make sure the Shell Server ,A.K.A. ShellServer.dll, isn't installed and/or registered, since the file is locked by Windows Explorer during debugging as it is attached to an explorer.exe process. So you must have Stopped Debugging properly. In addition, the Server Manager Window needs to be closed.

1. In ServerManager.exe, mark ShellServer.dll.
2. Click Server, and then first unregister the Server and then uninstall it for the architecture you were debugging.
3. Click Explorer. Make sure there is a tick where it says Always Unload DLLs.
4. Click Restart Explorer.
5. Close ServerManager.exe.
6. Do your build-thing.
7. in order to debug again, well, you know...

Build the installer project for the desired platform and deploy the MSI file.

No need for a documentation.

After installation, you'll find the Sonnenberg icon with a drop down inside the Windows Explorer context menu. Depending on the context, you'll be able to:

• Copy the path of the clicked item, folder or directory, also in Unix-style
• Open PowerShell inside any directory and folder
• Open Command Prompt inside any directory and folder
• Count lines of text and code files, with or without blank lines, and copy the result to the clipboard

No

No.

Have a bug or a feature request? Please first read the issue guidelines and search for existing and closed issues. If your problem or idea is not addressed yet, please open a new issue.

Please read through our contributing guidelines. Included are directions for opening issues, coding standards, and notes on development.

Moreover, if your pull request contains JavaScript patches or features, you must include relevant unit tests. All HTML and CSS should conform to the Code Guide, maintained by Demis Patti.

Editor preferences are available in the editor config for easy use in common text editors. Read more and download plugins at https://editorconfig.org/.

For transparency into our release cycle and in striving to maintain backward compatibility, Sonnenberg is maintained under the Semantic Versioning guidelines. Sometimes we screw up, but we adhere to those rules whenever possible.

See the Releases section of our GitHub project for changelogs for each release version of Nicescroll.

Demis Patti https://github.com/demispatti

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE.md file for details.

• SharpShell
• nUnit
• WiX Toolset

• Microsoft - Thanks for Visual Studio Community
• Dave Kerr - Thanks for SharpShell