by Edward Catchpole (6 Submissions)
Category: Windows API Call/Explanation
Compatability: Visual Basic 5.0
Difficulty: Intermediate
Date Added: Wed 3rd February 2021
Rating: 
(2 Votes)
This function will display the file property dialog for any file you specify - it is the same one that Windows Explorer shows when you right click and goto 'Properties'.
The original article can be found at: https://www.mvps.org/vbnet/code/shell/propertypage.htm
VBcodersPrivate Type SHELLEXECUTEINFO
cbSize As Long
fMask As Long
hwnd As Long
lpVerb As String
lpFile As String
lpParameters As String
lpDirectory As String
nShow As Long
hInstApp As Long
lpIDList As Long 'Optional
lpClass As String 'Optional
hkeyClass As Long 'Optional
dwHotKey As Long 'Optional
hIcon As Long 'Optional
hProcess As Long 'Optional
End Type
Private Const SEE_MASK_INVOKEIDLIST = &HC
Private Const SEE_MASK_NOCLOSEPROCESS = &H40
Private Const SEE_MASK_FLAG_NO_UI = &H400
Private Declare Function ShellExecuteEx Lib "shell32" _
Alias "ShellExecuteExA" _
(SEI As SHELLEXECUTEINFO) As Long
Private Sub Form_Load()
Command1.Caption = "Show Properties"
'assure string points to a valid file
'on your system
Text1.Text = "c:\windows\notepad.exe"
End Sub
Private Sub Command1_Click()
'show the properties dialog, passing the filename
'and the owner of the dialog
Call ShowProperties(Text1.Text, Me.hwnd)
End Sub
Private Sub Command2_Click()
Unload Me
End Sub
Private Sub ShowProperties(sFilename As String, hWndOwner As Long)
'open a file properties property page for
'specified file if return value
Dim SEI As SHELLEXECUTEINFO
'Fill in the SHELLEXECUTEINFO structure
With SEI
.cbSize = Len(SEI)
.fMask = SEE_MASK_NOCLOSEPROCESS Or _
SEE_MASK_INVOKEIDLIST Or _
SEE_MASK_FLAG_NO_UI
.hwnd = hWndOwner
.lpVerb = "properties"
.lpFile = sFilename
.lpParameters = vbNullChar
.lpDirectory = vbNullChar
.nShow = 0
.hInstApp = 0
.lpIDList = 0
End With
'call the API to display the property sheet
Call ShellExecuteEX(SEI)
End Sub
