GetColumnsCppApATL

The ATL/SmartPointer version of a simple console app that takes a directory path and prints the visible column names in Windows Explorer's detail view for that directory using the Windows Shell API and IColumnManager.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Features
• Prerequisites
• Building
• License

Introduction

This tool helps you retrieve the list of column names that are visible in the Windows Explorer detail view for a specific directory. It utilizes the Windows Shell API, particularly the IColumnManager interface, to access the column information.

Features

• Retrieves visible column names for any directory in Windows Explorer.
• Utilizes modern C++ practices and Windows Shell utility functions.
• Simplified code without unnecessary complexities.

Prerequisites

• Operating System: Windows Vista or later.
• Development Environment: Visual Studio (2015 or later recommended).
• Windows SDK: Ensure that the Windows SDK is installed and configured in your development environment.

Building

Using Visual Studio Developer Command Prompt

1. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/shea-c4/GetColumnsCppApATL.git

2. Open a Visual Studio Developer Command Prompt

3. Navigate to the project directory.

cd path\to\GetColumnsCppApATL

4. Compile the source code

cl /EHsc /D_UNICODE /DUNICODE GetColumnsCppApATL.cpp /link shell32.lib ole32.lib propsys.lib

• Explanation of Flags:
  • /EHsc: Enables standard C++ exception handling.
  • /D_UNICODE /DUNICODE: Defines Unicode support.
  • /link: Specifies the libraries to link against.

5. Run the executable

After successful compilation, run the executable:

GetColumnsCppApATL.exe C:\Windows

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License