getting the windows file type associated icon

[JuggaloBrotha]

short and simple i'm using a listview to display files and folders on the HDD and right now i have a folder icon in an imagelist that's displayed with all the folders in the listview

now what i would like to do is have the associated windows icon for all the files in the listview as well, without using a pre-defined imagelist

is there a way to get it from windows itself to use with the listview?

example for further clarification: *.doc files are associated with MS Word and i'd like to get the Windows Icon for the *.doc files and use it in the ListView

 

[jmcilhinney]

I believe you need to use the SHGetFileInfo API. This article is written for C# but the principles are the same.

 

[JuggaloBrotha]

yes, that's exactly what i'm looking to do

though with it being in c# i'm having trouble converting it to VB as VB has trouble using the System.UInt32 and the Marshall functions

so how would i convert this to vb.net?
or how could i include a c# project containing 1 module with that code in it and use it in the vb.net project?

here's the c# code:

using System;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Collections;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Data;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;

namespace Etier.IconHelper
{
	/// <summary>
	/// Provides static methods to read system icons for both folders and files.
	/// </summary>
	/// <example>
	/// <code>IconReader.GetFileIcon("c:\\general.xls");</code>
	/// </example>
	public class IconReader
	{
		/// <summary>
		/// Options to specify the size of icons to return.
		/// </summary>
		public enum IconSize
		{
			/// <summary>
			/// Specify large icon - 32 pixels by 32 pixels.
			/// </summary>
			Large = 0,
			/// <summary>
			/// Specify small icon - 16 pixels by 16 pixels.
			/// </summary>
			Small = 1
		}
		
		/// <summary>
		/// Options to specify whether folders should be in the open or closed state.
		/// </summary>
		public enum FolderType
		{
			/// <summary>
			/// Specify open folder.
			/// </summary>
			Open = 0,
			/// <summary>
			/// Specify closed folder.
			/// </summary>
			Closed = 1
		}

		/// <summary>
		/// Returns an icon for a given file - indicated by the name parameter.
		/// </summary>
		/// <param name="name">Pathname for file.</param>
		/// <param name="size">Large or small</param>
		/// <param name="linkOverlay">Whether to include the link icon</param>
		/// <returns>System.Drawing.Icon</returns>
		public static System.Drawing.Icon GetFileIcon(string name, IconSize size, bool linkOverlay)
		{
			Shell32.SHFILEINFO shfi = new Shell32.SHFILEINFO();
			uint flags = Shell32.SHGFI_ICON | Shell32.SHGFI_USEFILEATTRIBUTES;

			if (true == linkOverlay) flags += Shell32.SHGFI_LINKOVERLAY;

			/* Check the size specified for return. */
			if (IconSize.Small == size)
			{
				flags += Shell32.SHGFI_SMALLICON ;
			} 
			else 
			{
				flags += Shell32.SHGFI_LARGEICON ;
			}

			Shell32.SHGetFileInfo(	name, 
				Shell32.FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL, 
				ref shfi, 
		    	(uint) System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.SizeOf(shfi), 
				flags );

			// Copy (clone) the returned icon to a new object, thus allowing us to clean-up properly
		    System.Drawing.Icon icon = (System.Drawing.Icon)System.Drawing.Icon.FromHandle(shfi.hIcon).Clone();
		    User32.DestroyIcon( shfi.hIcon );	    // Cleanup
			return icon;
		}

		/// <summary>
		/// Used to access system folder icons.
		/// </summary>
		/// <param name="size">Specify large or small icons.</param>
		/// <param name="folderType">Specify open or closed FolderType.</param>
		/// <returns>System.Drawing.Icon</returns>
		public static System.Drawing.Icon GetFolderIcon( IconSize size, FolderType folderType )
		{
			// Need to add size check, although errors generated at present!
			uint flags = Shell32.SHGFI_ICON | Shell32.SHGFI_USEFILEATTRIBUTES;

			if (FolderType.Open == folderType)
			{
				flags += Shell32.SHGFI_OPENICON;
			}
			
			if (IconSize.Small == size)
			{
				flags += Shell32.SHGFI_SMALLICON;
			} 
			else 
			{
				flags += Shell32.SHGFI_LARGEICON;
			}

			// Get the folder icon
			Shell32.SHFILEINFO shfi = new Shell32.SHFILEINFO();
			Shell32.SHGetFileInfo(	null, 
				Shell32.FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY, 
				ref shfi, 
		    	(uint) System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.SizeOf(shfi), 
				flags );

		    System.Drawing.Icon.FromHandle(shfi.hIcon);	// Load the icon from an HICON handle

			// Now clone the icon, so that it can be successfully stored in an ImageList
		    System.Drawing.Icon icon = (System.Drawing.Icon)System.Drawing.Icon.FromHandle(shfi.hIcon).Clone();

		    User32.DestroyIcon( shfi.hIcon );	    // Cleanup
			return icon;
		}	
	}

	/// <summary>
	/// Wraps necessary Shell32.dll structures and functions required to retrieve Icon Handles using SHGetFileInfo. Code
	/// courtesy of MSDN Cold Rooster Consulting case study.
	/// </summary>
	/// 

	// This code has been left largely untouched from that in the CRC example. The main changes have been moving
	// the icon reading code over to the IconReader type.
	public class Shell32  
	{
		
		public const int 	MAX_PATH = 256;
		[StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)]
			public struct ****EMID
		{
			public ushort cb;
			[MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPArray)]
			public byte[] abID;
		}

		[StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)]
			public struct ITEMIDLIST
		{
			public ****EMID mkid;
		}

		[StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)]
			public struct BROWSEINFO 
		{ 
			public IntPtr		hwndOwner; 
			public IntPtr		pidlRoot; 
			public IntPtr 		pszDisplayName;
			[MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)] 
			public string 		lpszTitle; 
			public uint 		ulFlags; 
			public IntPtr		lpfn; 
			public int			lParam; 
			public IntPtr 		iImage; 
		} 

		// Browsing for directory.
		public const uint BIF_RETURNONLYFSDIRS   =	0x0001;
		public const uint BIF_DONTGOBELOWDOMAIN  =	0x0002;
		public const uint BIF_STATUSTEXT		 =	0x0004;
		public const uint BIF_RETURNFSANCESTORS  =	0x0008;
		public const uint BIF_EDITBOX		    =	0x0010;
		public const uint BIF_VALIDATE		   =	0x0020;
		public const uint BIF_NEWDIALOGSTYLE	 =	0x0040;
		public const uint BIF_USENEWUI		   =	(BIF_NEWDIALOGSTYLE | BIF_EDITBOX);
		public const uint BIF_BROWSEINCLUDEURLS  =	0x0080;
		public const uint BIF_BROWSEFORCOMPUTER  =	0x1000;
		public const uint BIF_BROWSEFORPRINTER   =	0x2000;
		public const uint BIF_BROWSEINCLUDEFILES =	0x4000;
		public const uint BIF_SHAREABLE		  =	0x8000;

		[StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)]
			public struct SHFILEINFO
		{ 
			public const int NAMESIZE = 80;
			public IntPtr	hIcon; 
			public int		iIcon; 
			public uint	dwAttributes; 
			[MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.ByValTStr, SizeConst=MAX_PATH)]
			public string szDisplayName; 
			[MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.ByValTStr, SizeConst=NAMESIZE)]
			public string szTypeName; 
		};

		public const uint SHGFI_ICON		    	= 0x000000100;	 // get icon
		public const uint SHGFI_DISPLAYNAME	    	= 0x000000200;	 // get display name
		public const uint SHGFI_TYPENAME		  	= 0x000000400;	 // get type name
		public const uint SHGFI_ATTRIBUTES	    	= 0x000000800;	 // get attributes
		public const uint SHGFI_ICONLOCATION		  = 0x000001000;	 // get icon location
		public const uint SHGFI_EXETYPE		   	= 0x000002000;	 // return exe type
		public const uint SHGFI_SYSICONINDEX		  = 0x000004000;	 // get system icon index
		public const uint SHGFI_LINKOVERLAY	   	= 0x000008000;	 // put a link overlay on icon
		public const uint SHGFI_SELECTED		  	= 0x000010000;	 // show icon in selected state
		public const uint SHGFI_ATTR_SPECIFIED		= 0x000020000;	 // get only specified attributes
		public const uint SHGFI_LARGEICON		 	= 0x000000000;	 // get large icon
		public const uint SHGFI_SMALLICON		 	= 0x000000001;	 // get small icon
		public const uint SHGFI_OPENICON		  	= 0x000000002;	 // get open icon
		public const uint SHGFI_SHELLICONSIZE		 = 0x000000004;	 // get shell size icon
		public const uint SHGFI_PIDL			  	= 0x000000008;	 // pszPath is a pidl
		public const uint SHGFI_USEFILEATTRIBUTES 	= 0x000000010;	 // use passed dwFileAttribute
		public const uint SHGFI_ADDOVERLAYS	   	= 0x000000020;	 // apply the appropriate overlays
		public const uint SHGFI_OVERLAYINDEX		  = 0x000000040;	 // Get the index of the overlay

		public const uint FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY  = 0x00000010;  
		public const uint FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL	 = 0x00000080;  

		[DllImport("Shell32.dll")]
		public static extern IntPtr SHGetFileInfo(
			string pszPath,
			uint dwFileAttributes,
			ref SHFILEINFO psfi,
			uint cbFileInfo,
			uint uFlags
			);
	}

	/// <summary>
	/// Wraps necessary functions imported from User32.dll. Code courtesy of MSDN Cold Rooster Consulting example.
	/// </summary>
	public class User32
	{
		/// <summary>
		/// Provides access to function required to delete handle. This method is used internally
		/// and is not required to be called separately.
		/// </summary>
		/// <param name="hIcon">Pointer to icon handle.</param>
		/// <returns>N/A</returns>
		[DllImport("User32.dll")]
		public static extern int DestroyIcon( IntPtr hIcon );
	}
}

 

[jmcilhinney]

Assuming you have a C# compiler, you can create a new Class Library project and add this class to it. Once compiled, you can then reference that library in your VB.NET projects. Alternatively, you could try some of the free code converters on the Web, although they aren't 100% accurate. There's one here, but there are others as well. If you Google "VB.NET C# convert" or something similar you should be able to find them.

 

[kulrom]

also try with this one ... http://www.ragingsmurf.com/vbcsharpconverter.aspx

 

[JuggaloBrotha]

yea, i've been trying various c# to vb converters and all of them apparently dont know how to use System.UInt32 to handle integer values of 01x0003 lol

and i tried making a c# class library and adding the *.cs file to it, but when it tries to compile it apparently System.Drawing and System.Windows dont exist in the framework

i dont get it, VS isnt cooperating with me today

-edit-

i made a user control project instead, of which that works (for the most part), but there are still some issues, apparently in one of the sub's i'm getting an "object not set to an instance of the object" error and thing is, i didnt modify the sub whatsoever and it works fine in a windows form app

here's the two projects (in c# too) if anybody would like to look at it, the demo one is the original author's of which works fine, the WindowsIcons one is mine of which doesnt work fo whatever reason

 

[BadgerByte]

Hey JB,

Not sure if this is any help, stumbled across it while looking for something else but they use the registry in this example:

http://www.developerfusion.co.uk/show/2982/4/

 

[kulrom]

Good shot, mr. BadgerByte