Shell Ace is a library for the Delphi development environment allowing you to quickly create all kinds of extensions for Windows Explorer and Internet Explorer, such as context menus or tooltips. You do not need to spend time on studying tons of documentation and delve into the peculiarities of its implementations in various Windows versions in order to create a shell extension. Just download and install the Shell Ace library and develop all your extensions in the object-oriented style you are used to.

Shell Ace allows you to create the following shell extensions:

Auto play handler
The extension allows you to implement the automatic playback mechanism for files from external media, for instance, audio tracks from CDs.

Browser helper object
The extension makes it possible to respond to events occurring in Internet Explorer and Windows Explorer, such as opening a new page or loading a page completely.

Context menu handler
The extension allows you to extend the context menu opened with a right click on a file or a folder.

Data object handler
The extension allows you to implement additional formats a file will be presented in when it is copied to the clipboard in Explorer. For instance, this extension will allow you to copy an image file as an image right from Explorer.

Desk band handler
The extension allows you to add an additional toolbar to the Windows desktop taskbar that can have anything on it, for instance, weather information or audio playback buttons.

Disc cleanup handler
The extension allows you to enhance the features of the Disc Cleanup utility included in the Windows operating system.

Drag and drop menu handler
The extension allows you to extend the context menu opened when you move an object using the right mouse button.

Drop target handler
The extension allows you to define the action that occurs when you drag and drop an object onto a file.

Explorer band handler
The extension allows you to add a horizontal or vertical bar to Internet Explorer where you can add any information or control elements.

Explorer command handler
The extension allows you to add additional buttons to the Explorer toolbar in Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows 7.

Hook handler
The extension allows you to intercept user operation with folders and printers in Explorer and also intercept calls of the ShellExecute function in Windows versions up to XP.

Icon handler
The extension allows you to define the icon of a file dynamically.

InfoTip handler
The extension allows you to define the text of a tooltip that appears when you move the mouse pointer over a file.

MIME filter handler
The extension allows you to intercept loading files with a certain MIME type by the WebBrowser system component within one application or the entire system.

IE command handler
The extension allows you to add an additional button to the Internet Explorer toolbar.

IE context menu handler
The extension allows you to add an additional menu item to the Internet Explorer context menu.

Overlay icon handler
The extension allows you to add a small image over existing icons in the lower left corner similar to the image representing a shortcut.

Preview handler
The extension allows you to display the contents of a file in the Explorer preview pane.

Property sheet handler
The extension allows you to add an additional tab to the Properties dialog box of an object.

Property store handler
The extension allows you to redefine the values displayed in the Explorer columns or add new columns in Windows XP and provide the mechanism of extracting the properties of a file in Windows Vista or later.

Protocol handler
The extension allows you to use the WebBrowser system component to loads files from new protocols within one application or the entire system.

Send to handler
The extension allows you to add additional items to the Send to submenu.

Thumbnail handler
The extension creates small images based on the contents of files and allows Explorer to show these file thumbnails.

Tool band handler
The extension allows you to add an additional toolbar to Internet Explorer.

URL search hook handler
The extension allows you to process entering a string that is not a URL into the address field in IE.

The Shell Ace library includes a plug-in for Delphi IDE that is integrated into the development environment and makes it possible to generate shell extension frameworks literally within a couple of mouse clicks. It makes shell development considerably easier and faster. Besides generating frameworks, the plug-in allows you to create a demo sample for each of extension types you create, which makes it easier to learn about the features of the library.

The library has been developed with the peculiarities of the latest Windows versions taken into account, which makes it possible to create modern user-friendly shell extensions. Shell Ace allows you to create shell extensions practically in any version of Delphi starting from Delphi 7 and up to Delphi 10.3 Rio. Delphi XE2 or later allows you to develop 64-bit versions of extensions.

What is a shell extension
A shell extension is a regular dll file implementing an in-process COM server. An extension enhances the functionality of the Windows shell, which is Explorer by default. Extensions enhancing the functionality of the Internet Explorer and Disk Cleanup applications and the Indexing and Windows Search services can also be considered as shell extensions. Besides Explorer, the functionality of many other applications is automatically enhanced. For example, if you install an extension that dynamically determines the appearance of a file icon, any program that uses the Open or Close dialog box will automatically show the file icons determined by the extension.

Since a shell extension is an in-process COM server, it can be loaded only by an application of the same bitness. It means that 32-bit extensions will not work with the 64-bit version of Explorer, while 64-bit extensions will not work with the 32-bit version. That is why it is recommended to create and include both the 32- and 64-bit versions of your extensions when you distribute them (and if the 128-bit version of Windows appears, you will have to create the 128-bit version of the extension as well). Regarding the Delphi development environment, it means that it is recommended to create extensions in the Delphi version not earlier than Delphi XE2 because it became possible to compile 64-bit applications and libraries only in Delphi XE2.

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