Windows 7 - Right-click context cascade menu for Python

cascade, python, shell, windows

Solution

I've just followed these steps and it appears to work:

1) First find the `.zip` key under `HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT`.

2) Select it and look at its default. In my case the default is `CompressedFolder`:

3) Now navigate your way down to `CompressedFolder\shell` (or what was ever under your default for .zip) which is also contained under `HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT`:

4) Right click on the shell and add a new key, in my case I've added a key named `MyCommand`. Add a subkey to this key called `command`. `MyCommand` will be the name of the command that appears on the context menu.

5) Next edit the value of the `(Deafult)` entry of the `command` subkey for `mycommand`, adding the operation you wish to perform. In my case I want to open a python file which tells me details about the file:

This is the python script:

import os
import sys

def main():
    st = os.stat(sys.argv[1])
    print st
    raw_input()

if __name__ == '__main__':
    main()

And it is located at C:\info.py

And this is the entry I've added to default:

`python C:\\info.py %1`

That's all there is to it, now if you were to right click on a zip file you should see the command you've added:

Which when clicked gives:

Hope this is what you where after. If you wish to add more commands then just add more subkeys under the `shell` key as we did with `MyCommand`.

UPDATE - CASCADING MENUS

a) In order to add cascading menus navigate to the key stated above in step 3. In my case this is `CompressedFolder\shell` which is under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT. Once here add a key with a name of your choice, in my case I used `CascadeMenu`. Add 2 entries to this key:

- `MUIVerb` - this is the name that will appear for the cascade menu. In my case I have used `MyCascadeMenu`

- `SubCommands` - this is a semicolon separated list of commands. Name the commands whatever you like, in my case I have used `python.info`. Use a '|' between commands if you want a separator, for example `command1;|;command2`

b) Next we need to tell windows what this command actually does. Navigate to: `HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CommandStore\Shell`

Once here add a key with the name of your command. In my case the key is called `python.info`. Set the default value of the key to the name you want to appear in the context menu. In my case I have used `"File Info"`

c) Now add a subkey to your command, called `command`. Change the default entry of this command to the command you wish to execute. In my case I have set it to `python C:\\info.py %1`

d) We are now finished, right click on the .zip file to see your newly created context menu:

Problem

Original source