Have to put an icon on file extensions of a program on Windows explorer

[tomy]

Hi all,

Here is the program from the book "C++-GUI-Programming-with-Qt-4-2nd Edition".

I want to modify the code so that when that program is being used on any Windows machine it puts an icon on its stored files on Windows Explorer.

I sought the Web and was told that I should change the code of both the script file and also the program.

Here is the script file's content:

function Component()
{
    // default constructor
}

Component.prototype.createOperations = function()
{
    // call the base create operations function
     component.createOperations();
      if (installer.value("os") == "win")
        {
           var userProfile = installer.environmentVariable("USERPROFILE");
           installer.setValue("UserProfile", userProfile);

           component.addOperation("CreateShortcut", "@TargetDir@/Spreadsheet.exe",
           "@UserProfile@/Desktop/Spreadsheet.lnk" ,"workingDirectory=@TargetDir@",
           "iconPath=@TargetDir@/Spreadsheet.ico");

           component.addOperation("CreateShortcut", "@TargetDir@/QSpreadsheet.exe",
           "@TargetDir@/Spreadsheet.lnk" ,"workingDirectory=@TargetDir@", "iconPath=@TargetDir@/Spreadsheet.ico");

           component.addOperation("CreateShortcut", "@TargetDir@/Spreadsheet.exe",
           "@StartMenuDir@/Spreadsheet.lnk", "workingDirectory=@TargetDir@", "iconPath=@TargetDir@/Spreadsheet.ico");

           component.addOperation("RegisterFileType", "sp",
           "@TargetDir@\\Spreadsheet.exe \" %1\"", "Tomy Inc",
           "application/x-binary", "@TargetDir@/Spreadsheet.ico",
           "ProgId=Spreadsheet.sp");
        }
 }

And use QSettings.

void MainWindow::readSettings()
{
    QSettings settings("Tomy Inc.", "Spreadsheet");
    restoreGeometry(settings.value("geometry").toByteArray());
    recentFiles = settings.value("recentFiles").toStringList();
    updateRecentFileActions();
    bool showGrid = settings.value("showGrid", true).toBool();
    showGridAction->setChecked(showGrid);
    bool autoRecalc = settings.value("autoRecalc", true).toBool();
    autoRecalcAction->setChecked(autoRecalc);

    QSettings s("HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\SOFTWARE\\CLASSES",
                QSettings::NativeFormat);
    s.setValue(".sp/DefaultIcon/.", QDir::toNativeSeparators
               (qApp->applicationFilePath()));
    s.setValue(".sp/.","Tomy Inc.Spreadsheet.v1");
    s.setValue("Tomy Inc.Spreadsheet.v1/shell/open/command/.",
     QDir::toNativeSeparators(qApp->applicationFilePath()) + " %1");
}

//*************************************************************

void MainWindow::writeSettings()
{
    QSettings settings("Tomy Inc.", "Spreadsheet");
    settings.setValue("geometry", saveGeometry());
    settings.setValue("recentFiles", recentFiles);
    settings.setValue("showGrid", showGridAction->isChecked());
    settings.setValue("autoRecalc", autoRecalcAction->isChecked());

    QSettings s("HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\SOFTWARE\\CLASSES",
                QSettings::NativeFormat);
    s.setValue(".sp/DefaultIcon/.", QDir::toNativeSeparators
               (qApp->applicationFilePath()));
    s.setValue(".sp/.","Tomy Inc.Spreadsheet.v1");
    s.setValue("Tomy Inc.Spreadsheet.v1/shell/open/command/.",
     QDir::toNativeSeparators(qApp->applicationFilePath()) + " %1");
}

There is/are obviously some error(s). When I install the program on Windows no icons will be stored on the files I save on Windows Explorer.

PS: I do not want to modify my registery to do the job; I want to have the program do that on "any" windows machine it will be installed on.

One question here: How do you create applications?

[jsulm]

@tomy said in Have to put an icon on file extensions of a program on Windows explorer:

I do not want to modify my registery to do the job

But then how do you want to achieve this? Registry is the way to do this on Windows.

[tomy]

@jsulm

But then how do you want to achieve this? Registry is the way to do this on Windows.

I meant I don't want to manipulate the registery directly; I want to manipulate the registery "inside the code" so that the code/program itself manipulates the registery in every Windows machine it will be installing on.

For example you install a word processing application on Windows. You run the app and create a new file, put some data into it, and finally save it under the name "myfile_1" on Desktop. Doesn't that file have an icon on itself? It always has. Because the developer of that application has written the code so that it makes the Windows put some nice icon on the files that will be stored on Windows Explorer. I need this.
Could I convey the issue correctly?

[jsulm]

@tomy Then I don't understand the problem: you already have the code, right? Just execute it when your app is starting. Additionaly you could first check whether you already did this before if not then execute that code.

[jsulm]

@tomy In this thread https://forum.qt.io/topic/82560/my-app-s-stored-files-shape-are-as-unknown-files/12 there is already this link: https://msdn.microsoft.com/de-de/library/windows/desktop/ee872121(v=vs.85).aspx

[tomy]

@jsulm

Then I don't understand the problem: you already have the code, right?

Right.

Just execute it when your app is starting. Additionaly you could first check whether you already did this before if not then execute that code.

It's now me that doesn't understand!

Please listen again, I want some nice icon to be put on the files I save.

Here is a file of MS Excel, and one of MS Word. As they are shown they have nice icon/shape/design on themselves but four files of the app we are talking about have no icon/shape/design on themselves, as if they are not known by Windows.

[jsulm]

@tomy I know what you want to do. On windows this is done via registry, so out of scope of Qt. You need to find out what exactly you need to change in Windows registry. See MSDN.
The icon is associated with a file type/extension.

[Tikani]

@tomy
Windows registers icons for file types only by extensions, it doesn't check byte sequences in files' headers like Linux.
Thus, use WinAPI to edit registry from code on the installation stage of your program. Embed this functionality directly to the application - it's a bad practise. Only an installator must take responsibility for application's integration with a system.

[Chris Kawa]

I recently answered similar question: How to set icon for a custom type of file using Qt.

As @Tikani mentioned this should probably be done in the installation stage, i.e. in some code invoked by the installer if it doesn't provide that functionality out of the box. Assuming, of course, that you have an installer in the first place.

[J.Hilk]

@tomy from those Code-Example I'm guessing you're using the QtInstallerFramework to install your App on the window PC.

In that case here in the official example from the docu on how to register fule extensions with Windows :-)

[tomy]

@Chris-Kawa

I recently answered similar question: How to set icon for a custom type of file using Qt.

Glad to hear that. I will go for reading it precisely.

As @Tikani mentioned this should probably be done in the installation stage

Yes, exactly.

, i.e. in some code invoked by the installer if it doesn't provide that functionality out of the box. Assuming, of course, that you have an installer in the first place.

I use the Qt Installer Framework 2.1 (QtIFW2.0.1) for making an installer.

[tomy]

This post is deleted!

[tomy]

@Chris-Kawa
I included "shlobj.h" and used QSettings as below in the two functions where QSettings was previously used (because I was not sure where to use your code in):

void MainWindow::readSettings()
{
    QSettings settings("Tomy Inc.", "Spreadsheet");
    restoreGeometry(settings.value("geometry").toByteArray());
    recentFiles = settings.value("recentFiles").toStringList();
    updateRecentFileActions();
    bool showGrid = settings.value("showGrid", true).toBool();
    showGridAction->setChecked(showGrid);
    bool autoRecalc = settings.value("autoRecalc", true).toBool();
    autoRecalcAction->setChecked(autoRecalc);

    QSettings reg("HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Classes\\.sp\\DefaultIcon",
                  QSettings::NativeFormat);
    reg.setValue("Default", "C:\\Users\\Tomy\\Desktop\\package_directory"
                 "\\packages\\com.vendor.product\\data\\Spreadsheet.ico");

    SHChangeNotify(SHCNE_ASSOCCHANGED, SHCNF_IDLIST, NULL, NULL);
}

//*************************************************************

void MainWindow::writeSettings()
{
    QSettings settings("Tomy Inc.", "Spreadsheet");
    settings.setValue("geometry", saveGeometry());
    settings.setValue("recentFiles", recentFiles);
    settings.setValue("showGrid", showGridAction->isChecked());
    settings.setValue("autoRecalc", autoRecalcAction->isChecked());

   QSettings reg("HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Classes\\.sp\\DefaultIcon",
                 QSettings::NativeFormat);
   reg.setValue("Default", "C:\\Users\\Tomy\\Desktop\\package_directory"
               "\\packages\\com.vendor.product\\data\\Spreadsheet.ico");

   SHChangeNotify(SHCNE_ASSOCCHANGED, SHCNF_IDLIST, NULL, NULL);
}

Then changed the installscript.qs file to its previous status:

function Component()
{
    // default constructor
}

Component.prototype.createOperations = function()
{
    // call the base create operations function
     component.createOperations();
      if (installer.value("os") == "win")
        {
           var userProfile = installer.environmentVariable("USERPROFILE");
           installer.setValue("UserProfile", userProfile);

           component.addOperation("CreateShortcut", "@TargetDir@/Spreadsheet.exe",
           "@UserProfile@/Desktop/Spreadsheet.lnk" ,"workingDirectory=@TargetDir@",
           "iconPath=@TargetDir@/Spreadsheet.ico");

           component.addOperation("CreateShortcut", "@TargetDir@/QSpreadsheet.exe",
           "@TargetDir@/Spreadsheet.lnk" ,"workingDirectory=@TargetDir@", "iconPath=@TargetDir@/Spreadsheet.ico");

           component.addOperation("CreateShortcut", "@TargetDir@/Spreadsheet.exe",
           "@StartMenuDir@/Spreadsheet.lnk", "workingDirectory=@TargetDir@", "iconPath=@TargetDir@/Spreadsheet.ico");
        }
 }

Then created an installer and installed it on Windows. But unfortunately no icon was set!!

Should I add this code to the script file too?

[tomy]

No any further help?? :(

[mrjj]

@tomy
Hi
you need to have more patience
Mr Chris-Kawa is not online that often.

[tomy]

I this time removed the code:

QSettings reg("HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Classes\\.sp\\DefaultIcon",
                  QSettings::NativeFormat);
    reg.setValue("Default", "C:\\Users\\Tomy\\Desktop\\Spreadsheet.ico");

    SHChangeNotify(SHCNE_ASSOCCHANGED, SHCNF_IDLIST, NULL, NULL);

from both void MainWindow::readSettings() and void MainWindow::writeSettings() functions and added it to the MainWindow's constructor body, then re-did the rest and installed that new on my Windows.
Again, no changes in result!!
There might be a problem either in the code or the script file.

[tomy]

I also tried to use this script file instead of the prior one. Created an installer using Qt Installer Framework but when installing the program faced en error.

I don't know what the right way is to do the job. Is it using that code? Or the script file? Or both of them? And what is the correct method having instructions to make the task done?

[jsulm]

@tomy Correct way would be to search on MSDN as this is Windows only thing and not really related to Qt.

[tomy]

@jsulm
I think MSDN talks about setting the icon on my Windows. So if I send the application for you, you too should set the icon on your Windows, and if we send the application for a hundred people, those a hundred plus we two should set the icon and so on.
But if we set the icon using some method by the installation stage of the program, the program "itself" sets the icon for each and every user. No need to that 102 (or any number) persons set the icon themselves (apart from having good knowledge to be able to use registery that some users might not have).
If you disagree please tell me your opinion.

[jsulm]

@tomy Wrong. Why do you think so?
You need to use win32 API to achieve what you want in your app, so your app can set the icon by itself (and not the user!) or the installer.
win32 API is not Qt that's why I suggest to look at MSDN to find out how ann app or installer can do this.
MSDN is for developers not users by the way.