# ShellExecuteEx ### C# Signature:: ```cs [DllImport("shell32.dll", CharSet = CharSet.Auto)] static extern bool ShellExecuteEx(ref SHELLEXECUTEINFO lpExecInfo); ``` ### VB.NET Signature: ```cs _ Public Function ShellExecuteEx(ByRef lpExecInfo As SHELLEXECUTEINFO) As Boolean End Function ``` ### User-Defined Types: ```cs Public Structure SHELLEXECUTEINFO     Public cbSize As Integer     Public fMask As Integer     Public hwnd As IntPtr      Public lpVerb As String      Public lpFile As String      Public lpParameters As String      Public lpDirectory As String     Dim nShow As Integer     Dim hInstApp As IntPtr     Dim lpIDList As IntPtr      Public lpClass As String     Public hkeyClass As IntPtr     Public dwHotKey As Integer     Public hIcon As IntPtr     Public hProcess As IntPtr End Structure ``` ### User-Defined Types: ```cs [StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)]     public struct SHELLEXECUTEINFO     {         public int cbSize;         public uint fMask;         public IntPtr hwnd;         [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)]         public string lpVerb;         [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)]         public string lpFile;         [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)]         public string lpParameters;         [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)]         public string lpDirectory;         public int nShow;         public IntPtr hInstApp;         public IntPtr lpIDList;         [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)]         public string lpClass;         public IntPtr hkeyClass;         public uint dwHotKey;         public IntPtr hIcon;         public IntPtr hProcess;     }     public enum ShowCommands : int     {         SW_HIDE = 0,         SW_SHOWNORMAL = 1,         SW_NORMAL = 1,         SW_SHOWMINIMIZED = 2,         SW_SHOWMAXIMIZED = 3,         SW_MAXIMIZE = 3,         SW_SHOWNOACTIVATE = 4,         SW_SHOW = 5,         SW_MINIMIZE = 6,         SW_SHOWMINNOACTIVE = 7,         SW_SHOWNA = 8,         SW_RESTORE = 9,         SW_SHOWDEFAULT = 10,         SW_FORCEMINIMIZE = 11,         SW_MAX = 11     }     [Flags]     public enum ShellExecuteMaskFlags : uint     {         SEE_MASK_DEFAULT = 0x00000000,         SEE_MASK_CLASSNAME = 0x00000001,           SEE_MASK_CLASSKEY = 0x00000003,           SEE_MASK_IDLIST = 0x00000004,           SEE_MASK_INVOKEIDLIST = 0x0000000c,   // Note SEE_MASK_INVOKEIDLIST(0xC) implies SEE_MASK_IDLIST(0x04)         SEE_MASK_HOTKEY = 0x00000020,           SEE_MASK_NOCLOSEPROCESS = 0x00000040,         SEE_MASK_CONNECTNETDRV = 0x00000080,           SEE_MASK_NOASYNC = 0x00000100,           SEE_MASK_FLAG_DDEWAIT = SEE_MASK_NOASYNC,         SEE_MASK_DOENVSUBST = 0x00000200,           SEE_MASK_FLAG_NO_UI = 0x00000400,           SEE_MASK_UNICODE = 0x00004000,         SEE_MASK_NO_CONSOLE = 0x00008000,         SEE_MASK_ASYNCOK = 0x00100000,         SEE_MASK_HMONITOR = 0x00200000,           SEE_MASK_NOZONECHECKS = 0x00800000,         SEE_MASK_NOQUERYCLASSSTORE = 0x01000000,         SEE_MASK_WAITFORINPUTIDLE = 0x02000000,         SEE_MASK_FLAG_LOG_USAGE = 0x04000000,     } ``` ### Tips & Tricks: ```cs using System.Runtime.InteropServices; ``` ### Tips & Tricks: ```cs Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices ``` ### Sample Code: ```cs Dim info As SHELLEXECUTEINFO info.cbSize = System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.SizeOf(info) info.lpVerb = "open" info.lpFile = "somefile.html" info.nShow = SW_SHOW If Not ShellExecuteEx(info) Then      Dim ex As New System.ComponentModel.Win32Exception(System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.GetLastWin32Error())      MessageBox.Show(ex.Message, "Error") End If ``` ### Alternative Managed API: ```cs Dim p As New Process p.StartInfo.FileName = "somefile.html" p.StartInfo.ErrorDialog = True ' this opens the "Open With" dialog for unknown file types p.Start() ``` ### C# Example of Property Dialog ```cs private const int SW_SHOW = 5; private const uint SEE_MASK_INVOKEIDLIST = 12; [DllImport("shell32.dll")] static extern bool ShellExecuteEx(ref SHELLEXECUTEINFO lpExecInfo); public static void ShowFileProperties(string Filename) {     SHELLEXECUTEINFO info = new SHELLEXECUTEINFO();     info.cbSize = System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.SizeOf(info);     info.lpVerb = "properties";     info.lpFile = Filename;     info.nShow = SW_SHOW;     info.fMask = SEE_MASK_INVOKEIDLIST;     ShellExecuteEx(ref info); } ``` ### VB.NET Example of Property Dialog ```cs Public Const SW_SHOW As Short = 5 Public Const SEE_MASK_INVOKEIDLIST As Short = 12 _     Public Shared Function ShellExecuteEx(ByRef lpExecInfo As SHELLEXECUTEINFO) As Boolean     End Function Dim sei As New SHELLEXECUTEINFO sei.cbSize = Marshal.SizeOf(sei) sei.lpVerb = "properties" sei.lpFile = "FilePath" sei.nShow = SW_SHOW sei.fMask = SEE_MASK_INVOKEIDLIST If Not ShellExecuteEx(sei) Then    Dim ex As New System.ComponentModel.Win32Exception(System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.GetLastWin32Error())        MessageBox.Show(ex.Message, Me.TITLE, MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Exclamation) End If ``` ### VB.NET Example of Property Dialog ```cs "open"        - Opens a file or a application "openas"    - Opens dialog when no program is associated to the extension "opennew"    - see MSDN "runas"    - In Windows 7 and Vista, opens the UAC dialog and in others, open the Run as... Dialog "null"     - Specifies that the operation is the default for the selected file type. "edit"        - Opens the default text editor for the file.     "explore"    - Opens the Windows Explorer in the folder specified in lpDirectory. "properties"    - Opens the properties window of the file. "copy"        - see MSDN "cut"        - see MSDN "paste"    - see MSDN "pastelink"    - pastes a shortcut "delete"    - see MSDN "print"    - Start printing the file with the default application. "printto"    - see MSDN "find"        - Start a search ``` --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. 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