Question

The samples and the code were described here:

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/codefx/archive/2010/09/14/writing-windows-shell-extension-with-net-framework-4-c-vb-net-part-1.aspx

And the framework itself is available here:

http://1code.codeplex.com/releases

However, all the shell extension samples were removed in april, with no explanation I can find except this commit message:

http://1code.codeplex.com/SourceControl/changeset/changes/63354

Does anybody now why were the samples removed, and do the earlier samples available in previous releases work? (I cannot make them work, but that’s probably just me).

Answer 1

It is crystal clear from the first linked blog post, highlighted in bright yellow:

In .NET 4, with the ability to have multiple runtimes in process with
any other runtime, writing managed shell extensions becomes possible.
However, Microsoft has not fully tested all of the scenarios involved
with managed shell extensions and has not determined whether it will
support managed shell extensions for the long term. Therefore,
Microsoft will not support managed shell extensions and recommends
against writing them.

When they “recommend against writing them”, they cannot also gives examples of how to write them. For an example of unintended side effects, review this feedback article.