How to Associate Your File Type or Item with an Item Kind

  • Article

Associating your file type or item with an item Kind that already has a predefined Content view layout pattern and properties is encouraged. Windows defines Content view layout patterns and property lists for the following item Kinds: Generic, Documents, Email, Folder, Music, and Picture. If your file type or item is associated with one of these Kinds, the Shell uses the Kind's predefined property lists and layout patterns for your file type or item without requiring any additional work to take advantage of Content view. This option will also provide a consistent experience by showing the same properties and using the same layout as other items of the same Kind.

Also see File Types and Kind Names for additional information.

To associate your file type or item with an item Kind and take advantage of the predefined content view layout patterns and property lists, you must register your file type with one of the predefined Kind names (Generic, Documents, Email, Folder, Music, or Picture). The Shell then uses the item Kind's predefined property list and layout patterns for your file type or item without any additional effort on your part.

Instructions

The predefined property list and layouts for the Content view provided by the system are as follows:

  HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*
   (ContentViewModeForBrowse) = Delta
   (ContentViewModeForSearch) = Delta
   (ContentViewModeLayoutPatternForBrowse) = <PropertyList>
   (ContentViewModeLayoutPatternForSearch) = <PropertyList>

Possible values for (ContentViewModeLayoutPatternForBrowse) include the following: prop:~System.ItemNameDisplay;System.ItemTypeText;~System.LayoutPattern.PlaceHolder; ~System.LayoutPattern.PlaceHolder;System.DateModified;System.Size.

Possible values for (ContentViewModeLayoutPatternForSearch) include the following: prop:~System.ItemNameDisplay;~System.ItemFolderPathDisplay; ~System.LayoutPattern.PlaceHolder;System.ItemTypeText;System.DateModified;System.Size.

  HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\
   Kind.Document
      (ContentViewModeForBrowse) = Delta
      (ContentViewModeForSearch) = Alpha
      (ContentViewModeLayoutPatternForBrowse) = <PropertyList>
      (ContentViewModeLayoutPatternForSearch) = <PropertyList>

Possible values for (ContentViewModeLayoutPatternForBrowse) include the following: prop:~System.ItemNameDisplay;System.Author;~System.LayoutPattern.PlaceHolder;System.Keywords;System.DateModified;System.Size

Possible values for (ContentViewModeLayoutPatternForSearch) include the following: prop:~System.ItemNameDisplay;System.DateModified;~System.ItemFolderPathDisplay; ~System.Search.QueryFocusedSummaryWithFallback;System.Size;System.Author;System.Keywords.

  HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\
   Kind.Email
      (ContentViewModeForBrowse) = Delta
      (ContentViewModeForSearch) = Beta
      (ContentViewModeLayoutPatternForBrowse) = <PropertyList>
      (ContentViewModeLayoutPatternForSearch) = <PropertyList>

Possible values for (ContentViewModeLayoutPatternForBrowse) include the following: prop:~System.ItemNameDisplay;System.Message.FromName;~System.LayoutPattern.PlaceHolder; ~System.LayoutPattern.PlaceHolder;System.Message.DateReceived;System.Size.

Possible values for (ContentViewModeLayoutPatternForSearch) include the following: prop:~System.Message.FromName;System.Message.DateReceived;~System.Subject;~System.Search.QueryFocusedSummaryWithFallback;System.Size.

  HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\
   Kind.Music
      (ContentViewModeForBrowse) = Delta
      (ContentViewModeForSearch) = Delta
      (ContentViewModeLayoutPatternForBrowse) = <PropertyList>
      (ContentViewModeLayoutPatternForSearch) = <PropertyList>

Possible values for (ContentViewModeLayoutPatternForBrowse) and (ContentViewModeLayoutPatternForSearch) include the following: prop:~System.ItemNameDisplay; ~System.Music.Artist;System.Music.AlbumTitle;System.Music.Genre;System.Media.Duration;System.Size.

  HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\
   Kind.Picture
      (ContentViewModeForBrowse) = Delta
      (ContentViewModeForSearch) = Delta
      (ContentViewModeLayoutPatternForBrowse) = <PropertyList>
      (ContentViewModeLayoutPatternForSearch) = <PropertyList>

Possible values for (ContentViewModeLayoutPatternForBrowse) and (ContentViewModeLayoutPatternForSearch) include the following: prop:~System.ItemNameDisplay; System.Keywords;System.ItemTypeText;System.Image.Dimensions;System.Photo.DateTaken;System.Size.

  HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\
   Kind.Video
      (ContentViewModeForBrowse) = Delta
      (ContentViewModeForSearch) = Delta
      (ContentViewModeLayoutPatternForBrowse) = <PropertyList>
      (ContentViewModeLayoutPatternForSearch) = <PropertyList>

Possible values for (ContentViewModeLayoutPatternForBrowse) and (ContentViewModeLayoutPatternForSearch) include the following: prop:~System.ItemNameDisplay; System.Media.Duration;System.Video.FrameHeight;System.Video.FrameWidth;System.DateModified;System.Size.

  HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\
   Folder
      (ContentViewModeForBrowse) = Delta
      (ContentViewModeForSearch) = Alpha
      (ContentViewModeLayoutPatternForBrowse) = <PropertyList>
      (ContentViewModeLayoutPatternForSearch) = <PropertyList>

Possible values for (ContentViewModeLayoutPatternForBrowse) include the following: prop:~System.ItemNameDisplay;~System.LayoutPattern.PlaceHolder; ~System.LayoutPattern.PlaceHolder;~System.LayoutPattern.PlaceHolder;System.DateModified.

Remarks

File Types

Kind Names

System.PropList.ContentViewModeForBrowse

System.PropList.ContentViewModeForSearch

 

 

Build date: 1/8/2014