Introduction

ShellBoost comes with the following samples that are all open source and hosted on https://github.com/aelyo-softworks:

Overview: A simple .NET Framework Console application Shell Folder that contains a fixed set of virtual shell items and folders. This sample also exists for .NET Core 3.1 (compatible with .NET 5 and higher), VB.NET and C++/CLI.

Local Folder: A Console application shell folder that supports a combination of virtual shell items and physical shell items.

Registry Folder: A Console application shell folder that mimics the Windows Registry Editor (“regedit.exe”) with only virtual shell items and custom UI using WinForms.

SevenZip Folder: A Console application shell folder server that demonstrates how to create a non-rooted, virtual file folder that integrates files with the .7z extension in the shell namespace, just like Windows does using .zip files.

Physical Overview Folder: A Console application shell folder that uses a physical folder as a back end for all operations. It demonstrates the following features: Advanced Drag & drop, Copy & Paste operations, Common Dialog (Open, Save) operations, Shell Change Notifications from other folders.

Google Drive Folder: A Winforms application that is an equivalent of One Drive for Google Drive. It demonstrates the File On-Demand ShellBoost feature. It’s not currently exposing a Shell Namespace Extension, but the sample could be modified to integrate the code that can be found in the Physical Overview sample.

Web Folder: A WPF application shell folder that connects to a custom Web Server (that exposes a custom REST/JSON API) that’s also included.

Folder Service: A Console application shell folder that demonstrates a Windows Service written using ShellBoost.

Cloud Folder: A .NET Core console application Shell Folder. Demonstrates file system features (Copy/Paste, Drag/Drop, New menus). The server app is an ASP.NET Core web application using SQL Server or a Windows physical path as a storage backend.

Cloud Folder Sync: A .NET 5 console application that is not a Shell Folder, but an equivalent of One Drive for the same back end as the Cloud Folder sample backend. It demonstrates the File On-Demand ShellBoost feature.

Cloud Folder Proxy: A .NET 5 Console application that uses WinFSP - Windows File System Proxy to create a virtual Windows drive/directory over the Cloud Folder Site backend. It demonstrates a customized Shell Namespace Extension over this drive or directory, that sees its items and folders as it were physical items and folders.

Device Manager Folder: A .NET Core console application folder that mimics the official Windows Device Manager application. Demonstrates asynchronous hierarchy building.

Amalga Drive: A WPF application shell folder. Demonstrates the File On-Demand feature. Also comes with a custom WebDAV Server for demonstration purposes. Note: Amalga Drive is a deprecated sample.

Mirror: A .NET Core console application that demonstrates a namespace application mirroring a physical folder present on the disk. It’s implemented in only a few lines of code.