How Can C Registry Keys Associate File Extensions with Applications?

How to Associate File Extensions with Applications using C Registry Keys

Background

File extensions can be associated with specific applications, enabling them to be launched when a file with that extension is double-clicked. In C , this can be achieved by creating registry entries.

Creating the Registry Entries

To associate a file extension with an application, two registry entries are necessary:

• ProgID: Represents the file type, defining properties like the icon and description.
• File Name Extension: Links the extension to the ProgID.

The Registry::SetValue function can be used to set these values. Ensure the keys are created within the correct hive (HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareClasses) for per-user settings, rather than HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, which may result in precedence issues.

Example Code

Registry::SetValue(
    @"HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\blergcorp.blergapp.v1\shell\open\command",
    nullptr,
    @"c:\path\to\app.exe ""%1"""
);
Registry::SetValue(@ "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\.blerg", nullptr, "blergcorp.blergapp.v1");

Registry Cleanup

Uninstalling an application does not automatically remove associated registry entries. However, a registry cleaner utility or manually deleting the keys can resolve this issue.

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