virtual filesystem

[Mike]

I'd like to have a virtual folder for a special device to be integrated into
explorer's filesystem view. The preferable way would be to have an individual
drive. But it is also acceptable to have a virtual folder. The only
requirement I have is that explorer should behave like for real filesystem
folders (d.h. file types, context menu, columns, view, toolbar, etc). This
means every application may access the contents on that device, using
standard file I/O, as if it would be an ordinary filesystem entry.

I started writing a NSE with C# that provides the files and folders stored
on that
device. But it turned out that the NSE has to do all the work itself. I
found no way to just tell explorer that there's a folder and force it to do
the entire stuff.

I'm wondering if there isn't a much more easier way to do that, e.g. by
implementing a special interface, or some thing like that, whithout the need
to do all the work by my self.

Than I heard from WinFX/WinFS and I'm asking if this technologies can be
more helpful. But I don't know where to start from.

Mike

[Mattias Sjögren]

>I'm wondering if there isn't a much more easier way to do that, e.g. by

implementing a special interface, or some thing like that, whithout the need
to do all the work by my self.

I wouldn't call it easier, but it sounds like what you really need is
to write a (fake) file system driver. Not something you use C# for.
Mattias

--
Mattias Sjögren [C# MVP] mattias @ mvps.org
http://www.msjogren.net/dotnet/ | http://www.dotnetinterop.com
Please reply only to the newsgroup.

[Mike]

"Mattias Sjögren" wrote:

I'm wondering if there isn't a much more easier way to do that, e.g. by
implementing a special interface, or some thing like that, whithout the need
to do all the work by my self.

I wouldn't call it easier, but it sounds like what you really need is
to write a (fake) file system driver. Not something you use C# for.
Mattias

--
Mattias Sjögren [C# MVP] mattias @ mvps.org
http://www.msjogren.net/dotnet/ | http://www.dotnetinterop.com
Please reply only to the newsgroup.

[Mike]

I don't want to develop a driver. Isn't there way to provide a virtual
filesystem, just by implementing a particular (file-based) interface? Linux
has such a mechanism (Filesystem in Userspace). It took me just a day,
including getting familiar with the technology, to implement the filesystem
in Linux. I can not believe that there isn't a similar technology on windows.

Mike

"Mattias Sjögren" wrote:

I'm wondering if there isn't a much more easier way to do that, e.g. by
implementing a special interface, or some thing like that, whithout the need
to do all the work by my self.

I wouldn't call it easier, but it sounds like what you really need is
to write a (fake) file system driver. Not something you use C# for.
Mattias

--
Mattias Sjögren [C# MVP] mattias @ mvps.org
http://www.msjogren.net/dotnet/ | http://www.dotnetinterop.com
Please reply only to the newsgroup.