PdbInfo - A QueryInfo Shell Extension for Windows Explorer

 

Download 

For those in a hurry you can download PdbInfo here.

 

The Problem

I have a lot of Palm database files, both applications (generally .PRC) and databases (.PDB).  The problem I run into is that I frequently encounter one of these files on my desktop PC and wonder which application it belongs to.  Of particular concern are .PDB's containing eBooks.  All have a .PDB extension and from outer appearances are all the same.  The problem is that there are many types of eBook formats: PalmReader, Palm Doc, iSilo, RelpiGo, MobiPocket, just to name a few.

For a long time I've been meaning to develop a utility that would allow me to identify which type of eBook a particular file was.  Then while cruising the net one day I stumbled across Michael Dunn's articles about Windows Shell Extentions on The Code Project.  In particular, this article on the IQueryInfo interface of the Windows shell got me thinking.  What if a QueryInfo extension were to popup a tooltip giving specific information about the Palm database under the Windows Explorer cursor?

 

The Solution

And so PdbInfo was born.  Using the technical information provided by Mr. Dunn I created a tool that meets all my needs.  Here is a screen shot of PdbInfo in action:

 

Installation

PdbInfo consists of a single .DLL, PdbInfo.dll, file that must be copied to a directory on your computer and registered.  Assume we will be placing PdbInfo.dll in the C:\PdbInfo directory.  After placing PdbInfo.dll in this directory we need to run regsrv32.exe to register the shell extension with Windows.  This registeration is done with the command:

ressrv32 /s PdbInfo.dll

For example:

 

Removal

If you wish to remove PdbInfo from your system you can use the regsvr32.exe utility to unregister the extension and then just delete the PdbInfo.dll file.  The unregister command line is:

regsrv32 /u PdbInfo.dll

That's it!

 

Palm Database Registry

PdbInfo has a small internal registry of Palm Creator and Type ID's it uses to identify a Palm database file.  If the Creator and/or Type is not listed PdbInfo will not display any Application/Type information.  If you encounter files like this and want them added to the tool send me an email at bwit@pobox.com including the Creator ID, Type ID, name of the application that owns the database, and any other information you think is relevant and I'll add it to a new version of PdbInfo.

 

The Source Code

It is my intent to release the souce to this small utility but I'd fist like to have it be used in the wild to see if bugs rear their ugly heads.  I'd also like some time to gather registry information for additional Palm database types.  Once the code stablizes I'll post it here.

 

I use a Mac - What about me?

Well, I have a Mac OS X machine here (Which I just adore!).  I don't know a lot about developing specifically for the Mac as most of my work is in Java.  The Finder does have a preview pane which is specific to the file type.  I don't know if custom preview plugins can be built and installed.  I'll see what I can find out about this.  If you have information about this and would like to share it, or if you want to develop a Mac version of PdbInfo, please let me know - bwit@pobox.com.