virtual filesystem

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

Hello,

The best thing to do this, is to write a device driver not to use winfs.

The only way you could use WinFS is as a cache, from witch you would do
synchronization betwen WinFS and your device. All you have to do is to write
a WinFS Sync Adapter that will write new data to your device and update
WinFS with new device data.

Regards
--
-------------------------------------------------------------
Jérôme Piquot
GEDIMAT Wolff-Catenne
6, rue de la Gare
67120 Ernolsheim sur Bruche
FRANCE
mail: jerome.piquot@wolff.fr
http://www.gedimat.fr
-------------------------------------------------------------

"Mike" <Mike@discussions.microsoft.com> a écrit dans le message de news:
CD73BDF7-7176-48F8-8FAA-5F3A3CD142D8@microsoft.com...
> 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
>
>