PathCatcher - Windows utility for right-click capture of file or folder path (Python recipe)

http://code./recipes/528893/

"""

PathCatcher is a Windows utility that allows one to right-click on 

a folder or a file in Explorer and save its path to the clipboard.

If this module is run by itself, it installs PathCatcher to the registry.

After it is installed, when one clicks on a file or folder, "PathCatcher" 

appears in the right-click menu.

This module also contains some useful code for accessing the Windows

clipboard and registry.

Requires ctypes -- download from SourceForge.

Jack Trainor 2007

"""

import sys

import os, os.path

import win32api

import win32con

import ctypes

import time

""" Abbreviations for readability """

OpenClipboard = ctypes.windll.user32.OpenClipboard

EmptyClipboard = ctypes.windll.user32.EmptyClipboard

GetClipboardData = ctypes.windll.user32.GetClipboardData

SetClipboardData = ctypes.windll.user32.SetClipboardData

CloseClipboard = ctypes.windll.user32.CloseClipboard

GlobalLock = ctypes.windll.kernel32.GlobalLock

GlobalAlloc = ctypes.windll.kernel32.GlobalAlloc

GlobalUnlock = ctypes.windll.kernel32.GlobalUnlock

memcpy = ctypes.cdll.msvcrt.memcpy

""" Windows Clipboard utilities """

def GetClipboardText():

    text = ""

    if OpenClipboard(0):

        hClipMem = GetClipboardData(win32con.CF_TEXT)

        GlobalLock.restype = ctypes.c_char_p   

        text = GlobalLock(hClipMem)

        GlobalUnlock(hClipMem)

        CloseClipboard()

    return text

def SetClipboardText(text):

    buffer = ctypes.c_buffer(text)      

    bufferSize = ctypes.sizeof(buffer)

    hGlobalMem = GlobalAlloc(win32con.GHND, bufferSize)

    GlobalLock.restype = ctypes.c_void_p                        

    lpGlobalMem = GlobalLock(hGlobalMem)

    memcpy(lpGlobalMem, ctypes.addressof(buffer), bufferSize) 

    GlobalUnlock(hGlobalMem)

    if OpenClipboard(0):

        EmptyClipboard()

        SetClipboardData(win32con.CF_TEXT, hGlobalMem)

        CloseClipboard()

""" Windows Registry utilities """

def OpenRegistryKey(hiveKey, key):

    keyHandle = None

    try:

        curKey = ""

        keyItems = key.split('\\')

        for keyItem in keyItems:

            if curKey:

                curKey = curKey + "\\" + keyItem

            else:

                curKey = keyItem

            keyHandle = win32api.RegCreateKey(hiveKey, curKey)

    except Exception, e:

        keyHandle = None

        print "OpenRegistryKey failed:", e

    return keyHandle

def ReadRegistryValue(hiveKey, key, name):

    """ Simple api to read one value from Windows registry. 

    If 'name' is empty string, reads default value."""

    data = typeId = None

    try:

        hKey = win32api.RegOpenKeyEx(hiveKey, key, 0, win32con.KEY_ALL_ACCESS)

        data, typeId = win32api.RegQueryValueEx(hKey, name)

        win32api.RegCloseKey(hKey)

    except Exception, e:

        print "ReadRegistryValue failed:", e

    return data, typeId

def WriteRegistryValue(hiveKey, key, name, typeId, data):

    """ Simple api to write one value to Windows registry. 

    If 'name' is empty string, writes to default value."""

    try:

        keyHandle = OpenRegistryKey(hiveKey, key)

        win32api.RegSetValueEx(keyHandle, name, 0, typeId, data)

        win32api.RegCloseKey(keyHandle)

    except Exception, e:

        print "WriteRegistry failed:", e

""" misc utilities """

def GetPythonwExePath():

    """ Get path to current version of pythonw.exe """

    pythonExePath = ""

    try:

        pythonwExeName = "pythonw.exe"

        pythonInstallHiveKey = win32con.HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE

        pythonInstallKey = r"Software\Python\PythonCore\%s\InstallPath" % sys.winver

        pythonInstallDir, typeId = ReadRegistryValue(pythonInstallHiveKey, pythonInstallKey, "")

        pythonwExePath = os.path.join(pythonInstallDir, pythonwExeName)

    except Exception, e:

        print "GetPythonExePath failed:", e

    return pythonwExePath

  

def GetModulePath(): 

    """ Get path to this module """

    return GetModulePath.func_code.co_filename

def WriteLastTime():

    secsString = str(time.time())

    WriteRegistryValue(win32con.HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, r"*\shell\PathCatcher\time", "", win32con.REG_SZ, secsString)

def ReadLastTime():

    secs = 0.0

    secsString, dateTypId = ReadRegistryValue(win32con.HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, r"*\shell\PathCatcher\time", "")

    if secsString:

        secs = float(secsString)

    return secs

def AccumulatePaths(path):

    """ Windows creates a Python process for each selected file on right-click.

    Check to see if this invocation is part of current batch and accumulate to clipboard """

    lastTime = ReadLastTime()

    now = time.time()

    if (now - lastTime) < 1.0:

        SetClipboardText(GetClipboardText() + "\n" + path)

    else:

        SetClipboardText(path)

    WriteLastTime()

     

#########################################################

def InstallPathCatcher():

    """ Installs PathCatcher to the Windows registry """

    command = '"%s" "%s" "%s"' % (GetPythonwExePath(), GetModulePath(), "%1")

    WriteRegistryValue(win32con.HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, r"*\shell\PathCatcher\Command", "", win32con.REG_SZ, command)

    WriteRegistryValue(win32con.HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, r"Folder\shell\PathCatcher\Command", "", win32con.REG_SZ, command)

    WriteLastTime()

    

#########################################################

if __name__ == "__main__":

    if len(sys.argv) > 1:

        """ If invoked through a right-click, there will be a path argument """

        path = sys.argv[1]

        AccumulatePaths(path)

    else:

        """ If module is run by itself, install PathCatcher to registry """

        InstallPathCatcher()

        raw_input("PathCatcher installed.\nPress RETURN...")

## end of http://code./recipes/528893/ }}}