Delphi: How to SET(write) extended file properties?

Question

I would like to set properties as shown in Windows Explorer File Properties->Summary Tab (Authors, Title, Subject, etc). (In Windows 7 is the Details tab) I already know how to GET them using StgCreateStorageEx,

The target file extensions are xls, xlsx, csv, txt and jpg files. OS: Windows 2003/2008/XP/Windows 7. Notice that this code will go a web service application and the server does not have Excel installed.

Note:It seems to be that there is no information/sample code about how to SET them.

Answer 1

Partial answer: The set property Delphi code can be found here. or if you have the latest JCL library - use TJclFilePropertySet at jclNtfs.pas Warning: Notice that this code works for xls files but it does not seem to work for txt/cvs and jpg files in Windows 7 Pro/Enterprise or 2008 (64 bits). It seems that M$ has changed the way properties work in these OS: "You can't add or change the file properties of some types of files. For example, you can't add any properties to TXT or RTF file". Sadly for me, going back to XP mode is not an option.

Answer 2

To write summary information use IPropertyStorage:WriteMultiple method. See MSDN sample WriteRead. Not delphi but is easy to convert.

Answer 3

function GetFileSummaryInfo(const FileName: WideString): String;

const
FmtID_SummaryInformation: TGUID =     '{F29F85E0-4FF9-1068-AB91-08002B27B3D9}';
FMTID_DocSummaryInformation : TGUID = '{D5CDD502-2E9C-101B-9397-08002B2CF9AE}';
FMTID_UserDefinedProperties : TGUID = '{D5CDD505-2E9C-101B-9397-08002B2CF9AE}';
IID_IPropertySetStorage : TGUID =     '{0000013A-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}';

const
STGFMT_FILE = 3; //Indicates that the file must not be a compound file.
                 //This element is only valid when using the StgCreateStorageEx
                 //or StgOpenStorageEx functions to access the NTFS file system
                 //implementation of the IPropertySetStorage interface.
                 //Therefore, these functions return an error if the riid
                 //parameter does not specify the IPropertySetStorage interface,
                 //or if the specified file is not located on an NTFS file system
                 //volume.

STGFMT_ANY = 4; //Indicates that the system will determine the file type and
                //use the appropriate structured storage or property set
                //implementation.
                //This value cannot be used with the StgCreateStorageEx function.


// Summary Information
 PID_TITLE        = 2;
 PID_SUBJECT      = 3;
 PID_AUTHOR       = 4;
 PID_KEYWORDS     = 5;
 PID_COMMENTS     = 6;
 PID_TEMPLATE     = 7;
 PID_LASTAUTHOR   = 8;
 PID_REVNUMBER    = 9;
 PID_EDITTIME     = 10;
 PID_LASTPRINTED  = 11;
 PID_CREATE_DTM   = 12;
 PID_LASTSAVE_DTM = 13;
 PID_PAGECOUNT    = 14;
 PID_WORDCOUNT    = 15;
 PID_CHARCOUNT    = 16;
 PID_THUMBNAIL    = 17;
 PID_APPNAME      = 18;
 PID_SECURITY     = 19;

 // Document Summary Information
 PID_CATEGORY     = 2;
 PID_PRESFORMAT   = 3;
 PID_BYTECOUNT    = 4;
 PID_LINECOUNT    = 5;
 PID_PARCOUNT     = 6;
 PID_SLIDECOUNT   = 7;
 PID_NOTECOUNT    = 8;
 PID_HIDDENCOUNT  = 9;
 PID_MMCLIPCOUNT  = 10;
 PID_SCALE        = 11;
 PID_HEADINGPAIR  = 12;
 PID_DOCPARTS     = 13;
 PID_MANAGER      = 14;
 PID_COMPANY      = 15;
 PID_LINKSDIRTY   = 16;
 PID_CHARCOUNT2   = 17;

var
 I: Integer;
 PropSetStg: IPropertySetStorage;
 PropSpec: array of TPropSpec;
 PropStg: IPropertyStorage;
 PropVariant: array of TPropVariant;
 Rslt: HResult;
 S: String;
 Stg: IStorage;
 PropEnum: IEnumSTATPROPSTG;
 HR : HResult;
 PropStat: STATPROPSTG;
 k : integer;

function PropertyPIDToCaption(const ePID: Cardinal): string;
begin
 case ePID of
   PID_TITLE:
     Result := 'Title';
   PID_SUBJECT:
     Result := 'Subject';
   PID_AUTHOR:
     Result := 'Author';
   PID_KEYWORDS:
     Result := 'Keywords';
   PID_COMMENTS:
     Result := 'Comments';
   PID_TEMPLATE:
     Result := 'Template';
   PID_LASTAUTHOR:
     Result := 'Last Saved By';
   PID_REVNUMBER:
     Result := 'Revision Number';
   PID_EDITTIME:
     Result := 'Total Editing Time';
   PID_LASTPRINTED:
     Result := 'Last Printed';
   PID_CREATE_DTM:
     Result := 'Create Time/Date';
   PID_LASTSAVE_DTM:
     Result := 'Last Saved Time/Date';
   PID_PAGECOUNT:
     Result := 'Number of Pages';
   PID_WORDCOUNT:
     Result := 'Number of Words';
   PID_CHARCOUNT:
     Result := 'Number of Characters';
   PID_THUMBNAIL:
     Result := 'Thumbnail';
   PID_APPNAME:
     Result := 'Creating Application';
   PID_SECURITY:
     Result := 'Security';
   else
     Result := '$' + IntToHex(ePID, 8);
   end
end;

begin
 Result := '';
try
 OleCheck(StgOpenStorageEx(PWideChar(FileName),
 STGM_READ or STGM_SHARE_DENY_WRITE,
 STGFMT_FILE,
 0, nil,  nil, @IID_IPropertySetStorage, stg));

 PropSetStg := Stg as IPropertySetStorage;

 OleCheck(PropSetStg.Open(FmtID_SummaryInformation,
    STGM_READ or STGM_SHARE_EXCLUSIVE, PropStg));

 OleCheck(PropStg.Enum(PropEnum));
 I := 0;

 hr := PropEnum.Next(1, PropStat, nil);
  while hr = S_OK do
  begin
    inc(I);
    SetLength(PropSpec,I);
    PropSpec[i-1].ulKind := PRSPEC_PROPID;
    PropSpec[i-1].propid := PropStat.propid;
    hr := PropEnum.Next(1, PropStat, nil);
 end;

 SetLength(PropVariant,i);
 Rslt := PropStg.ReadMultiple(i, @PropSpec[0], @PropVariant[0]);

 if Rslt =  S_FALSE then Exit;

 for k := 0 to i -1 do
  begin
    S := '';
    if PropVariant[k].vt = VT_LPSTR then
      if Assigned(PropVariant[k].pszVal) then
       S := PropVariant[k].pszVal;

    S := Format(PropertyPIDToCaption(PropSpec[k].Propid)+ ' %s',[s]);
   if S <> '' then Result := Result + S + #13;
 end;
 finally
 end;

for more http://www.delphi-central.com/tutorials/File_Summary_Info.aspx. Also this : http://www.swissdelphicenter.ch/torry/showcode.php?id=1614 show you how to manipulate [IPropertyStorage]