Update Windows Recent Documents on Open/Save #22524

New Issue

Harley Acheson · 2010-06-06T23:09:29+02:00

Harley Acheson commented

2010-06-06 23:09:29 +02:00

%%%On Windows, when we double-click on a “blend” file to launch Blender with it, the OS will add that document to its own “Recent Documents” list. However, if we open or save a document within Blender that list is NOT updated. This is because we don’t use OS-supplied dialogs for opening and saving.

The following patch informs Windows, using “SHAddToRecentDocs”, when Blender opens or saves a document so that the OS knows about them.

On Windows XP these recent items can be seen in the “Documents” list on the Start Menu. On Windows 7, however, this information is used in new ways: If Blender is added to the “Start Menu” as a main item it will be shown with a per-application fly-out menu showing recent blend files. If Blender is “pinned” to the new Windows 7 Taskbar, you can right-click on it to see a “jump list” that will include recently-used documents.
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%%%On Windows, when we double-click on a “blend” file to launch Blender with it, the OS will add that document to its own “Recent Documents” list. However, if we open or save a document within Blender that list is NOT updated. This is because we don’t use OS-supplied dialogs for opening and saving. The following patch informs Windows, using “SHAddToRecentDocs”, when Blender opens or saves a document so that the OS knows about them. On Windows XP these recent items can be seen in the “Documents” list on the Start Menu. On Windows 7, however, this information is used in new ways: If Blender is added to the “Start Menu” as a main item it will be shown with a per-application fly-out menu showing recent blend files. If Blender is “pinned” to the new Windows 7 Taskbar, you can right-click on it to see a “jump list” that will include recently-used documents. %%%

Harley Acheson commented

2010-06-06 23:09:29 +02:00

Changed status to: 'Open'

Andrea Weikert commented

2010-08-01 20:22:49 +02:00

%%%Taking a look, seems interesting and quick to add%%%

Harley Acheson commented

2010-08-05 01:47:41 +02:00

%%%Looks liked the Shell32 API call "SHAddToRecentDocs" is only available in Windows XP and later.

I think this patch, if used as-is, would make Blender not load on Windows 2000, which is the oldest Windows OS that Blender is supposed to support.

Therefore "SHAddToRecentDocs" should be loaded and used dynamically, not statically. I'm not sure how this is done in C...
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%%%Looks liked the Shell32 API call "SHAddToRecentDocs" is only available in Windows XP and later. I think this patch, if used as-is, would make Blender not load on Windows 2000, which is the oldest Windows OS that Blender is supposed to support. Therefore "SHAddToRecentDocs" should be loaded and used dynamically, not statically. I'm not sure how this is done in C... %%%

Nathan Letwory commented

2010-08-19 14:41:22 +02:00

%%%AFAIK we have Windows XP as minimum supported OS anyway, so shouldn't be a problem to have as is.%%%

Harley Acheson commented

2010-08-20 16:36:35 +02:00

%%%Thanks Nathan! I hadn't noticed that XP had become the Windows minimum, so the patch should be fine as is. So I'll just have to take back my objection to my own patch.%%%