No shell menu in Windows 7

[dfhtextpipe]

I just installed TextPipe Standard v8.6.4 in a PC with Windows 7 Home Premium Edition (64-bit).

None of the TextPipe shell extension options appeared in the Windows Explorer context menu.

I think this may be a bug.

As the shell extensions are the normal method I use to my deploy debugged filters, this is a major inconvenience to me.

[DataMystic Support]

Hi David,

It's not a bug - Windows 7 x64 won't load a 32-bit DLL.

The development environment we use (Delphi) can't produce 64-bit .exe or .dlls yet, so we're kinda stuck.

[dfhtextpipe]

Any idea how long before there will be a solution?

Is there no workaround feasible for users?

[dfhtextpipe]

Hi Simon,

The TextPipe Standard webpage claims (in effect) that it is compatible with Windows 7.
It shows the Windows 7 logo in the left hand side panel, together with the text, "Software runs successfully on Windows 98, 2000, XP, 2003, Vista & Windows 7".

According to Microsoft this logo should be displayed if an application has been tested with both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 7. See
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/wind ... -questions

While you are looking into this issue, I think you should be advising potential customers that this incompatibility has been reported as regards the missing shell extensions.

[dfhtextpipe]

Dear Simon,

Are there any other features of TextPipe Standard that are incompatible with 64-bit Windows 7.

David

[dfhtextpipe]

Dear Simon,

Have you confirmed that the TextPipe shell extensions appear OK in Windows 7 (32-bit) ?

The 64-bit version of Windows 7 is surely capable of installing and running 32-bit applications,
so the fact that Delphi does not compile 64-bit binaries may be an incomplete diagnosis.

• 64-bit applications are installed in C:\Program Files\
  32-bit applications are installed in C:\Program Files (x86)\

The main TextPipe executable does work in Windows 7 (64-bit).
I ran one of my filters successfully before I started this thread.

What must be missing is a suitable dll to integrate into the Shell Context Menu of x64 Windows.
Creating that must surely be a smaller development task than converting the whole application to a 64 bit executable.

Best regards,

David Haslam

[DataMystic Support]

An x64 application cannot host an x32 DLL. TextPipe can still be x32, but Windows Explorer uses DLLs to provide shell integration.

We will have to find another way to provide this, perhaps by writing a new x64 DLL in another development language.

[dfhtextpipe]

Any progress to report, Simon?

[DataMystic Support]

Hi David - sorry, no.

Delphi does not yet have an x64 version.

[dfhtextpipe]

Do they even have 64-bit on the Delphi development roadmap?

[DataMystic Support]

No - this is a major concern here. They have a 2010 release, but 64 bit is no-where in site.

[dfhtextpipe]

Is there nothing that could be used/developed as an alternative to Delphi?

e.g. Lazarus. http://www.lazarus.freepascal.org/

Or would that be too risky, and not fit in with your top-level development strategy?

David

[DataMystic Support]

Hi David - thanks for the heads-up.

We are checking out Free Pascal now. It might give us a temporary way around the x64 shell extension DLL issue

[DataMystic Support]

Urgh. Free Pascal does not have a GUI. It takes me back to Turbo Pascal/Borland Pascal days.

It cannot handle even the relatively simple code for the shell extension.

I think we'll be looking to reimplement it, possibly in .net.

[dfhtextpipe]

Hi Simon,

Any progress to report on getting the shell menu working in x64 systems?

This lack is very frustrating - and it's a long time since I started this thread.

David