ShelExec

The idea behind ShellExecute functions is to provide you with a quick way to open documents with a given extension, but without knowing the name of the associated application. For instance, you can use ShellExecute a plain text file and it automatically opens in Notepad or other text file viewer you set as default for your system.

In spite of its usefulness, take note that the setback is that its usage is not exactly user-friendly. More precisely, because the handle to the process started is not stored in the info log file, you need to explicitly supply the name to grab it. Then again, there are options out there that can make this process simpler. The ShelExec was designed to be a very simple utility to allow you to call the ShellExecute API from the command line.

According to the developer, the utility can come in handy when attempting to add an autorun.inf file to a CD or DVD. Normally, you would have to access a file dubbed index.hml on the root of the disk to make the DVD run automatically when you insert it. Thanks to the tool, you can avert all the hassle and create autorun.inf that you add to the content.