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| dragext 2019-01-09 | dragext 2022-10-21 (current) | ||
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| ====== Drag&drop Shell Extension ====== | ====== Drag&drop Shell Extension ====== | ||
| - | WinSCP drag&drop shell extension is extension of the operation system (or rather Windows Explorer). It allows you to drag files from WinSCP directly to any folder (Windows Explorer window). | + | WinSCP drag&drop shell extension is extension of the operation system (or rather Windows File Explorer). It allows you to drag files from WinSCP directly to any folder (Windows File Explorer window). |
| - | Note that with or without the extension you can always transfer files directly by dragging them between local and remote panels of [[ui_commander|Commander interface]]. //In the latest beta version//, you can drag files out of WinSCP even without the extension, but there are [[ui_pref_dragdrop#fake_file|some limitations]]. &beta | + | Note that with or without the extension you can always transfer files directly by dragging them between local and remote panels of [[ui_commander|Commander interface]]. With [[ui_pref_dragdrop#fake_file|some limitations]], you can also drag files out of WinSCP even without the extension. |
| - | + | ||
| - | //A bug in Windows 10 version 1803 (April 2018 Update) breaks the extension. [[bug>1644]] The latest version of WinSCP, when running this version of Windows, uses a different mechanism to determine a drop target. The bug is fixed in version 1809 (October 2018 update). &recent// | + | |
| ===== [[installation]] Installation and Set up ===== | ===== [[installation]] Installation and Set up ===== | ||
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| ===== [[drawbacks]] Drawbacks ===== | ===== [[drawbacks]] Drawbacks ===== | ||
| - | When the extension is enabled in WinSCP the only destination application you can drag files to is Windows Explorer (this includes Desktop). Of course you can still drag files within WinSCP. | + | When the extension is enabled in WinSCP the only destination application you can drag files to is Windows File Explorer (this includes Desktop). Of course you can still drag files within WinSCP. |
| - | In addition, as the files are actually transferred directly to the target folder, not "dropped" on the target window, the Window Explorer will not place them on the spot, where you have dropped them. Instead they will appear on automatically selected position. | + | In addition, as the files are actually transferred directly to the target folder, not "dropped" on the target window, the Window File Explorer will not place them on the spot, where you have dropped them. Instead they will appear on automatically selected position. |
| ===== Security Considerations ===== | ===== Security Considerations ===== | ||
| - | Note that the extension is registered in the operating system (or rather Windows Explorer) and thus it is loaded into memory even if you do not use WinSCP. | + | Note that the extension is registered in the operating system (or rather Windows File Explorer) and thus it is loaded into memory even if you do not use WinSCP. |
| ===== Technical Background ===== | ===== Technical Background ===== | ||
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| This chapter is for those who are curious why WinSCP needs shell extension to allow direct downloads using drag&drop. | This chapter is for those who are curious why WinSCP needs shell extension to allow direct downloads using drag&drop. | ||
| - | Here is short explanation: Windows drag&drop mechanics does not allow source application of drag&drop operation to find out easily, where the files are dropped. It is up to target application (Windows Explorer usually) to transfer files to destination. It is rather reasonable, because source application can hardly transfer files to all possible destinations. Keep in mind that you can drop files not only to a directory, but even to ZIP file (or any other archive), remote directory (via [[FTP]], [[SFTP]], [[SCP]], ...), trash, ... | + | Here is short explanation: Windows drag&drop mechanics does not allow source application of drag&drop operation to find out easily, where the files are dropped. It is up to target application (Windows File Explorer usually) to transfer files to destination. It is rather reasonable, because source application can hardly transfer files to all possible destinations. Keep in mind that you can drop files not only to a directory, but even to ZIP file (or any other archive), remote directory (via [[FTP]], [[SFTP]], [[SCP]], ...), trash, ... |
| - | Obviously even Windows Explorer (or any other target application, like WinZip) cannot download files from any possible source (particularly it does not know [[SFTP]]/[[SCP]]). | + | Obviously even Windows File Explorer (or any other target application, like WinZip) cannot download files from any possible source (particularly it does not know [[SFTP]]/[[SCP]]). |
| - | When the extension is not installed, WinSCP uses a trick to allow drag&drop downloads. It tells Windows Explorer that the files are in temporary folder (from where Windows Explorer knows how to get the files) and a moment before the Windows Explorer starts to copy files from there, WinSCP downloads the files there. | + | When the extension is not installed, WinSCP uses a trick to allow drag&drop downloads. It tells Windows File Explorer that the files are in temporary folder (from where Windows File Explorer knows how to get the files) and a moment before the Windows File Explorer starts to copy files from there, WinSCP downloads the files there. |
| - | To allow direct drag&drop downloads, the shell extension was developed. It misuses Windows Explorer CopyHook's. [[msdn>bb776048|CopyHook]] is a COM object (DLL library) that is called by Windows Explorer whenever directory (not file) is transferred within file system. When you drag anything from WinSCP, it creates empty dummy folder in temporary directory and pretends that you as user drag that directory. Once your drop it to Windows Explorer, it calls the CopyHook's (including the WinSCP shell extension), telling it what and where was dragged. This way WinSCP knows the actual destination. It cancels the drag&drop operation, so the dummy directory is not copied by Windows Explorer and transfers your actual selection to now-known destination. | + | To allow direct drag&drop downloads, the shell extension was developed. It misuses Windows File Explorer CopyHook's. [[https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/desktop/legacy/bb776048(v=vs.85)|CopyHook]] is a COM object (DLL library) that is called by Windows File Explorer whenever directory (not file) is transferred within file system. When you drag anything from WinSCP, it creates empty dummy folder in temporary directory and pretends that you as user drag that directory. Once your drop it to Windows File Explorer, it calls the CopyHook's (including the WinSCP shell extension), telling it what and where was dragged. This way WinSCP knows the actual destination. It cancels the drag&drop operation, so the dummy directory is not copied by Windows File Explorer and transfers your actual selection to now-known destination. |
| - | This on the other hand explains why with the extension you cannot drag files to any other application except for the Windows Explorer. No other application would call the CopyHook. | + | This on the other hand explains why with the extension you cannot drag files to any other application except for the Windows File Explorer. No other application would call the CopyHook. |