Preview Files in Your .NET Application

The ShellFilePreview control integrates the preview pane known from the Windows Explorer (first introduced in Windows Vista) into your application. Users can see file content without having to actually open the files.

The ShellFilePreview .NET control connects to the registered IPreviewHandlers and uses them to render files. You can modify the system's PreviewHandler that your program uses to display a file or even supply your own implementation for file types that cannot be previewed otherwise.

The contents of the preview control can be set via the Path property and you can use the ShellControlConnector component to synchronize it with other controls, e.g. ShellListView.

If you want use the preview for images only, we recommend using our ThumbnailImage control. If you require an entire Explorer, simply use the ExplorerBrowser .NET component.

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