# moudey/shell

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6,649 stars · 238 forks · C++ · MIT

## Links

- GitHub: https://github.com/moudey/Shell
- Homepage: https://nilesoft.org
- awesome-repositories: https://awesome-repositories.com/repository/moudey-shell.md

## Topics

`context-menu` `file-explorer` `nilesoft-shell` `right-click` `shell-extension`

## Description

Shell is a Windows File Explorer context menu manager and shell UI customizer. It functions as a registry-based shell extension that uses a declarative configuration engine to add, remove, and modify context menu entries within the operating system.

The project distinguishes itself through a text-based configuration system that supports logical expressions and conditional rules to control menu item visibility. It allows for the creation of multi-level cascade menus and the integration of custom visual identifiers, including SVG icons and glyphs, directly into the shell interface.

Broad capabilities include the ability to declutter the explorer UI by hiding existing system entries, the implementation of automated workflow shortcuts, and the use of bitwise operations for low-level state manipulation. The system also supports modular configuration imports and live refreshes to apply changes to the context menu without recompiling.

## Tags

### Operating Systems & Systems Programming

- [OS Context Menu Customizers](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/operating-systems-systems-programming/os-context-menu-customizers.md) — Functions as a comprehensive tool for adding custom buttons, cascades, and multi-level menus to the Windows File Explorer. ([source](https://nilesoft.org/docs))
- [Declarative Menu Engines](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/operating-systems-systems-programming/kernel-core-internals/boot-startup-management/boot-menu-configurators/menu-templating-engines/declarative-menu-engines.md) — Implements a text-based declarative engine for defining dynamic context menu item visibility.
- [Shell Context Menu Integrations](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/operating-systems-systems-programming/shell-context-menu-integrations.md) — Registers custom shell extensions within the Windows operating system to intercept and modify native context menus. ([source](https://nilesoft.org/docs/installation))
- [Shell Extension Registries](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/operating-systems-systems-programming/shell-extension-registries.md) — Modifies Windows registry keys to inject custom shell extensions that intercept native context menus.
- [Windows Registry Modifiers](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/operating-systems-systems-programming/windows-registry-modifiers.md) — Programmatically modifies Windows registry keys to control shell extension behavior and appearance.
- [Windows Shell UI Integrations](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/operating-systems-systems-programming/windows-shell-ui-integrations.md) — Integrates custom commands and SVG icons directly into the Windows file navigation shell.
- [Bitwise Manipulation Primitives](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/operating-systems-systems-programming/bitwise-manipulation-primitives.md) — Implements low-level bitwise operations to manipulate system flags controlling menu item behavior.
- [Bitwise State Manipulation](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/operating-systems-systems-programming/bitwise-state-manipulation.md) — The capability to execute left and right bit shifts on numeric expressions to handle low-level data flags. ([source](https://nilesoft.org/docs/functions))

### User Interface & Experience

- [File Explorer Context Menus](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/user-interface-experience/context-menu-customizations/application-launch-menus/file-explorer-context-menus.md) — Provides a comprehensive system for creating and organizing custom right-click menus in Windows File Explorer.
- [UI Decluttering](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/user-interface-experience/context-menu-customizations/application-launch-menus/file-explorer-context-menus/ui-decluttering.md) — Removing or hiding unnecessary system and third-party context menu entries to simplify the right-click menu experience.
- [Conditional Menu Items](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/user-interface-experience/context-menu-customizations/conditional-menu-items.md) — Defines conditional rules to determine the visibility of menu items based on the selected file or folder.
- [Menu Behavior Logic](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/user-interface-experience/context-menu-customizations/conditional-menu-items/menu-behavior-logic.md) — Provides a custom non-case-sensitive syntax for writing functions that control how menu items behave. ([source](https://nilesoft.org/docs/expressions))
- [Custom Menu Item Definitions](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/user-interface-experience/context-menu-customizations/custom-menu-item-definitions.md) — Allows users to define new menu entries and multi-level sub-menus for the file explorer interface. ([source](https://nilesoft.org/docs/configuration))
- [Windows Appearance Customizers](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/user-interface-experience/terminal-user-interfaces/visual-styling-presentation/interface-appearance-customization/component-appearance-customizers/application-appearance-customizers/windows-appearance-customizers.md) — Styles the Windows Explorer interface with custom icons, SVGs, and multi-level cascade menus.
- [Visual Styling](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/user-interface-experience/context-menu-construction/visual-styling.md) — Provides detailed configuration of visual properties including colors, glyphs, and SVG icons for the context menu. ([source](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/moudey/shell@main/README.md))
- [Menu Item Cleaners](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/user-interface-experience/context-menu-customizations/conditional-menu-items/menu-item-cleaners.md) — Provides the capability to hide or remove existing system and third-party context menu entries to declutter the UI. ([source](https://nilesoft.org/docs/configuration))
- [Hierarchical Menu Organization](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/user-interface-experience/hierarchical-menu-organization.md) — Enables the organization of navigation via custom colors, icons, and multi-column hierarchical structures. ([source](https://nilesoft.org/))
- [Menu Item](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/user-interface-experience/icons/menu-item.md) — Supports assigning SVGs, glyphs, image files, and custom colors as visual identifiers for menu items. ([source](https://nilesoft.org/docs))

### Programming Languages & Runtimes

- [Visibility Expression Evaluators](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/programming-languages-runtimes/expression-based-switch-cases/visibility-expression-evaluators.md) — Provides a custom logic engine to conditionally show or hide context menu items based on the selected object.

### Software Engineering & Architecture

- [Shell Configuration Expressions](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/software-engineering-architecture/configuration-pipelines/expression-based-configurations/shell-configuration-expressions.md) — Provides a text-based configuration system with embedded expressions to dynamically control context menu behavior. ([source](https://nilesoft.org/docs))
- [Menu Structure Mappings](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/software-engineering-architecture/dynamic-function-mappings/configuration-to-function-mappings/menu-structure-mappings.md) — Maps plain text configuration files directly to the Windows shell menu structure for user-defined commands.
- [Live Configuration Watchers](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/software-engineering-architecture/live-configuration-watchers.md) — Monitors and reloads configuration files in real-time to apply context menu changes without recompiling. ([source](https://nilesoft.org/docs/installation))

### Development Tools & Productivity

- [Automation Shortcuts](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/development-tools-productivity/automation-shortcuts.md) — Creates specialized multi-level menus and command lists to automate frequent manual file explorer tasks.
- [Path-Based Command Execution](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/development-tools-productivity/path-based-command-execution.md) — Parses configuration strings to execute shell commands using selected file or directory paths as arguments.