Read/Write 'Extended' file properties (C#)

Question

I\'m trying to find out how to read/write to the extended file properties in C# e.g. Comment, Bit Rate, Date Accessed, Category etc that you can see in Windows explorer. An

Answer 1

Solution 2016

Add following NuGet packages to your project:

• Microsoft.WindowsAPICodePack-Shell by Microsoft
• Microsoft.WindowsAPICodePack-Core by Microsoft

Read and Write Properties

using Microsoft.WindowsAPICodePack.Shell;
using Microsoft.WindowsAPICodePack.Shell.PropertySystem;

string filePath = @"C:\temp\example.docx";
var file = ShellFile.FromFilePath(filePath);

// Read and Write:

string[] oldAuthors = file.Properties.System.Author.Value;
string oldTitle = file.Properties.System.Title.Value;

file.Properties.System.Author.Value = new string[] { "Author #1", "Author #2" };
file.Properties.System.Title.Value = "Example Title";

// Alternate way to Write:

ShellPropertyWriter propertyWriter =  file.Properties.GetPropertyWriter();
propertyWriter.WriteProperty(SystemProperties.System.Author, new string[] { "Author" });
propertyWriter.Close();

Important:

The file must be a valid one, created by the specific assigned software. Every file type has specific extended file properties and not all of them are writable.

If you right-click a file on desktop and cannot edit a property, you wont be able to edit it in code too.

Example:

• Create txt file on desktop, rename its extension to docx. You can't edit its Author or Title property.
• Open it with Word, edit and save it. Now you can.

So just make sure to use some try catch

Further Topic: MSDN: Implementing Property Handlers