How can I add NTFS metadata to any file? - file

Question

Is there a possibility to add information like "Version = 1.2.3.4" to - let's say - a TXT file? Could this be achieved with NTFS metadata? If so, can I set such information by a program?
Thanks in advance for any hint! Bernd

Answer 1

You can use either Alternative Data Stream (ADS), or Extended File Attributes (more e.g. here).
If you are sure your files remain on NTFS, Alternative Data Streams are perfect way how to store any amount of alternative data - but you will lose ADS when such file leaves NTFS.
Another option is to use Extended File Attributes, it's supported cross-platform, cross-FS, but it has limitations (e.g. how much data you can store). If you're going to save just e.g. version information, this is probably the best way to go.

Answer 2

Thank you Robert! I used the Extended File Attributes of NTFS that you proposed. They are called "File Summary Information". Unfortunately the information does not show up for - lets say - a text file in the "Details" tab of the Windows file explorer. I found some tricks for the registry but they didn't work yet. My code is Delphi:
CONST FmtID_SummaryInformation:TGUID= '{F29F85E0-4FF9-1068-AB91-08002B27B3D9}';
// FMTID_DocSummaryInformation:TGUID='{D5CDD502-2E9C-101B-9397-08002B2CF9AE}';
// FMTID_UserDefinedProperties:TGUID='{D5CDD505-2E9C-101B-9397-08002B2CF9AE}';
IID_IPropertySetStorage:TGUID= '{0000013A-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}';
STGFMT_FILE=3; //Indicates that the file must not be a compound file.
//This element is only valid when using the StgCreateStorageEx
//or StgOpenStorageEx functions to access the NTFS file system
//implementation of the IPropertySetStorage interface.
//Therefore, these functions return an error if the riid
//parameter does not specify the IPropertySetStorage interface,
//or if the specified file is not located on an NTFS file system volume.
STGFMT_ANY=4; //Indicates that the system will determine the file type and
//use the appropriate structured storage or property set
//implementation.
//This value cannot be used with the StgCreateStorageEx function.
// Summary Information
PID_TITLE = 2;
PID_SUBJECT = 3;
PID_AUTHOR = 4;
PID_KEYWORDS = 5;
PID_COMMENTS = 6;
PID_TEMPLATE = 7;
PID_LASTAUTHOR = 8;
PID_REVNUMBER = 9;
PID_EDITTIME = 10;
PID_LASTPRINTED = 11;
PID_CREATE_DTM = 12;
PID_LASTSAVE_DTM = 13;
PID_PAGECOUNT = 14;
PID_WORDCOUNT = 15;
PID_CHARCOUNT = 16;
PID_THUMBNAIL = 17;
PID_APPNAME = 18;
PID_SECURITY = 19;
(*
// Document Summary Information
PID_CATEGORY = 2;
PID_PRESFORMAT = 3;
PID_BYTECOUNT = 4;
PID_LINECOUNT = 5;
PID_PARCOUNT = 6;
PID_SLIDECOUNT = 7;
PID_NOTECOUNT = 8;
PID_HIDDENCOUNT = 9;
PID_MMCLIPCOUNT = 10;
PID_SCALE = 11;
PID_HEADINGPAIR = 12;
PID_DOCPARTS = 13;
PID_MANAGER = 14;
PID_COMPANY = 15;
PID_LINKSDIRTY = 16;
PID_CHARCOUNT2 = 17;
*)
FUNCTION IsNTFS(AFileName:AnsiString):Boolean;
VAR fso,drv:OleVariant;
BEGIN
fso:=CreateOleObject('Scripting.FileSystemObject'{=});
drv:=fso.GetDrive(fso.GetDriveName(AFileName));
Result:=drv.FileSystem='NTFS'{=};
END;
FUNCTION StgOpenStorageEx(
CONST pwcsName:POleStr; //Pointer to the path of the
//file containing storage object
grfMode:LongInt; //Specifies the access mode for the object
stgfmt:DWORD; //Specifies the storage file format
grfAttrs:DWORD; //Reserved; must be zero
pStgOptions:Pointer;//Address of STGOPTIONS pointer
reserved2:Pointer; //Reserved; must be zero
riid:PGUID; //Specifies the GUID of the interface pointer
OUT stgOpen:IStorage//Address of an interface pointer
) : HResult; stdcall; external 'ole32.dll'{=};
FUNCTION GetFileSummaryInfo(FileName:AnsiString):AnsiString;
{Read the File Summary Info of a file (NTFS)}
FUNCTION PropertyPIDToCaption(CONST ePID:Cardinal):AnsiString;
BEGIN {PropertyPIDToCaption}
CASE ePID OF
PID_TITLE: Result:='Title';
PID_SUBJECT: Result:='Subject';
PID_AUTHOR: Result:='Author';
PID_KEYWORDS: Result:='Keywords';
PID_COMMENTS: Result:='Comments';
PID_TEMPLATE: Result:='Template';
PID_LASTAUTHOR: Result:='Last Saved By';
PID_REVNUMBER: Result:='Revision Number';
PID_EDITTIME: Result:='Total Editing Time';
PID_LASTPRINTED: Result:='Last Printed';
PID_CREATE_DTM: Result:='Create Time/Date';
PID_LASTSAVE_DTM:Result:='Last Saved Time/Date';
PID_PAGECOUNT: Result:='Number of Pages';
PID_WORDCOUNT: Result:='Number of Words';
PID_CHARCOUNT: Result:='Number of Characters';
PID_THUMBNAIL: Result:='Thumbnail';
PID_APPNAME: Result:='Creating Application';
PID_SECURITY: Result:='Security';
ELSE Result:='$'+IntToHex(ePID,8);
END
END; {PropertyPIDToCaption}
VAR i,k:Integer;
PropSetStg:IPropertySetStorage;
PropSpec:ARRAY OF TPropSpec;
PropStg:IPropertyStorage;
PropVariant:ARRAY OF TPropVariant;
Rslt:HResult;
S:AnsiString;
Stg:IStorage;
PropEnum:IEnumSTATPROPSTG;
HR:HResult;
PropStat:STATPROPSTG;
AHRes:HRESULT;
PFNw,P:PWideChar;
BEGIN {GetFileSummaryInfo}
GetMem(P,257); PFNw:=StringToWideChar(FileName,P,256);
Result := '';
TRY
OleCheck(StgOpenStorageEx(PFNw,STGM_READ OR STGM_SHARE_DENY_WRITE,STGFMT_FILE,0,NIL,NIL,#IID_IPropertySetStorage,Stg));
PropSetStg:=Stg AS IPropertySetStorage;
AHRes:=PropSetStg.Open(FmtID_SummaryInformation,STGM_READ OR STGM_SHARE_EXCLUSIVE,PropStg);
IF AHRes<>S_OK THEN Exit;
OleCheck(AHRes);
OleCheck(PropStg.Enum(PropEnum));
hr:=PropEnum.Next(1,PropStat,NIL);
i:=0;
WHILE hr=S_OK DO BEGIN
inc(i);
SetLength(PropSpec,I);
PropSpec[i-1].ulKind:=PRSPEC_PROPID;
PropSpec[i-1].propid:=PropStat.propid;
hr := PropEnum.Next(1,PropStat, nil);
END;
SetLength(PropVariant,i);
Rslt:=PropStg.ReadMultiple(i,#PropSpec[0],#PropVariant[0]);
IF Rslt=S_FALSE THEN Exit;
FOR k:=0 TO i-1 DO BEGIN
S:='';
IF (PropVariant[k].vt=VT_LPWSTR) AND Assigned(PropVariant[k].pwszVal) THEN
S:=WideCharToString(PropVariant[k].pwszVal);
IF (PropVariant[k].vt=VT_LPSTR) AND Assigned(PropVariant[k].pszVal) THEN
S:=PropVariant[k].pszVal;
S:=PropertyPIDToCaption(PropSpec[k].Propid)+'='+S;
IF S<>'' THEN Result:=Result+S+#13#10;
END;
FINALLY
END;
END; {GetFileSummaryInfo}
PROCEDURE SetFileSummaryInfo(FileName,Author,Title,Subject,Keywords,Comments:AnsiString);
{Write some fields of the File Summary Info of a file (NTFS)}
VAR PropSetStg:IPropertySetStorage;
PropSpec:ARRAY OF TPropSpec;
PropStg:IPropertyStorage;
PropVariant:ARRAY OF TPropVariant;
Stg:IStorage;
PFNw,P:PWideChar;
Anz:LongInt;
BEGIN {SetFileSummaryInfo}
IF NOT IsNTFS(FileName) THEN Exit;
Anz:=5;
GetMem(P,257); PFNw:=StringToWideChar(FileName,P,256);
OleCheck(StgOpenStorageEx(PFNw,STGM_SHARE_EXCLUSIVE OR STGM_READWRITE,STGFMT_ANY,0,NIL,NIL,#IID_IPropertySetStorage,Stg));
PropSetStg:=Stg AS IPropertySetStorage;
OleCheck(PropSetStg.Create(FmtID_SummaryInformation,FmtID_SummaryInformation,PROPSETFLAG_DEFAULT,STGM_CREATE OR STGM_READWRITE OR STGM_SHARE_EXCLUSIVE,PropStg));
Setlength(PropSpec,Anz);
PropSpec[0].ulKind:=PRSPEC_PROPID;
PropSpec[0].propid:=PID_AUTHOR;
PropSpec[1].ulKind:=PRSPEC_PROPID;
PropSpec[1].propid:=PID_TITLE;
PropSpec[2].ulKind:=PRSPEC_PROPID;
PropSpec[2].propid:=PID_SUBJECT;
PropSpec[3].ulKind:=PRSPEC_PROPID;
PropSpec[3].propid:=PID_KEYWORDS;
PropSpec[4].ulKind:=PRSPEC_PROPID;
PropSpec[4].propid:=PID_COMMENTS;
SetLength(PropVariant,Anz);
PropVariant[0].vt:=VT_LPSTR;
PropVariant[0].pszVal:=PChar(Author);
PropVariant[1].vt:=VT_LPSTR;
PropVariant[1].pszVal:=PChar(Title);
PropVariant[2].vt:=VT_LPSTR;
PropVariant[2].pszVal:=PChar(Subject);
PropVariant[3].vt:=VT_LPSTR;
PropVariant[3].pszVal:=PChar(Keywords);
PropVariant[4].vt:=VT_LPSTR;
PropVariant[4].pszVal:=PChar(Comments);
OleCheck(PropStg.WriteMultiple(Anz,#PropSpec[0],#PropVariant[0],2));
PropStg.Commit(STGC_DEFAULT);
FreeMem(P);
END; {SetFileSummaryInfo}