Formatting registry values with non-standard argument syntax for context menu commands

Question

I'm trying to add an entry to the Windows folder background context menu. The following "command" value works:

"P:\Projects\GuardianBlade\OfStrangerFlames\Development\Project\Bin\MakeManifest.exe"

It successfully executes MakeManifest (a tiny development tool I'm working on for my real programming project).

However, I'd like to do this:

"P:\Projects\GuardianBlade\OfStrangerFlames\Development\Project\Bin\MakeManifest.exe" -root="%1"

But that doesn't work. Neither does this:

"P:\Projects\GuardianBlade\OfStrangerFlames\Development\Project\Bin\MakeManifest.exe" "-root=%1"

What I'm aiming for, is the program MakeManifest.exe to execute, and receive one command-line argument of the format:

-root="the/directory/right-clicked/in/"

I want the quotes around the directory path to be passed into MakeManifest preserved, and I'd like the entire thing (-root="the/directory/right-clicked/in/") to be one argument.

Failing that, I'd settle for -root passed in as one argument, and the/directory/path (without quotes but as one argument) passed in as the second argument. I can't get either to work.

All my attempts result in this error message:

"This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Please install a program or, if one is already installed, create an association in the Default Programs control panel."

...as if it were trying to identify what program to execute the entire command as a filepath.

Again, setting the command without any arguments works fine.

How should I do that ?

Answer 1

Use %V instead of %1.

For additional information on shell command variables like %V and %1, see this question.