@bun-win32/shell32

Zero-dependency, zero-overhead Win32 SHELL32 bindings for Bun on Windows.

Overview

@bun-win32/shell32 exposes the shell32.dll exports using Bun's FFI. It provides a single class, Shell32, which lazily binds native symbols on first use. You can optionally preload a subset or all symbols up-front via Preload().

The bindings are strongly typed for a smooth DX in TypeScript.

Features

• Bun-first ergonomics on Windows 10/11.
• Direct FFI to shell32.dll (~250 bindings covering shell operations, file management, notifications, drag-and-drop, and more).
• In-source docs in structs/Shell32.ts with links to Microsoft Docs.
• Lazy binding on first call; optional eager preload (Shell32.Preload()).
• No wrapper overhead; calls map 1:1 to native APIs.
• Strongly-typed Win32 aliases (see types/Shell32.ts).

Requirements

• Bun runtime
• Windows 10 or later

Installation

bun add @bun-win32/shell32

Quick Start

import Shell32 from '@bun-win32/shell32';

// Optionally bind a subset up-front
Shell32.Preload(['SHGetFolderPathW', 'IsUserAnAdmin', 'CommandLineToArgvW']);

// Check admin status
const isAdmin = Shell32.IsUserAnAdmin();
console.log('Admin:', !!isAdmin);

// Get APPDATA path (CSIDL_APPDATA = 0x001A)
const pathBuf = Buffer.alloc(520);
Shell32.SHGetFolderPathW(0n, 0x001a, 0n, 0, pathBuf.ptr);
console.log('APPDATA:', pathBuf.toString('utf16le').replace(/\0+$/, ''));

[!NOTE] AI agents: see AI.md for the package binding contract and source-navigation guidance. It explains how to use the package without scanning the entire implementation.

Examples

Run the included example:

bun run example              # Admin check, folder paths, command-line parsing, recycle bin info

Notes

• Either rely on lazy binding or call Shell32.Preload().
• Windows only. Bun runtime required.
• SAL types & naming: nullability is in the type — Optional<T> (formally optional, SAL _*opt_) and Nullable<T> (plain [in]/[out] the docs say can be NULL), the null sentinel derived from T (null for pointers LP*/P*, 0n for handles/by-value addresses); direction is in the parameter name — _out (_Out_), _in_out (_Inout_), _In_ bare. See AI.md and the repo AGENTS.md.