How does a file have no extension

As far as I know there is no standard. Here are a few ideas from my experience.

Set it up, never change it

This is were most companies fail. Nothing is worse than an ever changing file-system structure. If it is not possible to keep it constant then a pure file-system is just the wrong container to organize your information. Use a database or a Content Management System.

Use descriptive and consistent directory names

Nobody has the time to read a .filing file or anything else. If your directory names are not self explaining you probably are lost anyway.

Write a documentation for your directory structure

Write a document where you explain the role of every directory. Give lots of examples. Make it available to anyone who has to work with your structure, but don't believe anybody will read it. It should be more like a Bible to you. It's not easy to find an example for such a document, because obviously companies don't publish them. An example from open source software is the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard.

If this sounds a little negative, it is. I've never seen a non-trivial repository based on a file system with more than five users work in the long run in practice. The problem is that whatever categories you'll set up, people will have completely different ideas about them. So to finally answer your questions:

Does such a thing exist?

No, I don't think so.

If not, why not?

In my opinion: For a small static hierarchy with a few users it's overkill. For a large changing hierarchy with many users it won't work because the idea of categories (=directories, folder) doesn't scale.

Do people think it's a worthwhile idea?

Hm, it's an interesting idea. To see if people will use it, someone has to implement it. Instead of a .filing file you could store that information in an alternate data stream (yes, folders can have ADS too). You could use extended attributes on Linux and OSX. The biggest problem would probably be to patch the file browsers.

That's cause you didn't register your file type correctly. Well, technically, you didn't register your "application" correct.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc144148(v=vs.85).aspx#fa_register_type\

You registered .int correctly. .int says to call intfile. intfile however is where you put in the application that handles the file! So Shellex goes looking into intfile and all it finds is a string in the default field. So the operation fails.

Since you want string there, you have to supply the Shell with a default verb to execute. Under the intfile create shell\open\command. Enter the full path to your application, for example, "%ProgramFiles%\Notepad++\Notepad++.exe" "%1".

FileName is the Full path to the file you want to make a copy, so you need "%windir% and not WINDOWS.

Edit I can't believe I'm condoning this method. . .

But I don't know of any way to add this without writing a program. . .

edit2:

Ok here we go.

Key .int has Default(SZ) = intfile and Context Type(SZ) = plain.text. Under Key .int, you'll have subkey Shellnew. The default should be empty. Make a new empty string (Reg_SZ) and for the value put in the filename: `C:\windows\ShellNew\NewLocalization File'.

Under intfile make the default New Localization File.

Note the lack of double quotes. Now intfile needs the following subkeys: shell, make it's Default = open. Next, make subkey open under shell.

Now make subkey command under open.

Put the full path of the program under the string with quotes. ie "c:\Program Files (x86)\Notepad++\notepad++.exe" "%1". Note there are double quotes.

Edit:3

So it looks like the OP ran into an unknown issue and solved it this way.

Hrm ok figured it out! You were right mostly, and I was right a little. The problem was I had opened the file once and set the default program to notepad++ in the pop up dialogue. This created a key called int_auto_file. I went through the registry, very time consuming, and deleted all references to the .int extension. After that I rebuilt them and now it works perfectly.