Capture filename from dialog box

How can I capture the name of the file a user right clicks in the open
file dialog using the common dialog box control?

I can capture the name if a file is double clicked, or OPEN is clicked
after selecting a file, or CANCEL clicked, but if they choose to right
click on a file and choose OPEN WITH option, then I can't seem to get
the name of the file they selected.

Don

"Don" <dsarvas@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:48c1543d.7650812@news.west.cox.net...
> How can I capture the name of the file a user right clicks in the open
> file dialog using the common dialog box control?
>
> I can capture the name if a file is double clicked, or OPEN is clicked
> after selecting a file, or CANCEL clicked, but if they choose to right
> click on a file and choose OPEN WITH option, then I can't seem to get
> the name of the file they selected.

If they do that whatever app is selected will be started. If it's your app
then a second instance of your app will start and Command$ will contain the
path to the selected file.

"Don" <dsarvas@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:48c1543d.7650812@news.west.cox.net...

> How can I capture the name of the file a user right clicks in the open
> file dialog using the common dialog box control?
>
> I can capture the name if a file is double clicked, or OPEN is clicked
> after selecting a file, or CANCEL clicked, but if they choose to right
> click on a file and choose OPEN WITH option, then I can't seem to get
> the name of the file they selected.

They're not actually selecting the file at that point, at least not as far
as the common dialog is concerned. If they right-clicked and chose Select,
then that would be equivalent clicking Open, but not using Open With. Open
With is provided by Windows Explorer, and it's as invisible to the common
dialog as, say, copy and paste.

The bottom line is: tell your user not to do that, or at least that it's not
something your app supports.

"Don" <dsarvas@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:48c1543d.7650812@news.west.cox.net...
> How can I capture the name of the file a user right clicks in the open
> file dialog using the common dialog box control?
>
> I can capture the name if a file is double clicked, or OPEN is clicked
> after selecting a file, or CANCEL clicked, but if they choose to right
> click on a file and choose OPEN WITH option, then I can't seem to get
> the name of the file they selected.
>
> Don

fwiw, the functionality you're describing is built in to the dialog and
every app using that dialog has the same limitations, regardless of which
language was used to write the app. You can probably setup a hooked dialog
to intercept this kind of thing, but constantly fighting the built in
behavior of any component, is an uphill battle.... the code below allows you
to completely replace the ocx you're using. It /probably/ traps right-click,
if you want it to, but I'm not sure.

CommonDialog/Direct
http://www.vbaccelerator.com/home/vb...ct/article.asp

<q>
There are a number of areas where Common Dialog/Direct improves upon the
implementation of COMDLG32.OCX supplied with VB:

Common Dialog hooks are supported. It is possible to:
Confirm files being chosen before a file dialog is closed
Centre dialogs accurately to any object
Incorporate a common dialog into your own form, like the Add Form and New
Project dialogs in VB5.
Templates are supported.

The file dialogs return the selected filter index when the user chooses a
file. You can get and set the custom colours set up in the colour dialog. It
is possible to show the Page Setup dialog for the printer
</q>

--
Ken Halter
Part time groupie

Don wrote:
> How can I capture the name of the file a user right clicks in the open
> file dialog using the common dialog box control?

You'd have to use the GetOpenFileName API directly, set a callback hook to the
common dialog that results, and watch for CDN_SELCHANGE notifications. Call
SendMessage with CDM_GETSPEC to get the filename:

Case CDN_SELCHANGE
' Find handle to dialog window.
hWnd = GetParent(hDlg)
' Get size of buffer required for filespec.
nChars = SendMessage(hWnd, CDM_GETSPEC, 0&, ByVal m_FileEx)
' Get the full buffer for the filespec(s)
If nChars > 0 Then
m_FileEx = Space$(nChars)
Call SendMessage(hWnd, CDM_GETSPEC, nChars, ByVal m_FileEx)
End If

Optionally, test which mouse button is down at this point, to decide how to proceed.
--
..NET: It's About Trust!
http://vfred.mvps.org

THANK YOU, Karl!!!

Works like a charm!

Don


On Fri, 5 Sep 2008 13:06:44 -0700, "Karl E. Peterson" <karl@mvps.org>
wrote:

>Don wrote:
>> How can I capture the name of the file a user right clicks in the open
>> file dialog using the common dialog box control?
>
>You'd have to use the GetOpenFileName API directly, set a callback hook to the
>common dialog that results, and watch for CDN_SELCHANGE notifications. Call
>SendMessage with CDM_GETSPEC to get the filename:
>
> Case CDN_SELCHANGE
> ' Find handle to dialog window.
> hWnd = GetParent(hDlg)
> ' Get size of buffer required for filespec.
> nChars = SendMessage(hWnd, CDM_GETSPEC, 0&, ByVal m_FileEx)
> ' Get the full buffer for the filespec(s)
> If nChars > 0 Then
> m_FileEx = Space$(nChars)
> Call SendMessage(hWnd, CDM_GETSPEC, nChars, ByVal m_FileEx)
> End If
>
>Optionally, test which mouse button is down at this point, to decide how to proceed.
>--
>.NET: It's About Trust!
> http://vfred.mvps.org
>
>

Thanks for the link, Ken. I downloaded the full code and it works
great. I followed the suggestion Karl posted to use the SendMessage
API to get the path and file I needed if a user right clicked and
chose the "Open With" option. Works so well, I'll probably stick with
and work with those class files rather than using the common dialog
control.

Don

On Fri, 5 Sep 2008 09:27:57 -0700, "Ken Halter"
<Ken_Halter@Use_Sparingly_Hotmail.com> wrote:

>"Don" <dsarvas@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>news:48c1543d.7650812@news.west.cox.net...
>> How can I capture the name of the file a user right clicks in the open
>> file dialog using the common dialog box control?
>>
>> I can capture the name if a file is double clicked, or OPEN is clicked
>> after selecting a file, or CANCEL clicked, but if they choose to right
>> click on a file and choose OPEN WITH option, then I can't seem to get
>> the name of the file they selected.
>>
>> Don
>
>fwiw, the functionality you're describing is built in to the dialog and
>every app using that dialog has the same limitations, regardless of which
>language was used to write the app. You can probably setup a hooked dialog
>to intercept this kind of thing, but constantly fighting the built in
>behavior of any component, is an uphill battle.... the code below allows you
>to completely replace the ocx you're using. It /probably/ traps right-click,
>if you want it to, but I'm not sure.
>
>CommonDialog/Direct
>http://www.vbaccelerator.com/home/vb...ct/article.asp
>
><q>
>There are a number of areas where Common Dialog/Direct improves upon the
>implementation of COMDLG32.OCX supplied with VB:
>
>Common Dialog hooks are supported. It is possible to:
> Confirm files being chosen before a file dialog is closed
> Centre dialogs accurately to any object
> Incorporate a common dialog into your own form, like the Add Form and New
>Project dialogs in VB5.
> Templates are supported.
>
>The file dialogs return the selected filter index when the user chooses a
>file. You can get and set the custom colours set up in the colour dialog. It
>is possible to show the Page Setup dialog for the printer
></q>
>
>--
>Ken Halter
>Part time groupie
>
>