[VBnet Hooks] GetOpenFileName: Customize File Open/Save Common Dialog Controls


	Visual Basic Hook Routines GetOpenFileName: Customize File Open/Save Common Dialog Controls

Posted:	Wednesday June 07, 2000
Updated:	Monday December 26, 2011

Applies to:	VB5, VB6
Developed with:	VB6, Windows NT4
OS restrictions:	None
Author:	VBnet - Randy Birch

Related:	GetOpenFileName: File Open/Save Common Dialog API - Overview GetSaveFileName: File Save Common Dialog Basics GetOpenFileName: File Open Common Dialog Basics GetOpenFileName: File Dialog Centering using a Callback GetOpenFileName: Advanced Dialog Centering using a Callback

Prerequisites

None.

Now that you're an expert at centering a common dialog using hooks its time to look at customizing other aspects of the dialog window. A frequent request is a method to set custom captions for the various buttons and static fields (labels) on the dialog. This page addresses this request.

Again the OFN hook procedure is used to manipulate the various fields in the dialog. The common dialog supports a special message called CDM_SETCONTROLTEXT. By specifying the parent dialog handle and the ID for the control of interest, a simple SendMessage will change the respective fields to custom strings.

All code to create the demo shown is below. Note that the path extraction code from previous demos has been removed to concentrate on the customizing code. See the detailed code and descriptions in the Overview and GetOpenFileName methods above for specifics on the actual dialog calls.

Nov 8.2000: Modified code for centering the dialog in parent to prevent dialog cropping if form is smaller than the open/save dialog. Tested on NT4.

BAS Module Code

Place the following common code into the general declarations area of a bas module:

Option Explicit

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' Copyright ©1996-2011 VBnet/Randy Birch, All Rights Reserved.
' Some pages may also contain other copyrights by the author.
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' Distribution: You can freely use this code in your own
'               applications, but you may not reproduce 
'               or publish this code on any web site,
'               online service, or distribute as source 
'               on any media without express permission.
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Private m_dlgPosition As Integer
Private m_dlgHideOK As Integer
Private m_OKCaption As String
Private m_CancelCaption As String
Private m_LookInCaption As String
Private m_FileNameCaption As String
Private m_FileOfTypeCaption As String
          
Public Const OFN_ALLOWMULTISELECT As Long = &H200
Public Const OFN_CREATEPROMPT As Long = &H2000 
Public Const OFN_ENABLEHOOK As Long = &H20 
Public Const OFN_ENABLETEMPLATE As Long = &H40 
Public Const OFN_ENABLETEMPLATEHANDLE As Long = &H80 
Public Const OFN_EXPLORER As Long = &H80000 
Public Const OFN_EXTENSIONDIFFERENT As Long = &H400 
Public Const OFN_FILEMUSTEXIST As Long = &H1000 
Public Const OFN_HIDEREADONLY As Long = &H4 
Public Const OFN_LONGNAMES As Long = &H200000 
Public Const OFN_NOCHANGEDIR As Long = &H8 
Public Const OFN_NODEREFERENCELINKS As Long = &H100000 
Public Const OFN_NOLONGNAMES As Long = &H40000 
Public Const OFN_NONETWORKBUTTON As Long = &H20000 
Public Const OFN_NOREADONLYRETURN As Long = &H8000& '*see comments 
Public Const OFN_NOTESTFILECREATE As Long = &H10000 
Public Const OFN_NOVALIDATE As Long = &H100 
Public Const OFN_OVERWRITEPROMPT As Long = &H2 
Public Const OFN_PATHMUSTEXIST As Long = &H800 
Public Const OFN_READONLY As Long = &H1 
Public Const OFN_SHAREAWARE As Long = &H4000 
Public Const OFN_SHAREFALLTHROUGH As Long = 2 
Public Const OFN_SHAREWARN As Long = 0 
Public Const OFN_SHARENOWARN As Long = 1 
Public Const OFN_SHOWHELP As Long = &H10 
Public Const OFN_ENABLESIZING As Long = &H800000
Public Const OFS_MAXPATHNAME As Long = 260 

'OFS_FILE_OPEN_FLAGS and OFS_FILE_SAVE_FLAGS below 
'are mine to save long statements; they're not 
'a standard Win32 type. 
Public Const OFS_FILE_OPEN_FLAGS = OFN_EXPLORER Or _
             OFN_LONGNAMES Or _
             OFN_CREATEPROMPT Or _
             OFN_NODEREFERENCELINKS 

Public Const OFS_FILE_SAVE_FLAGS = OFN_EXPLORER Or _
             OFN_LONGNAMES Or _
             OFN_OVERWRITEPROMPT Or _
             OFN_HIDEREADONLY 
             
'windows version constants
Private Const VER_PLATFORM_WIN32_NT As Long = 2
Private Const OSV_LENGTH As Long = 76
Private Const OSVEX_LENGTH As Long = 88
Public OSV_VERSION_LENGTH As Long

Public Const WM_INITDIALOG As Long = &H110
Private Const SW_SHOWNORMAL As Long = 1             
Private Const SM_CYCAPTION As Long = 4

Private Const WM_USER As Long = &H400
Private Const CDN_FIRST As Long = (-601)
Private Const CDM_FIRST = (WM_USER + 100)
Private Const CDM_SETCONTROLTEXT As Long = CDM_FIRST + &H4
Private Const CDM_HIDECONTROL As Long = (CDM_FIRST + &H5)

Private Const IDOK As Long = 1
Private Const IDCANCEL As Long = 2
Private Const IDFILEOFTYPETEXT  As Long = &H441
Private Const IDFILENAMETEXT As Long = &H442
Private Const IDLOOKINTEXT As Long = &H443

Public Type OPENFILENAME
  nStructSize       As Long
  hWndOwner         As Long
  hInstance         As Long
  sFilter           As String
  sCustomFilter     As String
  nMaxCustFilter    As Long
  nFilterIndex      As Long
  sFile             As String
  nMaxFile          As Long
  sFileTitle        As String
  nMaxTitle         As Long
  sInitialDir       As String
  sDialogTitle      As String
  flags             As Long
  nFileOffset       As Integer
  nFileExtension    As Integer
  sDefFileExt       As String
  nCustData         As Long
  fnHook            As Long
  sTemplateName     As String
  pvReserved        As Long  'new in Windows 2000 and later
  dwReserved        As Long  'new in Windows 2000 and later
  FlagsEx           As Long  'new in Windows 2000 and later
End Type

Public OFN As OPENFILENAME 

Private Type OSVERSIONINFO
  OSVSize         As Long
  dwVerMajor      As Long
  dwVerMinor      As Long
  dwBuildNumber   As Long
  PlatformID      As Long
  szCSDVersion    As String * 128
End Type   

Private Type RECT
   Left As Long
   Top As Long
   Right As Long
   Bottom As Long
End Type

Public Declare Function GetOpenFileName Lib "comdlg32" _
    Alias "GetOpenFileNameA" _ 
   (pOpenfilename As OPENFILENAME) As Long 

Public Declare Function GetSaveFileName Lib "comdlg32" _
   Alias "GetSaveFileNameA" _
  (pOpenfilename As OPENFILENAME) As Long

Public Declare Function GetShortPathName Lib "kernel32" _ 
    Alias "GetShortPathNameA" _ 
   (ByVal lpszLongPath As String, _
    ByVal lpszShortPath As String, _
    ByVal cchBuffer As Long) As Long

Private Declare Function GetSystemMetrics Lib "user32" _
   (ByVal nIndex As Long) As Long
   
Private Declare Function GetParent Lib "user32" _
  (ByVal hwnd As Long) As Long

Private Declare Function SetWindowText Lib "user32" _
   Alias "SetWindowTextA" _
  (ByVal hwnd As Long, _
   ByVal lpString As String) As Long
   
Private Declare Function MoveWindow Lib "user32" _
  (ByVal hwnd As Long, _
   ByVal x As Long, _
   ByVal y As Long, _
   ByVal nWidth As Long, _
   ByVal nHeight As Long, _
   ByVal bRepaint As Long) As Long
   
Private Declare Function GetWindowRect Lib "user32" _
  (ByVal hwnd As Long, _
   lpRect As RECT) As Long

'defined As Any to support either the
'OSVERSIONINFO or OSVERSIONINFOEX structure
Private Declare Function GetVersionEx Lib "kernel32" _
   Alias "GetVersionExA" _
  (lpVersionInformation As Any) As Long

Private Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32" _
   Alias "SendMessageA" _
  (ByVal hwnd As Long, _
   ByVal wMsg As Long, _
   ByVal wParam As Long, _
   lParam As Any) As Long



Private Function IsWin2000Plus() As Boolean

  'returns True if running Windows 2000 or later
   Dim osv As OSVERSIONINFO

   osv.OSVSize = Len(osv)

   If GetVersionEx(osv) = 1 Then
   
      IsWin2000Plus = (osv.PlatformID = VER_PLATFORM_WIN32_NT) And _
                      (osv.dwVerMajor = 5 And osv.dwVerMinor >= 0)
  
   End If

End Function


Public Sub SetOSVersion()
  
   Select Case IsWin2000Plus()
      Case True
         OSV_VERSION_LENGTH = OSVEX_LENGTH '5.0+ structure size
      
      Case Else
         OSV_VERSION_LENGTH = OSV_LENGTH   'pre-5.0 structure size
   End Select

End Sub


Public Function FARPROC(ByVal pfn As Long) As Long
  
  'A dummy procedure that receives and returns
  'the return value of the AddressOf operator.
 
  'Obtain and set the address of the callback
  'This workaround is needed as you can't assign
  'AddressOf directly to a member of a user-
  'defined type, but you can assign it to another
  'long and use that (as returned here)
 
  FARPROC = pfn

End Function


Public Property Let DialogInitPosition(ByVal vNewValue As Integer)

   m_dlgPosition = vNewValue
   
End Property


Public Property Let DialogHideOK(ByVal vNewValue As Boolean)

   m_dlgHideOK = vNewValue

End Property


Public Property Let SetOKCaption(ByVal vNewValue As String)

   m_OKCaption = vNewValue

End Property


Public Property Let SetCancelCaption(ByVal vNewValue As String)

   m_CancelCaption = vNewValue

End Property


Public Property Let SetLookInCaption(ByVal vNewValue As String)

   m_LookInCaption = vNewValue

End Property


Public Property Let SetFileNameCaption(ByVal vNewValue As String)

   m_FileNameCaption = vNewValue

End Property


Public Property Let SetFileOfTypeCaption(ByVal vNewValue As String)

   m_FileOfTypeCaption = vNewValue

End Property


Public Function OFNHookProc(ByVal hwnd As Long, _
                            ByVal uMsg As Long, _
                            ByVal wParam As Long, _
                            ByVal lParam As Long) As Long
                                   
  'On initialization, set aspects of the
  'dialog that are not obtainable through
  'manipulating the OPENFILENAME structure members.
   Dim hwndParent As Long
   Dim rc As RECT
   
  'temporary vars for demo
   Dim newLeft As Long
   Dim newTop As Long
   Dim dlgWidth As Long
   Dim dlgHeight As Long
   Dim scrWidth As Long
   Dim scrHeight As Long
   Dim frmLeft As Long
   Dim frmTop As Long
   Dim frmWidth As Long
   Dim frmHeight As Long
            
   Select Case uMsg
      Case WM_INITDIALOG
      
        'obtain the handle to the parent dialog
         hwndParent = GetParent(hwnd)
         
         If hwndParent <> 0 Then
         
           'Just to prove the handle was obtained,
           'change the dialog's caption
            Call SetWindowText(hwndParent, "I'm Hooked on Hooked Dialogs!")
            
           'Get the current dialog size and position
            Call GetWindowRect(hwndParent, rc)
                        
           'Once again, to show the calculations involved
           'I'll use variables instead of creating a
           'one-line MoveWindow call.
            Select Case m_dlgPosition
               Case 0:  'normal position
                     
                  OFNHookProc = 0
               
               Case 1:  'centered on screen

                  dlgWidth = rc.Right - rc.Left
                  dlgHeight = rc.Bottom - rc.Top
                  scrWidth = Screen.Width \ Screen.TwipsPerPixelX
                  scrHeight = Screen.Height \ Screen.TwipsPerPixelY
                  newLeft = (scrWidth - dlgWidth) \ 2
                  newTop = (scrHeight - dlgHeight) \ 2
                  
                  Call MoveWindow(hwndParent, newLeft, newTop, dlgWidth, dlgHeight, True)
                  
                  OFNHookProc = 1

               Case 2:  'centered in parent
               
                  frmLeft = Form1.Left \ Screen.TwipsPerPixelX
                  frmTop = Form1.Top \ Screen.TwipsPerPixelY
                  frmWidth = Form1.Width \ Screen.TwipsPerPixelX
                  frmHeight = Form1.Height \ Screen.TwipsPerPixelX

                  dlgWidth = rc.Right - rc.Left
                  dlgHeight = rc.Bottom - rc.Top
                  
                  scrWidth = Screen.Width \ Screen.TwipsPerPixelX
                  scrHeight = Screen.Height \ Screen.TwipsPerPixelY
                  
                  newLeft = frmLeft + ((frmWidth - dlgWidth) \ 2)

                  If dlgHeight > frmHeight Then
                     newTop = frmTop + GetSystemMetrics(SM_CYCAPTION) + ((frmHeight - dlgHeight) \ 2)
                  Else
                     newTop = frmTop + GetSystemMetrics(SM_CYCAPTION)
                  End If
                  
                  Call MoveWindow(hwndParent, newLeft, newTop, dlgWidth, dlgHeight, True)
                  
                  OFNHookProc = 1
                           
            End Select
            
           'If the hide check is set, hide the OK button. 
           'This simply shows how easy it is to hide 
           'unwanted control elements.
            If m_dlgHideOK = True Then
               Call SendMessage(hwndParent, CDM_HIDECONTROL, _
                                IDOK, ByVal 0&)
            End If
            
           'If the length of the variables > 0, set 
           'the new text to the respective control. 
            If Len(m_OKCaption) > 0 Then
               Call SendMessage(hwndParent, CDM_SETCONTROLTEXT, _
                                IDOK, ByVal m_OKCaption)
            End If
            
            If Len(m_CancelCaption) > 0 Then
               Call SendMessage(hwndParent, CDM_SETCONTROLTEXT, _
                                IDCANCEL, ByVal m_CancelCaption)
            End If
            
            If Len(m_LookInCaption) > 0 Then
               Call SendMessage(hwndParent, CDM_SETCONTROLTEXT, _
                                IDLOOKINTEXT, ByVal m_LookInCaption)
            End If
  
            If Len(m_FileNameCaption) > 0 Then
               Call SendMessage(hwndParent, CDM_SETCONTROLTEXT, _
                                IDFILENAMETEXT, ByVal m_FileNameCaption)
            
            End If
            If Len(m_FileOfTypeCaption) > 0 Then
               
               Call SendMessage(hwndParent, CDM_SETCONTROLTEXT, _
                                IDFILEOFTYPETEXT, ByVal m_FileOfTypeCaption)
            End If
            
         End If
         
         Case Else
         
   End Select

End Function

Form Code

To a new project form add two command buttons (Command1, Command2), five Text boxes (Text1-Text5), a Checkbox (Check1), and three option buttons in a control array (Option(0) - Option(2)). Add the following code to the form:

Option Explicit

Private Sub Form_Load()

   Command1.Caption = "Get File Open"
   Command2.Caption = "Get File Save"
   Option1(0).Caption = "Normal position"
   Option1(1).Caption = "Dialog centered in screen"
   Option1(2).Caption = "Dialog centered in parent"
   
End Sub


Private Sub Check1_Click()

   DialogHideOK = Check1.Value = 1
   
End Sub


Private Sub Option1_Click(Index As Integer)

   DialogInitPosition = Index
   
End Sub


Private Sub Command1_Click()

   Dim sFilters As String
   
  'if first time through set the appropriate OFN size
   If OSV_VERSION_LENGTH = 0 Then Call SetOSVersion
   
  'assign the new caption properties as needed
   SetOKCaption = Text1.Text
   SetCancelCaption = Text2.Text
   SetLookInCaption = Text3.Text
   SetFileNameCaption = Text4.Text
   SetFileOfTypeCaption = Text5.Text


  'filters for the dialog
   sFilters = "Visual Basic Forms" & vbNullChar & "*.frm" & vbNullChar & _
              "Visual Basic Modules" & vbNullChar & "*.bas" & vbNullChar & _
              "Visual Basic Projects" & vbNullChar & "*.vbp" & vbNullChar & _
              "Text Files" & vbNullChar & "*.txt" & vbNullChar & _
              "All Files" & vbNullChar & "*.*" & vbNullChar & vbNullChar
 
  'populate the structure
   With OFN
   
      .nStructSize = OSV_VERSION_LENGTH
      .hWndOwner = Me.hwnd
      .sFilter = sFilters
      .nFilterIndex = 2
      .sFile = "Untitled.bas" & Space$(1024) & vbNullChar & vbNullChar
      .nMaxFile = Len(.sFile)
      .sDefFileExt = "bas" & vbNullChar & vbNullChar
      .sFileTitle = vbNullChar & Space$(512) & vbNullChar & vbNullChar
      .nMaxTitle = Len(OFN.sFileTitle)
      .sInitialDir = "d:\vb5" & vbNullChar & vbNullChar
      .sDialogTitle = "VBnet GetOpenFileName Demo"
      .flags = OFS_FILE_OPEN_FLAGS Or _
               OFN_ALLOWMULTISELECT Or _
               OFN_ENABLESIZING Or _
               OFN_ENABLEHOOK
      .fnHook = FARPROC(AddressOf OFNHookProc)

   End With
   
  'call the API
   Call GetOpenFileName(OFN)

End Sub


Private Sub Command2_Click()

   Dim sFilters As String
   
  'if first time through set the appropriate OFN size
   If OSV_VERSION_LENGTH = 0 Then Call SetOSVersion

  'assign the new caption properties as needed
   SetOKCaption = Text1.Text
   SetCancelCaption = Text2.Text
   SetLookInCaption = Text3.Text
   SetFileNameCaption = Text4.Text
   SetFileOfTypeCaption = Text5.Text
   
  'filters for the dialog
   sFilters = "Visual Basic Forms" & vbNullChar & "*.frm" & vbNullChar & _
              "Visual Basic Modules" & vbNullChar & "*.bas" & vbNullChar & _
              "Visual Basic Projects" & vbNullChar & "*.vbp" & vbNullChar & _
              "Text Files" & vbNullChar & "*.txt" & vbNullChar & _
              "All Files" & vbNullChar & "*.*" & vbNullChar & vbNullChar
 
  'populate the structure
   With OFN
   
      .nStructSize = OSV_VERSION_LENGTH
      .hWndOwner = Me.hwnd
      .sFilter = sFilters
      .nFilterIndex = 2
      .sFile = "Untitled.bas" & Space$(1024) & vbNullChar & vbNullChar
      .nMaxFile = Len(.sFile)
      .sDefFileExt = "bas" & vbNullChar & vbNullChar
      .sFileTitle = vbNullChar & Space$(512) & vbNullChar & vbNullChar
      .nMaxTitle = Len(OFN.sFileTitle)
      .sInitialDir = "d:\vb5" & vbNullChar & vbNullChar
      .sDialogTitle = "VBnet GetSaveFileName Demo"
      .flags = OFS_FILE_SAVE_FLAGS Or _
               OFN_ENABLESIZING Or _
               OFN_ENABLEHOOK

      .fnHook = FARPROC(AddressOf OFNHookProc)

   End With
   
  'call the API
   Call GetSaveFileName(OFN)
   
End Sub

Comments

Set the text for any dialog member you want to customize, select a position and show the dialog.

For a discussion on modifying the OPENFILENAME structure in order to display the new Windows 2000 or Windows XP-style Open and Save dialogs, please see the comments section in the page GetOpenFileName: File Dialog Centering using a Callback (note: a hook is not required to display this new-style dialog - it just so happens that page is the one I chose to explain this on.)

Note re: OFN_NOREADONLYRETURN: This value is define in the header files as &H8000, which unfortunately is -32768 in VB. The correct value required 32768, so an ampersand (&) must be appended to this value to force VB to cast this to a Long. This is even true if the constant is defined As Long in the declare. If you use this constant in your apps and the file dialog either does not appear or the app crashes without an error, check this value.

PayPal Link