I want to add a combobox to the save file dialog, where the user can
choose an additional option.

How can this be done in VB.NET?

Thomas

Actually, it's not as difficult as you think. The trick is to show the
dialog, grab the window handle and reset it's parent to belong to that of a
form. Then hide the border of the dialog and position it accordingly, then
add your controls underneath. Hey presto custom open file dialog.

--
HTH,
-- Tom Spink, Über Geek

Please respond to the newsgroup,
so all can benefit


"Fergus Cooney" <filter-(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:#(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi Thomas,
>
> || How can this be done in VB.NET?
>
> Your question has a mistype. It should read "Can this be done in
> VB.NET?" which makes it much simpler to answer. - No :-(
>
> The Save File dialogue is a Windows dialogue and has nothing to do
> with .NET. Any playing around with it (and it can be done) has to be
> done using the Win32 Api.
>
> Adding an extra combo box would be MAJOR work as you'd have to
> increase the size of the window, rearrange all the other controls,
> find a way to populate it, use the user's selection, etc, etc.
>
> The most I've seen other peolpe do is trap mouse clicks on the
> title bar so that they can call their own program but, even then, it's
> specialised programming.
>
> Your best option, if it is that important to you, is to roll up
> your sleeves and create your own dialogue. Someone may have already
> done this (it's highly likely in fact) but I don't know who and a
> quick Google turned up nothing. You might get some joy if you go to
> some of the programmer's web sites.
>
> Good luck,
> Fergus
>
>

Hi Tom,

|| Actually, it's not as difficult as you think.

Hurray, I sit happily corrected. Well done, that man. :-)

|| The trick is to show the dialog, grab the window handle
|| and reset it's parent to belong to that of a form.

Any details,especially the set-parent-from-windows-handle bit?

|| Then hide the border of the dialog and position it accordingly,
|| then add your controls underneath.

So there's no border? Add the controls to the dialogue or ??

Ahah! Is the "a form" mentioned above a new form which is to be a
host container for the dialogue and any extra controls (ie the
combobox)?

Any details about hiding the dialogue's borders (and title bar,
presumably, if it's being hosted)? Sounds like Win stuff to me.

Can you add anything about populating the combo box and doing
something with the selection, too?

Can you forgive me for giving you all these questions? lol.

Regards,
Fergus

> Any details,especially the set-parent-from-windows-handle bit?

It requires hooking and threads...

> Ahah! Is the "a form" mentioned above a new form which is to be a
> host container for the dialogue and any extra controls (ie the
> combobox)?

It most certainly is.

> Can you add anything about populating the combo box and doing
> something with the selection, too?

When the user has chosen OK on the OFD, just close the form, and return what
you need from the host form.

I've done it once in VB6, maybe I'll try again.

--
HTH,
-- Tom Spink, Über Geek

Please respond to the newsgroup,
so all can benefit


"Fergus Cooney" <filter-(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:#$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi Tom,
>
> || Actually, it's not as difficult as you think.
>
> Hurray, I sit happily corrected. Well done, that man. :-)
>
> || The trick is to show the dialog, grab the window handle
> || and reset it's parent to belong to that of a form.
>
> Any details,especially the set-parent-from-windows-handle bit?
>
> || Then hide the border of the dialog and position it accordingly,
> || then add your controls underneath.
>
> So there's no border? Add the controls to the dialogue or ??
>
> Ahah! Is the "a form" mentioned above a new form which is to be a
> host container for the dialogue and any extra controls (ie the
> combobox)?
>
> Any details about hiding the dialogue's borders (and title bar,
> presumably, if it's being hosted)? Sounds like Win stuff to me.
>
> Can you add anything about populating the combo box and doing
> something with the selection, too?
>
> Can you forgive me for giving you all these questions? lol.
>
> Regards,
> Fergus
>
>

Thanks guys for the discussion on my behalf.

I just thought there would be an easier way to do this in .NET.

Doing some more research on this I found this web page which might
help:
http://www.vbaccelerator.com/home/VB...logs/index.asp

Thanks for your help anyway

Thomas

On Sat, 30 Aug 2003 09:06:37 +0100, "Tom Spink"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>> Any details,especially the set-parent-from-windows-handle bit?
>
>It requires hooking and threads...
>
>> Ahah! Is the "a form" mentioned above a new form which is to be a
>> host container for the dialogue and any extra controls (ie the
>> combobox)?
>
>It most certainly is.
>
>> Can you add anything about populating the combo box and doing
>> something with the selection, too?
>
>When the user has chosen OK on the OFD, just close the form, and return what
>you need from the host form.
>
>I've done it once in VB6, maybe I'll try again.

Hello,

"Tom Spink" <(E-Mail Removed)> schrieb:
> Actually, it's not as difficult as you think. The trick is to show the
> dialog, grab the window handle and reset it's parent to belong to that of
a
> form. Then hide the border of the dialog and position it accordingly, then
> add your controls underneath. Hey presto custom open file dialog.

Why not use dialog templates?

http://vbaccelerator.com/article.asp?id=1422

I know, it's VB Classic code, but maybe you have enough time to translate it
to VB .NET.

;-)

HTH,
Herfried K. Wagner
--
MVP · VB Classic, VB .NET
http://www.mvps.org/dotnet

Hello,

"Tom Spink" <(E-Mail Removed)> schrieb:
> > Any details,especially the set-parent-from-windows-handle bit?
>
> It requires hooking and threads...

You are right. Simple modifications can be done using a dialog hook (VB6
sample):

http://www.mvps.org/vbnet/code/hooks...ookadvtext.htm

HTH,
Herfried K. Wagner
--
MVP · VB Classic, VB .NET
http://www.mvps.org/dotnet