GAMBAS BOOK 3.19.5

The FileChooser control (gb.form) allows the user to select a file or a list of files in the same directory.

Figure 6.9.5.1: Selected Files in a FileChooser

The FileChooser control can be created:

Dim hFileChooser As FileChooser
hFileChooser = New FileChooser ( Parent As Container ) As "EventName"

The FileChooser class has the following properties:

Table 6.9.5.1.1 : Properties of the FileChooser class

The FileChooser class has these selected methods:

Table 6.9.5.2.1 : Selected methods of the FileChooser class

The FileChooser class has these selected events:

Table 6.9.5.3.1 : Selected events of the FileChooser class.

Notes:

You can get project-wide access to the path to a selected file with FileChooser.Multi = False if you store the value of the FileChooser.SelectedPath property in a (public) variable sFilePath = FileChooser.SelectedPath, for example.

Figure 6.9.5.3.1: Display file path of the selected file in the FileChooser.

Alternatively, you can use the assignment sFilePath = FileChooser.Value, because the value of this property depends on the set mode and returns only a string for FileChooser.Multi = False.

You get access to the file paths for all files selected in FileChooser.Multi = True mode if you store the list of selected files - stored in the FileChooser.SelectedPaths property - in a (public) array variable such as aFilePaths = FileChooser.SelectedPaths.

Alternatively, you can use the assignment aFilePaths = FileChooser.Value, because the value of this property depends on the mode set, but for FileChooser.Multi = True it returns a string array:

Figure 6.9.5.3.2: List of selected files in a FileChooser

You can use the FileChooser.Filter property to set all the file filters needed in the project and use the FileChooser.FilterIndex property to switch very flexibly to individual filter groups at runtime:

  FileChooser1.Filter = ["*.png;*.jp*;*.gif", "Picture files", "*.txt;*.xml;*.conf", "Text files"]
  FileChooser1.FilterIndex = 0 ' Display images with the extensions png, jp* and gif only
' FileChooser1.FilterIndex = -1 ' Display all files

The Filechooser control element has its own bookmark system. Set the ShowBookmark property to True to display it. The bookmark menu is now visible and a drop-down menu of bookmarks is displayed when you click the Bookmark button.

The bookmark menu has its own context menu:

Figure 6.9.5.4.1: Bookmark menu in FileChooser

The drop-down menu contains 3 types of bookmarks:

(type 1) Standard bookmarks ①
(Type 2) Private bookmarks ②
(Type 3) User bookmarks ③

The default bookmarks point to Home and System. Note: You will only see the Desktop menu item additionally if the gb.desktop component is loaded.

Private bookmarks are accessed through the Bookmarks property. Bookmarks is an array of collections by data type. Each bookmark collection must contain a key “Path” which points to the path of the bookmark. Optional keys are “Name” and “Icon”. All other key names are ignored. Important: The specified path must exist!

This bookmark type 2 is application-specific, is not stored permanently, but created at runtime. The relevant source code in the form open event is based on hints from Tony Morehen (tmorehen@ajm-software.com):

Public Sub Form_Open()
 
  Dim cPrivateBookmarks As Collection[]
  Dim cBookmark As Collection
 
  FMain.Resizable = True
  ...
  cPrivateBookmarks = New Collection[]
  cBookmark = New Collection
' Syntax: cBookmark.Add(Value,Key)  {Path, [Name, Icon]}
  cBookmark.Add(User.Home &/ "BildTon/Fractale", "Path")
  cBookmark.Add("Fractals", "Name")
  cBookmark.Add("icon:/small/plugin", "Icon")
  cPrivateBookmarks.Add(cBookmark)
  cBookmark = New Collection
  cBookmark.Add(User.Home &/ "ZumPrivaten/Bilder", "Path")
  cBookmark.Add("Pictures", "Name")
  cBookmark.Add("icon:/small/image", "Icon")
  cPrivateBookmarks.Add(cBookmark)
  Filechooser1.Bookmarks = cPrivateBookmarks
' The alternative uses the inline syntax:
' Filechooser1.Bookmarks = [["Path": User.Home &/ "BildTon/Fractale", "Name": "Fractals", "Icon": "icon:/small/plugin"], 
' ["Path": User.Home &/ "ZumPrivaten/Bilder", "Name": "Pictures", "Icon": "icon:/small/image"]]
  FileChooser1.ShowBookmark = True
  ...
End

It is necessary for the gb.settings component to be loaded in order to display user bookmarks. Create and edit user bookmarks via the menu items “Create bookmarks for current directory” and “Edit bookmarks”. The bookmarks are stored in the file path $HOME/.config/gambas3/gb.form.conf. This is the content of the gb.form.conf file created in the presented project:

[Bookmarks]
Count=2
Bookmark1=["/home/hans/AirCard_785S","AirCard_785S"]
Bookmark2=["/home/hans/V24T","V24T"]

Attention: The list of bookmarks is user-specific. It is used by all applications that use Gambas controls that have a bookmark menu - such as the DirChooser control.