file open/save dialog replacement

[cslevine]

after lots of google-ings,
i don't know if it exist, on Windows, some utility which
take over the place of the usual dialog for file open / save, called by the menu "Open" or "Save as" in softwares.

This could be good, because the windows one doesn't have true representation of the real hardware hierarchy,
and fools all beginners with "Documents", "Desktop", and some new "catalogs" representations, making the confusion
in the mind of most users.
( so that I know why most today users are missing completley the using of explorer and file managing.
They only remembering one way to find back their last photos and believe all is fine when datas are "in the computer" and
don't want to mind with "complicated" file copying ! )

[Filehero]

i don't know if it exist, on Windows,

Me too, but I'm quite sure it doesn't.

This could be good, because the windows one doesn't have true representation of the real hardware hierarchy,
and fools all beginners with "Documents", "Desktop", and some new "catalogs" representations, making the confusion
in the mind of most users.

Here, I AM sure. You don't want to see the "real hardware representation". No, you don't want to see mft entries or lists of clusters/blocks. ;-)

I think you can still get by with the standard dialogs, you just have to know the way MS decided to use descriptive hard-linked shortcuts a bit better and you will be fine.

For example, Documents always points to the document folder of the currently logged user, which is C:\Users\${currentUser}\documents. The same holds true for the famous "desktop" abstraction, the actual folder refered by is C:\Users\${currentUser}\Desktop.
BTW, you can get the real path navigating those shortcuts using Windows Explorer and selecting the path by clicking into the address bar.


Cheers,
Filehero

[xman]

I absolutely hate the standard open/save dialog. But I learned to live with it. Most of the time I just copy the path in XYplorer or in Everything and paste it to the open/save dialog. Yes, you can just copy and paste the entire path, even when it doesn't match the one selected, and then hit enter. The problem occurs only when there is no box to paste anything, which is a real pain .

But there is one utility that I know of, that enhances the open/save dialog: FileBox eXtender (http://www.hyperionics.com/files/). Perhaps check it out .

[avsfan]

Listary also helps -- if you have the path open somewhere else (such as in XY), then move the cursor to the xy window and back to file load/save dialog, the path automatically updates (plus, you can use favorites, etc in the listary bar which is just below the file load/save dialog). Pretty slick!

[Stef123]

Tried all kinds of stuff over the years. Most of it was dedicated to Adobe and MS dialogs and yielded mixed results. DirectFolders is not perfect either, but it's the one tool that really stuck with me, so I guess it must have some merits.
http://codesector.com/directfolders

[Norn]

.

[Horst]

The AHK script QuickSwitch works fine in most Open/Save dialogs.
IT supports a lot of file managers.
I use it together with Total Commander and YX.
https://github.com/gepruts/QuickSwitch
https://www.voidtools.com/forum/viewtop ... f=2&t=9881

[Norn]

I played around with AutoHotkey:

1) The ControlSetText function causes problems, use the EditPaste function instead.
2) Display automatically, press F4 to switch display.
3) Right-click will close Guis and navigate.
4) Support browse dialog.
5) Automatic second Gui size.
6) Automatically update XY tabs.

Use the address bar first, the address bar will flash.

ImageButtons (Floating toolbar) v1.0.1RSQ (File open or save dialog path switcher)_v1.3A.zip

(83.22 KiB) Downloaded 240 times

*************************************************************************************************************
All navigate using Edit1 control, the alias only supports "Desktop" and can be added by yourself.

ImageButtons (Floating toolbar) v1.0.1RSQ (File open or save dialog path switcher)_v1.3.1.zip

(136.99 KiB) Downloaded 256 times

Queue Guis.png (56.24 KiB) Viewed 9107 times

*************************************************************************************************************
For Total Commander users, here is a piece of v2 code: Send command to tC

*************************************************************************************************************
2025-01-13:

• Editable version (Ctrl+right click popup menu)
  Add favorite folders
  Color text
  Opus support
  No steal window focus
  Ctrl+G navigates the dialog to the last active window path (XYplorer, Directory Opus, Explorer)

Open or Save dialog path switcher (Using ImageButton library)

[ibay770]

There is also, Open wide which fixes a few annoyances of the dialog.

https://web.archive.org/web/20060107000 ... nwide.html

OpenWide was written to avoid a few [more] minor annoyances with Windows. This program allows you to specify the position and size of Windows' Open and Save dialog boxes, and also to specify where the initial focus should be and which view will be the default.

Features

Set position and size of Open & Save dialogs
Set initial keyboard focus
Set initial view style
Drag & drop folders onto the title bar of an Open/Save dialog box, and the view will change to that folder!

[Raf]

File dialog can be improved using QuickSwitch: https://github.com/JoyHak/QuickSwitch

The dialog is embedded in the system that any modification is either impossible or breaks the system. An alternative solution requiresfull access to the file system, including hidden and system files.

Here's what ClassicShell's developer had to say about this matter:

The SaveAs and Open dialogs are controlled by the application - Notepad, Word, Photoshop, etc. It is theoretically possible to do something about it, but there are many problems to do it correctly. Here's just a few:

Every application is unique. There is no way to ensure stable work for arbitrary applications. Often applications take steps to customize their dialogs and there is a great potential for conflict. Doing anything like this is a guaranteed way to get an endless list of compatibility bugs. Unlike Microsoft I don't have a compatibility lab with access to thousands of applications to play with. If a problem appears with some application that I don't have there is no way for me to debug it. The first step in any such feature will be to inject code in every running application. This act will most likely be flagged as malware by anti-virus software. It will also negatively affect system performance.