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Trouble configuring the AWT file chooser [message #991804]

Thu, 20 December 2012 08:36

Urs Beeli

Messages: 573
Registered: October 2012
Location: Bern, Switzerland

Senior Member

I am using a FileChooser in two places. In one place I directly create a new FileChooser instance as described in this thread. In the other place I use a FileChooserField in a form.

In both cases I am able to set the default path, the default file name, the file extensions to use in the extension drop down box.

However, I think the default file chooser is ugly as sin, so I added the following code to my SwingEnvironment class to use the native windows file dialog instead:

  @Override
  public ISwingScoutFileChooser createFileChooser(Window w, IFileChooser fc) {
    ISwingScoutFileChooser ui = new SwingScoutFileChooser(this, fc, w, true);
    decorate(fc, ui);
    return ui;
  }

This works and lets me use the windows file dialog, however, it seems that this ignores any parameters I set on the file chooser.

I cannot set a default directory (it seems the file dialog under windows 7 manages that on its own)
I cannot set the extension for the extension drop down box (I always have the single entry "All files (*.*)" in there. Instead, the extension I define are used as title text for the FileDialog
I does honour the filename that I set

Is there something more I need to do to make sure the FileChooser.setXxxx() methods have an effect for the native (AWT) file chooser? If not, I can live with not being able to set a specific directory and just having the file dialog use the last one I selected a file from. I can live with not being able to populate the extension filter dropdown, but the extensions showing in the title bar is truly annoying!
index.php/fa/12751/0/

Is there a way to get rid of the extensions from the title bar?

Attachment: filechooser.png
(Size: 51.94KB, Downloaded 776 times)

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Re: Trouble configuring the AWT file chooser [message #993397 is a reply to message #991804]

Mon, 24 December 2012 08:58

Adrian Moser

Messages: 67
Registered: March 2011

Member

When I check the code in SwingScoutFileChooser, I think the title is created the way you describe (StringBuffer buf) and cannot be changed without changing Scout Code. Of course you could always create your own SwingScoutFileChooser and return it in SwingEnvironment.

      StringBuffer buf = new StringBuffer();
      if (extensions != null) {
        for (int i = 0; i < extensions.length; i++) {
          if (i > 0) {
            buf.append(", ");
          }
          buf.append("*." + extensions[i]);
        }
      }
      if (buf.length() == 0) {
        buf.append("*.*");
      }
      if (m_owner instanceof Dialog) {
        dlg = new FileDialog((Dialog) m_owner, buf.toString(), openMode ? FileDialog.LOAD : FileDialog.SAVE);
      }
      else if (m_owner instanceof Frame) {
        dlg = new FileDialog((Frame) m_owner, buf.toString(), openMode ? FileDialog.LOAD : FileDialog.SAVE);
      }
      else {
        dlg = new FileDialog(new Frame(), buf.toString(), openMode ? FileDialog.LOAD : FileDialog.SAVE);
      }

Adrian

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Re: Trouble configuring the AWT file chooser [message #996928 is a reply to message #993397]

Thu, 03 January 2013 08:11

Urs Beeli

Messages: 573
Registered: October 2012
Location: Bern, Switzerland

Senior Member

Adrian

Thanks for your suggestion, I've been able to fix the title problem using this approach. It's a shame that SwingScoutFileChooser.showFileChooserSwing and SwingScoutFileChooser.showFileChooserAWT are private, otherwise it would have been very easy to just have my own file chooser inherit from SwingScoutFileChooser and then overwrite showFileChooserAWT. On the other hand, the class is not so big that having an almost 1:1 copy of the code will be a huge problem.

However, it seems that there is no way to adjust the file extension filter dropdown content for the AWT version of the file chooser (but I can live with that limitation).

Cheers
/urs

[Updated on: Thu, 03 January 2013 08:31]

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Re: Trouble configuring the AWT file chooser [message #996959 is a reply to message #996928]

Thu, 03 January 2013 09:42

Jeremie Bresson

Messages: 1252
Registered: October 2011

Senior Member

Urs Beeli wrote on Thu, 03 January 2013 09:11

It's a shame that SwingScoutFileChooser.showFileChooserSwing and SwingScoutFileChooser.showFileChooserAWT are private

I don't know this class, but I can imagine the frustration. I can not discuss this particular case, but if something is private where someone prefer having it protected, I see only two solutions:
* 1. There is a good reason
* 2. There is no good reason (historical reason, or no need to have this possibility, mistake in the API conception...)

In most of the case it is the second solution. Feel free to open a bug to get the change. If there is a good reason why the method is private, you will get a WONTFIX, otherwsie it is for the benefit of everybody.

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Re: Trouble configuring the AWT file chooser [message #997076 is a reply to message #996959]

Thu, 03 January 2013 14:51

Urs Beeli

Messages: 573
Registered: October 2012
Location: Bern, Switzerland

Senior Member

Done: Bug 397381

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Re: Trouble configuring the AWT file chooser [message #1001505 is a reply to message #997076]

Wed, 16 January 2013 20:57

Ken Lee

Messages: 97
Registered: March 2012

Member

Hi Urs,

I can't see any reason too why the methods showFileChooserSwing and showFileChooserAWT should have the private modifier since this limits the extensibility of the file chooser. It makes sense to declare the modifier as protected to allow them to be exchanged by another implementation.

Furthermore, it would probably be reasonable to move the code

if (m_owner instanceof Dialog) {
  dlg = new FileDialog((Dialog) m_owner, buf.toString(), openMode ? FileDialog.LOAD : FileDialog.SAVE);
}
else if (m_owner instanceof Frame) {
  dlg = new FileDialog((Frame) m_owner, buf.toString(), openMode ? FileDialog.LOAD : FileDialog.SAVE);
}
else {
  dlg = new FileDialog(new Frame(), buf.toString(), openMode ? FileDialog.LOAD : FileDialog.SAVE);
}

to a protected factory method. In your case you could ignore the string buffer containing the file extension and leave or set a different title for the dialog.

I'm going to assign the Bugzilla 397381 to me.

Cheers,

Ken

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