How to store slected file directory name on a variable?

renderiza

Hi, I want to have the user open a directory folder (expample C:\Users\name\Desktop\GOSUFiles)...then pick a file (example: sound.wav) and click ok.

After user click ok the directory address of that file will be stored in a variable like this...

@sound = C:\Users\name\Desktop\GOSUFiles\sound.wav

How can I do this?

Thanks in advance!!!

Dan Rathbun

Easy ..

def get_sound_file(title = "Choose a sound file")
  filepath = UI.openpanel( title, "*.wav" )
  if filepath
    @sound = filepath.gsub("\\",'/')
  else
    return nil
  end
end # method

UI.openpanel( title, "*.wav" )
On Windows the browser will open to the last path where the user selected a ".wav" file.
Windows keeps track of MRU (Most Recently Used) paths for all file extensions.

If you want to put the user in a specific directory, then:
UI.openpanel( title, absolute_path, "*.wav" )

If you do not want to filter by extension...
UI.openpanel( title, absolute_path )

The UI file browse methods are bugged and we cannot specify multiple file extensions.

renderiza

:: Dan Rathbun ::

Thank you so much this was exactly what I wanted!

I have another question...

Lets say I only want to choose folder and not a file...how can this be done?

Again thanks!

renderiza

I kinda found a way, here it is...

def get_folder(title = "Choose a folder")
  filepath = UI.openpanel( title, "" )	
  if filepath
    file_path = filepath.gsub("\\",'/')
    @folder = File.dirname(file_path) 
  else
    return nil
  end
end # method

Only draw back is that you need to pick file in other to get folder anyway...but its ok I guess.

Cheers!

thomthom

@dan rathbun said:

@sound = filepath.gsub("\\",'/')

Since / as path separator isn't hard coded I tend to use:
@sound = File.expand_path(filepath)

One could also do:
@sound = filepath.gsub("\\", File::SEPARATOR)

But I prefer the first.

Dan Rathbun

@Rafael: The API UI module does not have a folderpicker, YET. We have filed Feature Requests for one, and fontpicker, and colorpicker, and etc., etc.

For now users must pick a file within the target folder. (We are out of luck if the folder is empty.)

@thomthom said:

@dan rathbun said:

@sound = filepath.gsub("\\",'/')

Since / as path separator isn't hard coded I tend to use:
@sound = File.expand_path(filepath)

One could also do:
@sound = filepath.gsub("\\", File::SEPARATOR)

But I prefer the first.

Your second one is safer. Yes I got lazy, but my purpose here is going from the OS to Ruby. I imagine that after tha statement the path will be used by Ruby's Dir and File methods.

Later on... to go back to the OS I'd use filepath.gsub("\/", File::SEPARATOR) if it is even necessary.

Be careful with expand_path() because it is DUMB!
Your example will work only because the UI.openpanel method returns an absolute path.

When the path is a relative path,... the method simply concatenates the current working directory path and the argument path, regardless if the result is really a valid path.