Dialog to Browse file and save it

[ayesha09]

hey
I am new to c++. I am trying to create a editor program.I am stuck at how to open a dialog box where it asks to open a file from any directory (my pictures etc ) and then save that file.i tried using the form to create a open/save dialog box- in design mode - but when i compile it,its giving me errors like

button1_click has no member...if anyone who can guide me through this that would be amazing thankyou.

i am using visual studio 2013

here's that code

System::EventHandler(this, &Form::button1_Click);

[Homberto]

First, I must say, you should start with console programs before windows programs.
Second, here's your answer:
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/bb776913(v=vs.85).aspx

[Duthomhas]

I disagree. Start with GUI programs.

Here's how to use the common "open file" dialog without having to play with COM interfaces (just straight-up Windows API):

#include <iostream>

#ifndef NOMINMAX
#define NOMINMAX
#endif
#include <windows.h>

int main()
{
  char filename[ MAX_PATH ];

  OPENFILENAME ofn;
    ZeroMemory( &filename, sizeof( filename ) );
    ZeroMemory( &ofn,      sizeof( ofn ) );
    ofn.lStructSize  = sizeof( ofn );
    ofn.hwndOwner    = NULL;  // If you have a window to center over, put its HANDLE here
    ofn.lpstrFilter  = "Text Files\0*.txt\0Any File\0*.*\0";
    ofn.lpstrFile    = filename;
    ofn.nMaxFile     = MAX_PATH;
    ofn.lpstrTitle   = "Select a File, yo!";
    ofn.Flags        = OFN_DONTADDTORECENT | OFN_FILEMUSTEXIST;
  
  if (GetOpenFileNameA( &ofn ))
  {
    std::cout << "You chose the file \"" << filename << "\"\n";
  }
  else
  {
    // All this stuff below is to tell you exactly how you messed up above. 
    // Once you've got that fixed, you can often (not always!) reduce it to a 'user cancelled' assumption.
    switch (CommDlgExtendedError())
    {
      case CDERR_DIALOGFAILURE   : std::cout << "CDERR_DIALOGFAILURE\n";   break;
      case CDERR_FINDRESFAILURE  : std::cout << "CDERR_FINDRESFAILURE\n";  break;
      case CDERR_INITIALIZATION  : std::cout << "CDERR_INITIALIZATION\n";  break;
      case CDERR_LOADRESFAILURE  : std::cout << "CDERR_LOADRESFAILURE\n";  break;
      case CDERR_LOADSTRFAILURE  : std::cout << "CDERR_LOADSTRFAILURE\n";  break;
      case CDERR_LOCKRESFAILURE  : std::cout << "CDERR_LOCKRESFAILURE\n";  break;
      case CDERR_MEMALLOCFAILURE : std::cout << "CDERR_MEMALLOCFAILURE\n"; break;
      case CDERR_MEMLOCKFAILURE  : std::cout << "CDERR_MEMLOCKFAILURE\n";  break;
      case CDERR_NOHINSTANCE     : std::cout << "CDERR_NOHINSTANCE\n";     break;
      case CDERR_NOHOOK          : std::cout << "CDERR_NOHOOK\n";          break;
      case CDERR_NOTEMPLATE      : std::cout << "CDERR_NOTEMPLATE\n";      break;
      case CDERR_STRUCTSIZE      : std::cout << "CDERR_STRUCTSIZE\n";      break;
      case FNERR_BUFFERTOOSMALL  : std::cout << "FNERR_BUFFERTOOSMALL\n";  break;
      case FNERR_INVALIDFILENAME : std::cout << "FNERR_INVALIDFILENAME\n"; break;
      case FNERR_SUBCLASSFAILURE : std::cout << "FNERR_SUBCLASSFAILURE\n"; break;
      default                    : std::cout << "You cancelled.\n";
    }
  }
}

Here's the documentation for the function itself:
http://www.google.com/search?btnI=1&q=msdn+GetOpenFileName+function

There are all kinds of options you can play with:
http://www.google.com/search?btnI=1&q=msdn+OPENFILENAME+structure

Make sure to read the docs carefully -- some things require some special care, such as OFN_ALLOWMULTISELECT.

Also, notice that my example uses char as the character type, but it is structured such that you can easily change it to use wchar_t. (Change the element type of filename and change the 'A' on the end of the function to a 'W' and fix the string literals to be L"wide literals".)


Oh, almost forgot -- you need to link with comdlg32.lib. (You can read what to include and what library to link with at the bottom of the GetOpenFileName() page.)

Hope this helps.

[modoran]

@OP:

You seem (like many others) that you are not aware that what you are using now is NOT C++ programming language as you may think.

[Duthomhas]

@modoran
It's "Managed C++", which looks and behaves as much like standard C++ as you like.

A valid C++ answer is also a valid answer for MS's managed stuff/CLI (usually).

[andywestken]

Given the Managed C++ event handler I assume you created a Windows Forms Application? If that is the case, rather than using the old WinAPI GetOpenFileName() function or the new school COM-based IFileDialog/etc approach you should prob use the .NET Forms equivalent.

Basically, if you're writing a Forms app use the Forms approach.

   void button1_Click( Object^ /*sender*/, System::EventArgs^ /*e*/ )
   {
      OpenFileDialog^ openFileDialog1 = gcnew OpenFileDialog;

      openFileDialog1->InitialDirectory = "c:\\";
      openFileDialog1->Filter = "txt files (*.txt)|*.txt|All files (*.*)|*.*";
      openFileDialog1->FilterIndex = 2;
      openFileDialog1->RestoreDirectory = true;

      if ( openFileDialog1->ShowDialog() == System::Windows::Forms::DialogResult::OK )
      {
         // do your stuff
      }
   }

Example code lifted from here:

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.windows.forms.openfiledialog%28v=vs.110%29.aspx

Andy