FunctionPackage: cgToCDocOverviewCGDocRelNotesFAQIndexPermutedIndex
Allegro CL version 8.2
Unrevised from 8.1 to 8.2.
8.1 version

ask-user-for-new-or-existing-directory

Arguments: &key (owner (screen *system*)) (type :either) title prompt position width height (scope :all) (create-if-new t) initial-directory initial-subdirectory show-initial-directory-siblings look-ahead (prompt-for-password-if-needed t) (focus-on-new-subdirectory (eq type :new)) close-subtrees-on-close show-initial-directory-children search-network-globally

This function displays a modal dialog that allows the user to specify a new or existing directory (also known as a folder). The directory can be specified either by selecting it in the outline widget, or entering an absolute path namestring in the text-entry widget, or by entering a relative path namestring in the text-entry widget that is relative to the directory that is selected in the outline. It does not matter whether the user types a final slash character after a directory name in the text-entry widget. Help strings at the bottom of the dialog guide the user in specifying a complete path.

Two values are returned: (1) A pathname for the directory that was specified by the user (or nil if the user cancels the dialog), and (2) either t or nil, indicating whether the directory is a new one (that is, nil if there already was a directory at the specified path, and t if there was not).

The arguments are:

Other notes

The dialog displays a file folder for each outline-item that represents an actual directory that may be returned. On Windows, this excludes the two root items for all "Local Disks" and "Network Machines" plus each network share (because only the descendent items of each share represent actual directories). These non-directory items will display a simple triangle icon instead of a file folder.

The OK button on the dialog will be disabled if no directory that may be returned is currently specified. This includes whenever a non-directory outline-item is selected. And if the type argument is :new, this also includes when the text control for the new subdirectory name is empty or contains an invalid directory name. At these times, the user may not exit the dialog by pressing the OK button or by pressing ENTER, but they may always exit by canceling the dialog (as usual, by pressing the ESCAPE key or the Cancel button or clicking the small close button in the frame).

On Windows, if the directory-selecting dialog that is provided by Microsoft is desired for its native look and feel, then the alternate function ask-user-for-directory will display that dialog. But that function has fewer options than this one, and on GTK it simply calls this function.


Copyright (c) 1998-2016, Franz Inc. Oakland, CA., USA. All rights reserved.
This page was not revised from the 8.1 page.
Created 2010.1.21.

ToCDocOverviewCGDocRelNotesFAQIndexPermutedIndex
Allegro CL version 8.2
Unrevised from 8.1 to 8.2.
8.1 version