C# – Can OpenFileDialog automatically select the file with the value set in FileName if InitialDirectory is set as well

cwindowswinforms

This is nit picky but why doesn't the file get automatically selected if it exists and both FileName and InitialDirectory are set correctly?

I have an OpenFileDialog with both FileName and InitialDirectory set correctly and the files exists in this folder. Why isn't the file selected when I run the ShowDialog() method?

No file is selected but it would be nice if it was selected so I wouldn't have to scroll down to select the next file adjacent to it.

Any suggestions?

Best Answer

Maybe it is not perfect but it meets the expectation somehow.

I have a Button that Shows OpenFileDialog on click event. And async method that will SendKeys to OpenFileDialog.

    private async void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e){
                string initialDir = "directory\\";
                string FileName = "filename.smthng";
                string combinedDir = initialDir + FileName;
                if (File.Exists(combinedDir)) // if there is a file with that name at that directory
                {
                    openFileDialog1.InitialDirectory = initialDir; // setting directory name
                    openFileDialog1.FileName = FileName; // filename
                    BeginInvoke((Action)(() => openFileDialog1.ShowDialog())); // we need to use BeginInvoke to continue to the following code.
                    await SendKey(FileName); // Sends Key to Dialog 
                }
                else // if there is not file with that name works here because no keys need to send.
                {
                    openFileDialog1.InitialDirectory = initialDir;
                    openFileDialog1.FileName = FileName;
                    openFileDialog1.ShowDialog();
                }
    
    }

    private async Task SendKey(string FileName){
            await Task.Delay(250); // Wait for the Dialog shown at the screen
            SendKeys.SendWait("+{TAB}"); // First Shift + Tab moves to Header of DataGridView of OpenFileDialog
            SendKeys.SendWait("+{TAB}"); // Second Shift + Tab moves to first item of list
            SendKeys.SendWait(FileName); // after sending filename will directly moves it to the file that we are looking for
    }

Result;

openfiledialog

Edit 1;

Okay, For .Net 3.5 there is also TaskParalelLibrary but using Thread will be much easier.

 Thread t;
 private const string initialDir = "C:\\";
 private const string FileName = "test.txt";
 private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e){
       string combinedDir = initialDir + FileName;
       if (File.Exists(combinedDir)) // if there is a file with that name at that directory
            {
                openFileDialog1.InitialDirectory = initialDir; // setting directory name
                openFileDialog1.FileName = FileName; // filename
                BeginInvoke((Action)(() => openFileDialog1.ShowDialog())); // we need to use BeginInvoke to continue to the following code.
                t = new Thread(new ThreadStart(SendKey)); // Sends Key to Dialog with an seperate Thread.
                t.Start(); // Thread starts.
            }
            else // if there is not file with that name works here because no keys need to send.
            {
                openFileDialog1.InitialDirectory = initialDir;
                openFileDialog1.FileName = FileName;
                openFileDialog1.ShowDialog();
            }
        }
      
        private void SendKey()
        {
            Thread.Sleep(100); // Wait for the Dialog shown at the screen
            SendKeys.SendWait("+{TAB}"); // First Shift + Tab moves to Header of DataGridView of OpenFileDialog
            SendKeys.SendWait("+{TAB}"); // Second Shift + Tab moves to first item of list
            SendKeys.SendWait(FileName); // after sending filename will directly moves it to the file that we are looking for
        }
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