[Paraview] Standard OpenFile Dialogs

[Mike Jackson]

A while back during a ParaView training I asked the same questions  
and got the same response. I agree with the reasoning. I am on OS X  
and one of the features that a native file dialog has are all my  
shortcuts that I am used to in the "Finder". During that same  
training one of the trainers asked me if I knew how to get that list.  
At the time I did not but now I do. Who should I work with or where  
do I add into the ParaView code to allow your file dialog to display  
this list? I see that by default my home folder is prepopulated in  
the list.

   The concept/code is simple. You just have to parse a .plist file  
located at ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.sidebarlists.plist. This  
list is binary so some Apple APIs will be needed to parse the list.


-- 
Mike Jackson   Senior Research Engineer
Innovative Management & Technology Services


On Jul 13, 2007, at 9:39 AM, Moreland, Kenneth wrote:

> Jens,
>
> The ParaView 3 development team deliberated heavily over whether to  
> use
> the native file dialog box.  Ultimately we decided to use our own file
> dialog box.  Part of the reason is to maintain consistency when  
> browsing
> local files and when browsing remote files in client/server mode (in
> which case there is no native file dialog box available).  But the  
> major
> reason for using our own is to be able to resolve file names before
> displaying them.  For example, if you load a file that has extensions
> that form part of a sequence (e.g. filename.00, filename.01,
> filename.02, etc.) then the reader (typically) treats them as group of
> files containing a single data set.  To help with the file browsing,
> ParaView's browser will collect all the files in the sequence and show
> them as a single file, which is logically how they will be read.   
> There
> is no way to implement this using the native file dialog.
>
> We have worked hard to mimic all the nice features of the Windows  
> native
> file dialog.  The ability to type in a directory is already there.   
> Just
> type the directory in the "File name" line edit and hit enter.  That
> works about the same as the Windows version.
>
> If you feel there is something else important that is missing, feel  
> free
> to submit a bug.
>
> -Ken
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: paraview-bounces+kmorel=sandia.gov at paraview.org
> [mailto:paraview-
>> bounces+kmorel=sandia.gov at paraview.org] On Behalf Of Jens
>> Sent: Friday, July 13, 2007 2:24 AM
>> To: paraview at paraview.org
>> Subject: [Paraview] Standard OpenFile Dialogs
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I just started using ParaView and would like to help. Open  
>> "problem" I
>> came along were the openfile-dialogs.
>>
>> There are nice openFile-dialogs in Qt. Depending on the
> operating-system
>> they use the native openfile-dialogs the user ist used to. I would
> like
>> to see ParaView3 using this default Qt-openfile-dialogs
>> (QFileDialog::getOpenFileName()).
>>
>> Right now I miss the possibility to write the directory-path in the
>> combobox using the keyboard instead clicking. Also it is not possible
> to
>> change the type of view or delete directories/files.
>>
>> Thanks for this great software...!
>>
>> Greetings
>> Jens
>>
>>