System.Shell.saveFileDialog method

[ The Windows Gadget Platform/Sidebar is available for use in the operating systems specified in the Requirements section. It may be altered or unavailable in subsequent versions. ]

Displays a standard Windows File Save dialog box.

Syntax

strRetVal = System.Shell.saveFileDialog(
  strPath,
  strFilter
)

Parameters

strPath [in]

String that specifies the root directory.

Note

If an empty string is specified, the root directory is set to the users desktop (%USERPROFILE%\Desktop).

strFilter [in]

String that specifies file description and extension. This string is in the format "Description:*.Extension:Description:*.Extension::".

Note

It may be necessary to substitute the ':' seperator with '\0' for the Save as type: listbox to function correctly.

Return value

String that specifies the UNC path to the saved object.

Remarks

Displays the standard Windows File Save dialog box in order to save data to a file.

strFilter requires that the double-colon terminator as the filter string must be terminated by two NULL characters.

The first string in each pair is a display string that describes the filter (for example, Text Files), and the second string specifies the filter pattern (for example, *.TXT). To specify multiple filter patterns for a single display string, use a semicolon to separate the patterns (for example, *.TXT;*.DOC;*.BAK). A pattern string can be a combination of valid file name characters and the asterisk (*) wildcard character. Do not include spaces in the pattern string.

The system displays the filters in the order specified by strFilter in the File Types combo box.

If strFilter is an empty string, the dialog box does not display any filters.

Examples

The following example demonstrates how to save user input to a text file.

// --------------------------------------------------------------------
// Save user input to a text file.
// txtToSave: user input.
// --------------------------------------------------------------------
function SaveTextToFile(txtToSave)
{
    var sPath = System.Shell.saveFileDialog(System.Gadget.path,"Text File\0*.txt\0XML File\0*.xml\0\0");
    if (sPath != "")
    {
        spFeedback.innerHTML = sPath;
        
        // Initialize the Stream object enums.
        // Sets or returns the type of data in a Stream object. 
        // 2 = text data.
        var adTypeText = 2; 
        // Sets whether a file should be created if it does not exist or overwritten if it does.
        // 2 = overwrites the file with the data from a Stream object.
        var adSaveCreateOverWrite = 2;
        // Sets or returns the available permissions for modifying data.
        // 3 = read/write.
        var adModeReadWrite = 3;
    
        var oStream = new ActiveXObject("ADODB.Stream");
        with(oStream)
        {
            Mode = adModeReadWrite;
            Type = adTypeText;
            Open();
            WriteText(txtToSave);
            SaveToFile(sPath,adSaveCreateOverWrite);
            Close();
        }
    }
}

Requirements

Minimum supported client
Windows Vista [desktop apps only]
Minimum supported server
Windows Server 2008 [desktop apps only]
End of client support
Windows 7
End of server support
Windows Server 2008
IDL
Sidebar.idl
DLL
Sidebar.Exe (version 1.00 or later)