Create Folder Buggy Dialog

[ceties]

I was hoping for a native folder dialog for quite a while...

http://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW-Idea-Exchange/Windows-based-Folder-dialog/idi-p/1099561

[Matt_McLaughlin · Accepted solution]

I have created a Corrective Action Request on the problems with wiring a control to the Create Folder Function, and I have reported it to R&D. If you would like to track whether updates have been made to future versions of LabVIEW, this CAR is #292350.

Thanks for bringing up this issue!

[X.]

@ ceties: sorry, I overlooked your idea exchange post. In fact, it looked to me so much like a bug that I did not bother to search in the Idea Exchange forum (although a good search engine should have pointed to your idea when detecting "Folder" and "dialog" in my search query, but that's a whole different bag of worm!).

[ceties]

The idea is not about the bug but about the fact that the LV folder dialog is everything but not intuitive. So no need to apologize. Maybe this will lead to a better implementation in next versions.

[rolfk]

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@ceties wrote:

I was hoping for a native folder dialog for quite a while...

http://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW-Idea-Exchange/Windows-based-Folder-dialog/idi-p/1099561

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As you can see from a comment on that idea, I would prefer the current situation with some minor adaption to make it more intuitive. I personally find the Windows Browse for Folder dialog absolutely terrible. In recent Windows versions it got a little more functional but even Microsoft applications usually don't use that dialog if they prompt a user for a folder selection.

[X.]

What I find quite interesting in all these comments is that somehow the fact that LabVIEW is not supposed to be Windows-only is kind of overlooked...

[rolfk]

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@X-) wrote:

What I find quite interesting in all these comments is that somehow the fact that LabVIEW is not supposed to be Windows-only is kind of overlooked...

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And what would incorperating the Windows Browse for Folder dialog help with that?

For Mac and Windows, LabVIEW allows to configure to use the OS File dialog, with a not so intuitive hack to allow selecting folders. For Linux, LabVIEW shows a native File dialog which can be enabled for Windows and Mac too. It is not as functional as modern Mac and Windows file dialogs, but was more user friendely than the Windows 3.1 dialog, but it is more consistent in Folder selection mode.

I'm not sure how LabVIEW deals with Folder selection on Mac OS. Most likely it is a configuration option of the normal File dialog and in that way got automatic adaption to newer features in modern OS versions. Adding some more intutive hacks to the current OS file dialog would make it also work, although there is a small chance that it would break with new Windows and especially Windows shell versions.

Also I believe the difference if creating folders is allowed through the save button depends on the actual flags passed to the File Dialog function. Some of them can be also configured in the File Path Browse button. (And if creation of folders is not allowed, the actual create Folder button on the top should be stricly speaking also disabled.)

[ceties]

Well, I don't want to argue about this. For me as a Win user would be normal to see the native windows Folder dialog in whatever version is the most common. There are tons and tons of programs that call this on windows and call Linux folder dialog in Linux implementation

[Darin.K]

Bug fixed version of the FolderBrowse code.

[smercurio_fc]

This issue is something that has been brought up several times over the years (e.g., http://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW/Open-Folder-to-Browse-aka-Open-windows-explorer-to-known-folder/m-p/...   and   http://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW/Browse-for-Folder-dialog/m-p/300909). No decision was ever made as to whether it was a "bug" or a limitation because of the way LabVIEW interfaces with the various operating systems. I'm not sure what Matt's CAR is supposed to accomplish. The issue isn't with wiring a control to the function. The issue is with the type of dialog that is displayed.