answer file

Type

command

Summary

Displays a standard file dialog for the user to select a file.

Syntax

answer file[s] <prompt> [with <defaultPath>] [titled <windowTitle>] [as sheet]

Description

Use the answer file command to open a file chooser dialog.

The dialog box displayed is the same one most programs use for the "Open" command in the File menu.

Important

The answer file command does not open the file. It only displays the dialog box and retrieves the path to the file the user specifies.

If the as sheet form is used, the dialog box appears as a sheet on OS X systems. On other systems, the as sheet form has no effect and the dialog box appears normally. Attempting to open a sheet from within another sheet displays the second stack as a modal dialog box instead. To give a dialog box a prompt when using the as sheet form a non-empty title must be provided. This will cause the prompt to appear in the same place it would if as sheet was not being used.

If the systemFileSelector property is set to false, LiveCode's built-in dialog box is used instead of the operating system's standard file dialog.

note

If you wish to filter the list of the files presented to the user, use the answer file with type command.

Parameters

Name	Type	Description
prompt	string	If you specify empty, no prompt appears.
defaultPath		The name and location of the folder whose contents are listed when the dialog box appears. If no defaultPath is specified, the dialog box lists the contents of the last folder you used with a file dialog box.
windowTitle		If specified, appears in the title bar of the dialog box. If no windowTitle is given, the title bar is blank. This parameter has no effect on macOS 10.11 (El Capitan) and above, so make sure that any important information is placed in the prompt parameter.

Examples

answer file "Select a file to delete:"
if the result is not "Cancel" then
   put it into tChosenFile
   -- Use the file path as required
end if

answer files "Select the files you wish to process:"
if the result is not "Cancel" then
   put it into tChosenFiles
   repeat for each line tFile in tChosenFiles

   end repeat
end if

answer file "Input:" with "/Macintosh HD/"

Related

command: ask file with type, revCopyFile, open file, answer, ask file, answer file with type, answer folder

function: revUnixFromMacPath, files, revMacFromUnixPath

glossary: file dialog box

keyword: it

property: systemFileSelector, dontUseNS

Compatibility and Support

Introduced

LiveCode 1.0

OS

mac

windows

linux

Platforms

desktop