How to control location and size of Win dialog?

[qwert 31]

When I use FileSelectFolder, for instance, it always opens toward the top left of the screen and in a rather small format (small, considering the size of directory trees on most computers).

I would like to have it open much larger (say 600 x 600) and in the center of the screen ... but there aren't x, y positions listed like with InputBox. Is there a way to override a dialog's defaults?

On a related note, is there any way to increase the size of the font that the dialog uses? The standard becomes pretty small on a 1600-pixel monitor.

Thanks for any assistance.

[Oblat 0]

I also would like to know.

[BrewManNH 1,067]

If you look in the help file for FileOpenDialog, and FileSelectFolder, you'd see that the last parameter for each of those is hwnd. What that parameter does is it causes the dialog box to open where the GUI that calls it is located.

An example:

#include <GUIConstants.au3>
#include <WindowsConstants.au3>
$hGUI = GUICreate("Test GUI", 300, 200, -1, -1, BitOR($WS_POPUP, $WS_CAPTION, $WS_SYSMENU))
Global $Browse = GUICtrlCreateButton("browse", 20, 20)
GUISetState()
Do
    If GUIGetMsg() = $Browse Then FileOpenDialog("title", "c:\", "All (*.*)", Default, "", $hGUI)
    Sleep(10)
Until GUIGetMsg() = $GUI_EVENT_CLOSE

Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be an easy way to resize the window, or position it where you want it, other than right on top of the current GUI.

EDIT:

Hit Submit instead of preview post LOL

Edited October 26, 2010 by BrewManNH

[qwert 31]

Well, that's certainly a step in the right direction. It brings up the dialog centered on the parent GUI.

But here's an interesting twist: the user can resize the dialog prior to making their selection. Then, the next time they run the same script, Windows remembers the last size and uses it for the new dialog. Granted, it appears shifted down and to the right because it doesn't adjust the origin x, y ... but at least is saves the user a couple of steps.

Thanks for the suggestion. Now, if I could only get to those default sizes ...

[JoHanatCent 7]

What about controlling it from a temp file?

#include <GUIConstants.au3>
#include <WindowsConstants.au3>
$hGUI = GUICreate("Test GUI", 300, 200, -1, -1, BitOR($WS_POPUP, $WS_CAPTION, $WS_SYSMENU))
Global $Browse = GUICtrlCreateButton("browse", 20, 20)
Global $Browse2 = GUICtrlCreateButton("MSG", 20, 50)
GUISetState()
While 1
    $msg = GUIGetMsg()
    Select
        Case $msg = $GUI_EVENT_CLOSE
            ExitLoop
        Case $msg = $Browse
            MoveWin("title", "", 150, 150, 850, 550, 10)
            Sleep(500)
            FileOpenDialog("title", "c:\", "All (*.*)", Default, "", $hGUI)
        Case $msg = $Browse2
            MsgBox(0, 'Testing', 'Button 2 was pressed')
    EndSelect
    Sleep(11)
WEnd

Func MoveWin($Title, $Text, $x, $y, $w, $h, $speed)
    Local $file = FileOpen("e:\temp\MoveTitle.au3", 10)
    If $file = -1 Then Return
    Local $line0 = ';#NoTrayIcon'
    Local $line1 = 'AutoItSetOption(' & '"WinWaitDelay", 0' & ')'
    Local $line2 = 'WinWait("' & $Title & '", "' & $Text & '")'
    Local $line3 = 'WinMove("' & $Title & '", "' & $Text & '"' & ', ' & $x & ', ' & $y & ', ' & $w & ', ' & $h & ', ' & $speed & ')'
    Local $line4 = 'Sleep(200)'
    FileWrite($file, $line0 & $line1 & @CRLF & $line2 & @CRLF & $line3 & @CRLF & $line4)
    FileClose($file)
    Run(@AutoItExe & " e:\temp\MoveTitle.au3")
    WinWaitClose($Title, $Text)
    FileDelete("e:\temp\MoveTitle.au3")
EndFunc   ;==>MoveWin

Edited October 26, 2010 by JoHanatCent

[PsaltyDS 27]

You might tweak those "remembered sizes" of the parent with _WinAPI_SetWindowPlacement() before opening the dialog. I haven't tried it for this purpose, but it might be worth a shot.

[qwert 31]

Thanks to you both.

While I admit that what I was hoping for was some easy "MoveDialog" command or such, your suggestions open up new areas of possibilities.

Having a running script actually write an AutoIt script into a temporary file and run it as a parallel task is a very interesting technique (although it requires AutoIt to be installed on the target computer). But it made me realize how a compiled utility script could also perform these operations in a supporting role.

Get/Set Windows Placement provide a level of control that I just wasn't aware of.

Between these two techniques, I think I'll be able to get a useful result.