# RadOpenFileDialog

**RadOpenFileDialog** is a modal dialog box that allows you to specify one or multiple file names to open.

> caption Figure 1: RadOpenFileDialog in single selection mode

![WinForms RadFileDialogs RadOpenFileDialog in Single Selection Mode](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/assets/8f2e5f7cd8e2099d521f654909691273/file-dialogs-radopenfiledialog001.png)

## Showing the Dialog

To show the dialog call its **ShowDialog** method. If a valid file is opened when you press OK, the **DialogResult** property will return OK and the **FileName**, and **FileNames** properties will be set. You can use **FileName** and **FileNames** to get the names of the selected items.

> important Note that when the **ShowDialog** method is called the UI of the host application will freeze until the dialog closes.

### Example 1: Show an open file dialog

```C#
RadOpenFileDialog openFileDialog = new RadOpenFileDialog();
        DialogResult dr = openFileDialog.ShowDialog(); 
if (dr == System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK) 
{ 
string fileName = openFileDialog.FileName;
}
```

```VB.NET
Dim openFolderDialog As RadOpenFolderDialog = New RadOpenFolderDialog()
Dim dr As DialogResult = openFolderDialog.ShowDialog()

If dr = System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK Then
    Dim folderName As String = openFolderDialog.FileName
End If
```

## Opening the Selected File

You can open a read-only file stream for the selected file using the OpenFile method. Or alternatively you can use the **FileName** and **FileNames** properties and open the file manually.

### Example 2: Open a file stream

```C#
RadOpenFileDialog openFileDialog = new RadOpenFileDialog();
DialogResult dr = openFileDialog.ShowDialog();
if (dr == System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK)
{
    Stream fileStream = openFileDialog.OpenFile();
}
```

```VB.NET
Dim openFileDialog As RadOpenFileDialog = New RadOpenFileDialog()
Dim dr As DialogResult = openFileDialog.ShowDialog()

If dr = System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK Then
    Dim fileStream As Stream = openFileDialog.OpenFile()
End If
```

## Enabling Multiple Selection

The dialog supports single and multiple selection modes. By default, you can select only one file at a time. To alter this you can set the **Multiselect** property of **RadOpenFileDialog** to *True*.

### Example 3: Enable multiple selection

```C#
RadOpenFileDialog openFileDialog = new RadOpenFileDialog();
openFileDialog.MultiSelect = true;
```

```VB.NET
Dim openFileDialog As RadOpenFileDialog = New RadOpenFileDialog()
openFileDialog.MultiSelect = True
```

> caption Figure 2: Multiple selection

![WinForms RadFileDialogs Multiple Selection](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/assets/26ddba0a04342981893221b07dd3d17f/file-dialogs-radopenfiledialog002.png)

## Working with the Selected Files

You can get the paths of the selected files via the **FileName** and **FileNames** properties. Note that the properties are empty until the **DialogResult** is valid. When you open file(s) the properties will return the corresponding paths.

You can get only the name of the selected files, without the full path, via the **SafeFileNames** collection property.

### Example 4: Get the selected file names

```C#
RadOpenFileDialog openFileDialog = new RadOpenFileDialog();
openFileDialog.MultiSelect = true;
DialogResult dr = openFileDialog.ShowDialog();
if (dr == System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK)
{
    string filePath = openFileDialog.FileName;
    IEnumerable<string> filePaths = openFileDialog.FileNames;
    IEnumerable<string> fileNames = openFileDialog.SafeFileNames;
}
```

```VB.NET
Dim openFileDialog As RadOpenFileDialog = New RadOpenFileDialog()
openFileDialog.MultiSelect = True
Dim dr As DialogResult = openFileDialog.ShowDialog()

If dr = System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK Then
    Dim filePath As String = openFileDialog.FileName
    Dim filePaths As IEnumerable(Of String) = openFileDialog.FileNames
    Dim fileNames As IEnumerable(Of String) = openFileDialog.SafeFileNames
End If
```

The **FileName** property can be set manually. This will change the value displayed in the selected file auto-complete box area. Note that setting this won't change the selected item in the list with the files.

## Saving the Last Used Directory

You can save the last used directory by setting the **RestoreDirectory** property of the **RadOpenFileDialog**. After setting this property to *True* and opening a file the **InitialDirectory** of this **RadOpenFileDialog** instance will be set to the parent folder of the opened file.

### Example 5: Set RestoreDirectory property

```C#
RadOpenFileDialog openFileDialog = new RadOpenFileDialog();
openFileDialog.RestoreDirectory = true;
```

```VB.NET
Dim openFileDialog As RadOpenFileDialog = New RadOpenFileDialog()
openFileDialog.RestoreDirectory = True
```

> important Note that the directory restoring feature works per dialog instance and only in memory. This means that the previously selected directory will be stored in a private string field of the RadOpenFolderDialog instance. In other words, to use the feature the following requirements should be met:
>
> * The same dialog instance should be used every time you open the dialog.
> * In order for the directory to be saved the directory should be opened. Clicking cancel or the X button won't save the directory.
> * Closing the application and then opening it again, or generally when you create a new dialog instance, the last saved directory will get lost.

## Enabling ReadOnly CheckBox

You can display a checkbox to control whether the file should be opened in readonly mode with the **ShowReadOnly** property of the **RadOpenFileDialog**. You can control the state of that checkbox by using the **ReadOnlyChecked** property of the **RadOpenFileDialog**.

### Example 6: Enabling the ReadOnly CheckBox

```C#
RadOpenFileDialog openFileDialog = new RadOpenFileDialog();
openFileDialog.ShowReadOnly = true;
openFileDialog.ReadOnlyChecked = true;
DialogResult dr = openFileDialog.ShowDialog();
```

```VB.NET
Dim openFileDialog As RadOpenFileDialog = New RadOpenFileDialog()
openFileDialog.ShowReadOnly = True
openFileDialog.ReadOnlyChecked = True
Dim dr As DialogResult = openFileDialog.ShowDialog()
```

> caption Figure 3: RadOpenFileDialog with Checked ReadOnly CheckBox

![WinForms RadFileDialogs RadOpenFileDialog With Checked ReadOnly CheckBox](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/assets/6ead998b95ec8224293c955ea72050ec/file-dialogs-radopenfiledialog003.png)

## DereferenceLinks

**RadOpenFileDialog** exposes a **DereferenceLinks** property indicating whether a file dialog returns the location of the file referenced by a shortcut or the location of the actual shortcut file (with the .lnk extension).

### Example 7: Using the DereferenceLinks property

```C#
RadOpenFileDialog openFileDialog = new RadOpenFileDialog();
openFileDialog.DereferenceLinks = true;
DialogResult dr = openFileDialog.ShowDialog();
if (dr == System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK)
{
    string filePath = openFileDialog.FileName;
    // If the selected file was C:\Users\<user>\Desktop\Shortcut.lnk, for example, 
    // the FileName property will now contain the actual location of the file, 
    // for example - C:\Program Files\Program\Shortcut.exe. 
}
```

```VB.NET
Dim openFileDialog As RadOpenFileDialog = New RadOpenFileDialog()
openFileDialog.DereferenceLinks = True
Dim dr As DialogResult = openFileDialog.ShowDialog()

If dr = System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK Then
    Dim filePath As String = openFileDialog.FileName
End If
```

> important If in multiple or single selection the first selected item is a link to a directory and **DereferenceLinks** is set to *True*, clicking the `Open` button will actually navigate to this directory.

## See Also

* [Error Handling](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/file-dialogs/features/error-handling)
* [Explorer Control](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/file-dialogs/dialog-controls/explorer-control)
* [RadOpenFolderDialog](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/file-dialogs/dialog-controls/radopenfolderdialog)
* [RadSaveFileDialog](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/file-dialogs/dialog-controls/radsavefiledialog)