# RadOpenFolderDialog

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

> caption Figure 1: RadOpenFolderDialog in Single Selection Mode

![WinForms RadFileDialogs RadOpenFolderDialog in Single Selection Mode](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/assets/250a3ad6100a2072b1eb92abb097ce45/file-dialogs-radopenfolderdialog001.png)

## Showing the Dialog

To show the dialog call its **ShowDialog** method. If a valid folder 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 folders.

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

### Example 1: Show a open folder dialog

```C#
RadOpenFolderDialog openFolderDialog = new RadOpenFolderDialog();
DialogResult dr = openFolderDialog.ShowDialog();
if (dr == System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK)
{
    string folderName = openFolderDialog.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
```

## Enabling Multiple Selection

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

### Example 2: Multiple selection

```C#
RadOpenFolderDialog openFolderDialog = new RadOpenFolderDialog();
openFolderDialog.MultiSelect = true;
```

```VB.NET
Dim openFolderDialog As RadOpenFolderDialog = New RadOpenFolderDialog()
openFolderDialog.MultiSelect = True
```

> caption Figure 2: Multiple Selection

![WinForms RadFileDialogs Multiple Selection](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/assets/805231fe8f63eabff411d596ed492a4c/file-dialogs-radopenfolderdialog002.png)

## Working with the Selected Folders

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

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

### Example 3: Get the selected folder names

```C#
RadOpenFolderDialog openFolderDialog = new RadOpenFolderDialog();
openFolderDialog.MultiSelect = true;
DialogResult dr = openFolderDialog.ShowDialog();
if (dr == System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK)
{
    string folderPath = openFolderDialog.FileName;
    IEnumerable<string> folderPaths = openFolderDialog.FileNames;
    IEnumerable<string> folderNames = openFolderDialog.SafeFileNames;
}
```

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

If dr = System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK Then
    Dim folderPath As String = openFolderDialog.FileName
    Dim folderPaths As IEnumerable(Of String) = openFolderDialog.FileNames
    Dim folderNames As IEnumerable(Of String) = openFolderDialog.SafeFileNames
End If
```

## Saving the Last Used Directory

You can save the last used directory by setting the **RestoreDirectory** property of the **RadOpenFolderDialog**.

### Example 4: Set RestoreDirectory property

```C#
RadOpenFolderDialog openFolderDialog = new RadOpenFolderDialog();
openFolderDialog.RestoreDirectory = true;
```

```VB.NET
Dim openFolderDialog As RadOpenFolderDialog = New RadOpenFolderDialog()
openFolderDialog.RestoreDirectory = True
```

After setting this property to *True* and opening a folder the **InitialDirectory** of this **RadOpenFolderDialog** instance will be set to the parent of the opened folder.

> 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.

## 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)
* [RadOpenFileDialog](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/file-dialogs/dialog-controls/radopenfiledialog)
* [RadSaveFileDialog](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/file-dialogs/dialog-controls/radsavefiledialog)