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Getting Started with WinForms File Dialogs

Updated over 6 months ago

This article shows how you can start using Rad FileDialogs.

Adding Telerik Assemblies Using NuGet

To use Rad FileDialogs when working with NuGet packages, install the Telerik.UI.for.WinForms.AllControls package. The package target framework version may vary.

Read more about NuGet installation in the Install using NuGet Packages article.

With the 2025 Q1 release, the Telerik UI for WinForms has a new licensing mechanism. You can learn more about it here.

Adding Assembly References Manually

When dragging and dropping a control from the Visual Studio (VS) Toolbox onto the Form Designer, VS automatically adds the necessary assemblies. However, if you're adding the control programmatically, you'll need to manually reference the following assemblies:

Telerik.Licensing.Runtime
Telerik.WinControls
Telerik.WinControls.UI
TelerikCommon

The Telerik UI for WinForms assemblies can be install by using one of the available installation approaches.

Defining the Rad FileDialogs

The following tutorial demonstrates how to specify a file name by using a RadSaveFileDialog, how to allow you to specify one or multiple folder names to open with the RadOpenFolderDialog and how to specify one or multiple file names to open with a RadOpenFileDialog.

Add three RadLabel and three RadButton controls.
Double-click each button in order to generate the Click event handler automatically.

How to use the file dialogs

C#

	private void radButton1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
	{
		RadOpenFolderDialog openFolderDialog = new RadOpenFolderDialog();
		openFolderDialog.ShowDialog();
		if (openFolderDialog.OpenFolderDialogForm.DialogResult == System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK)
		{
			string folderName = openFolderDialog.FileName;
			this.radLabel1.Text = folderName;
		}
	}

	private void radButton2_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
	{
		RadOpenFileDialog openFileDialog = new RadOpenFileDialog();
		openFileDialog.ShowDialog();

		if (openFileDialog.OpenFileDialogForm.DialogResult == System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK)
		{
			string fileName = openFileDialog.FileName;
			this.radLabel2.Text = fileName;
		}
	}

	private void radButton3_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
	{
		RadSaveFileDialog saveFileDialog = new RadSaveFileDialog();
		saveFileDialog.ShowDialog();
		if (saveFileDialog.SaveFileDialogForm.DialogResult == System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK)
		{
			string selectedFileName = saveFileDialog.FileName;
			this.radLabel3.Text = selectedFileName;
		}
	}
	
	
VB.NET

	Private Sub radButton1_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)
        Dim openFolderDialog As RadOpenFolderDialog = New RadOpenFolderDialog()
        openFolderDialog.ShowDialog()

        If openFolderDialog.OpenFolderDialogForm.DialogResult = System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK Then
            Dim folderName As String = openFolderDialog.FileName
            Me.radLabel1.Text = folderName
        End If
    End Sub

    Private Sub radButton2_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)
        Dim openFileDialog As RadOpenFileDialog = New RadOpenFileDialog()
        openFileDialog.ShowDialog()

        If openFileDialog.OpenFileDialogForm.DialogResult = System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK Then
            Dim fileName As String = openFileDialog.FileName
            Me.radLabel2.Text = fileName
        End If
    End Sub

    Private Sub radButton3_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)
        Dim saveFileDialog As RadSaveFileDialog = New RadSaveFileDialog()
        saveFileDialog.ShowDialog()

        If saveFileDialog.SaveFileDialogForm.DialogResult = System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK Then
            Dim selectedFileName As String = saveFileDialog.FileName
            Me.radLabel3.Text = selectedFileName
        End If
    End Sub

This is it! Now you can select a file name or open a folder.

Getting Started with WinForms File Dialogs

Adding Telerik Assemblies Using NuGet

Adding Assembly References Manually

Defining the Rad FileDialogs

How to use the file dialogs

See Also

Telerik UI for WinForms Learning Resources