How to use a FolderBrowserDialog from a WPF application

Question

I m trying to use the FolderBrowserDialog from my WPF application - nothing fancy  I don t much care that it has the Windows Forms look to it   However  when I call ShowDialog  I want to pass the owner window which is an IWin32Window  How do I get this from my WPF control   Actually  does it matter  If I run this code and use the ShowDialog overload with no parameters it works fine  Under what circumstances do I need to pass the owner window   Thanks   Craig

User · Answer

The advantage of passing an owner handle is that the FolderBrowserDialog will not be modal to that window  This prevents the user from interacting with your main application window while the dialog is active

User · Answer

Here is a simple method     System Windows Forms NativeWindow winForm   public MainWindow         winForm   new System Windows Forms NativeWindow        winForm AssignHandle new WindowInteropHelper this  Handle             public showDialog        dlgFolderBrowser ShowDialog winForm

User · Answer

You should be able to get an IWin32Window by by using PresentationSource FromVisual and casting the result to HwndSource which implements IWin32Window   Also in the comments here

User · Answer

I realize this is an old question  but here is an approach which might be slightly more elegant  and may or may not have been available before      using System  using System Windows  using System Windows Forms                lt summary gt          Utilities for easier integration with WinForms       lt  summary gt  public static class WinFormsCompatibility             lt summary gt              Gets a handle of the given  lt paramref name  window   gt  and wraps it into  lt see cref  IWin32Window   gt               so it can be consumed by WinForms code  such as  lt see cref  FolderBrowserDialog   gt            lt  summary gt           lt param name  window  gt              The WPF window whose handle to get           lt  param gt           lt returns gt              The handle of  lt paramref name  window   gt  is returned as  lt see cref  IWin32Window Handle   gt            lt  returns gt      public static IWin32Window GetIWin32Window this Window window            return new Win32Window new System Windows Interop WindowInteropHelper window  Handle                   lt summary gt              Implementation detail of  lt see cref  GetIWin32Window   gt            lt  summary gt      class Win32Window   IWin32Window      NOTE  This is System Windows Forms IWin32Window  not System Windows Interop IWin32Window           public Win32Window IntPtr handle                Handle   handle     C  6  read-only  automatic property                     public IntPtr Handle   get                Then  from your WPF window  you can simply     public partial class MainWindow   Window        void Button Click object sender  RoutedEventArgs e            using  var dialog   new FolderBrowserDialog                  if  dialog ShowDialog this GetIWin32Window       System Windows Forms DialogResult OK                       Use dialog SelectedPath                                          Actually  does it matter    I m not sure if it matters in this case  but generally  you should tell Windows what is your window hierarchy  so if a parent window is clicked while child window is modal  Windows can provide a visual  and possibly audible  clue to the user   Also  it ensures the  right  window is on top when there are multiple modal windows  not that I m advocating such UI design   I ve seen UIs designed by a certain multi-billion dollar corporation  which shell remain unnamed   that hanged simply because one modal dialog got  stuck  underneath another  and user had no clue it was even there  let alone how to close it

User · Answer

The advantage of passing an owner handle is that the FolderBrowserDialog will not be modal to that window  This prevents the user from interacting with your main application window while the dialog is active

User · Answer

VB net translation  Module MyWpfExtensions  Public Function GetIWin32Window this As Object  visual As System Windows Media Visual  As System Windows Forms IWin32Window      Dim source As System Windows Interop HwndSource   System Windows PresentationSource FromVisual Visual      Dim win As System Windows Forms IWin32Window   New OldWindow source Handle      Return win End Function  Private Class OldWindow     Implements System Windows Forms IWin32Window      Public Sub New handle As System IntPtr           handle   handle     End Sub       Dim  handle As System IntPtr     Public ReadOnly Property Handle As IntPtr Implements Forms IWin32Window Handle         Get          End Get     End Property   End Class  End Module

User · Answer

The advantage of passing an owner handle is that the FolderBrowserDialog will not be modal to that window  This prevents the user from interacting with your main application window while the dialog is active

User · Answer

And here s my final version    public static class MyWpfExtensions       public static System Windows Forms IWin32Window GetIWin32Window this System Windows Media Visual visual                var source   System Windows PresentationSource FromVisual visual  as System Windows Interop HwndSource          System Windows Forms IWin32Window win   new OldWindow source Handle           return win             private class OldWindow   System Windows Forms IWin32Window               private readonly System IntPtr  handle          public OldWindow System IntPtr handle                         handle   handle                      region IWin32Window Members         System IntPtr System Windows Forms IWin32Window Handle                       get   return  handle                       endregion           And to actually use it   var dlg   new FolderBrowserDialog    System Windows Forms DialogResult result   dlg ShowDialog this GetIWin32Window

User · Answer

Here is a simple method     System Windows Forms NativeWindow winForm   public MainWindow         winForm   new System Windows Forms NativeWindow        winForm AssignHandle new WindowInteropHelper this  Handle             public showDialog        dlgFolderBrowser ShowDialog winForm

User · Answer

If you specify Owner  you will get a Modal dialog over the specified WPF window    To get WinForms compatible Win32 window create a class implements IWin32Window like this    public class OldWindow   System Windows Forms IWin32Window       IntPtr  handle       public OldWindow IntPtr handle                 handle   handle              region IWin32Window Members      IntPtr System Windows Forms IWin32Window Handle               get   return  handle                endregion     And use an instance of this class at your WinForms          IntPtr mainWindowPtr   new WindowInteropHelper this  Handle      this  means WPF Window         folderBrowserDialog ShowDialog new OldWindow mainWindowPtr

User · Answer

And here s my final version    public static class MyWpfExtensions       public static System Windows Forms IWin32Window GetIWin32Window this System Windows Media Visual visual                var source   System Windows PresentationSource FromVisual visual  as System Windows Interop HwndSource          System Windows Forms IWin32Window win   new OldWindow source Handle           return win             private class OldWindow   System Windows Forms IWin32Window               private readonly System IntPtr  handle          public OldWindow System IntPtr handle                         handle   handle                      region IWin32Window Members         System IntPtr System Windows Forms IWin32Window Handle                       get   return  handle                       endregion           And to actually use it   var dlg   new FolderBrowserDialog    System Windows Forms DialogResult result   dlg ShowDialog this GetIWin32Window

User · Answer

And here s my final version    public static class MyWpfExtensions       public static System Windows Forms IWin32Window GetIWin32Window this System Windows Media Visual visual                var source   System Windows PresentationSource FromVisual visual  as System Windows Interop HwndSource          System Windows Forms IWin32Window win   new OldWindow source Handle           return win             private class OldWindow   System Windows Forms IWin32Window               private readonly System IntPtr  handle          public OldWindow System IntPtr handle                         handle   handle                      region IWin32Window Members         System IntPtr System Windows Forms IWin32Window Handle                       get   return  handle                       endregion           And to actually use it   var dlg   new FolderBrowserDialog    System Windows Forms DialogResult result   dlg ShowDialog this GetIWin32Window

User · Answer

If you specify Owner  you will get a Modal dialog over the specified WPF window    To get WinForms compatible Win32 window create a class implements IWin32Window like this    public class OldWindow   System Windows Forms IWin32Window       IntPtr  handle       public OldWindow IntPtr handle                 handle   handle              region IWin32Window Members      IntPtr System Windows Forms IWin32Window Handle               get   return  handle                endregion     And use an instance of this class at your WinForms          IntPtr mainWindowPtr   new WindowInteropHelper this  Handle      this  means WPF Window         folderBrowserDialog ShowDialog new OldWindow mainWindowPtr

User · Answer

OK  figured it out now - thanks to Jobi whose answer was close  but not quite   From a WPF application  here s my code that works   First a helper class   private class OldWindow   System Windows Forms IWin32Window           IntPtr  handle          public OldWindow IntPtr handle                 handle   handle                 region IWin32Window Members         IntPtr System Windows Forms IWin32Window Handle               get   return  handle                   endregion     Then  to use this       System Windows Forms FolderBrowserDialog dlg   new FolderBrowserDialog        HwndSource source   PresentationSource FromVisual this  as HwndSource      System Windows Forms IWin32Window win   new OldWindow source Handle       System Windows Forms DialogResult result   dlg ShowDialog win     I m sure I can wrap this up better  but basically it works  Yay   -

User · Answer

Why not using the built in WindowInteropHelper class  see namespace System Windows Interop   This class already impelements the IWin32Window     So you can forget about the  OldWindow class      the usage stays the same

User · Answer

OK  figured it out now - thanks to Jobi whose answer was close  but not quite   From a WPF application  here s my code that works   First a helper class   private class OldWindow   System Windows Forms IWin32Window           IntPtr  handle          public OldWindow IntPtr handle                 handle   handle                 region IWin32Window Members         IntPtr System Windows Forms IWin32Window Handle               get   return  handle                   endregion     Then  to use this       System Windows Forms FolderBrowserDialog dlg   new FolderBrowserDialog        HwndSource source   PresentationSource FromVisual this  as HwndSource      System Windows Forms IWin32Window win   new OldWindow source Handle       System Windows Forms DialogResult result   dlg ShowDialog win     I m sure I can wrap this up better  but basically it works  Yay   -

User · Answer

You should be able to get an IWin32Window by by using PresentationSource FromVisual and casting the result to HwndSource which implements IWin32Window   Also in the comments here

User · Answer

And here s my final version    public static class MyWpfExtensions       public static System Windows Forms IWin32Window GetIWin32Window this System Windows Media Visual visual                var source   System Windows PresentationSource FromVisual visual  as System Windows Interop HwndSource          System Windows Forms IWin32Window win   new OldWindow source Handle           return win             private class OldWindow   System Windows Forms IWin32Window               private readonly System IntPtr  handle          public OldWindow System IntPtr handle                         handle   handle                      region IWin32Window Members         System IntPtr System Windows Forms IWin32Window Handle                       get   return  handle                       endregion           And to actually use it   var dlg   new FolderBrowserDialog    System Windows Forms DialogResult result   dlg ShowDialog this GetIWin32Window

User · Answer

You should be able to get an IWin32Window by by using PresentationSource FromVisual and casting the result to HwndSource which implements IWin32Window   Also in the comments here

User · Answer

add a reference to System Windows Forms dll  public partial class MainWindow   Window  System Windows Forms IWin32Window       public MainWindow                 InitializeComponent               private void button Click object sender  RoutedEventArgs e                var fbd   new FolderBrowserDialog            fbd ShowDialog this              IntPtr System Windows Forms IWin32Window Handle               get                       return   HwndSource PresentationSource FromVisual this   Handle

User · Answer

add a reference to System Windows Forms dll  public partial class MainWindow   Window  System Windows Forms IWin32Window       public MainWindow                 InitializeComponent               private void button Click object sender  RoutedEventArgs e                var fbd   new FolderBrowserDialog            fbd ShowDialog this              IntPtr System Windows Forms IWin32Window Handle               get                       return   HwndSource PresentationSource FromVisual this   Handle

User · Answer

The advantage of passing an owner handle is that the FolderBrowserDialog will not be modal to that window  This prevents the user from interacting with your main application window while the dialog is active

User · Answer

If you specify Owner  you will get a Modal dialog over the specified WPF window    To get WinForms compatible Win32 window create a class implements IWin32Window like this    public class OldWindow   System Windows Forms IWin32Window       IntPtr  handle       public OldWindow IntPtr handle                 handle   handle              region IWin32Window Members      IntPtr System Windows Forms IWin32Window Handle               get   return  handle                endregion     And use an instance of this class at your WinForms          IntPtr mainWindowPtr   new WindowInteropHelper this  Handle      this  means WPF Window         folderBrowserDialog ShowDialog new OldWindow mainWindowPtr

User · Answer

If you specify Owner  you will get a Modal dialog over the specified WPF window    To get WinForms compatible Win32 window create a class implements IWin32Window like this    public class OldWindow   System Windows Forms IWin32Window       IntPtr  handle       public OldWindow IntPtr handle                 handle   handle              region IWin32Window Members      IntPtr System Windows Forms IWin32Window Handle               get   return  handle                endregion     And use an instance of this class at your WinForms          IntPtr mainWindowPtr   new WindowInteropHelper this  Handle      this  means WPF Window         folderBrowserDialog ShowDialog new OldWindow mainWindowPtr

User · Answer

OK  figured it out now - thanks to Jobi whose answer was close  but not quite   From a WPF application  here s my code that works   First a helper class   private class OldWindow   System Windows Forms IWin32Window           IntPtr  handle          public OldWindow IntPtr handle                 handle   handle                 region IWin32Window Members         IntPtr System Windows Forms IWin32Window Handle               get   return  handle                   endregion     Then  to use this       System Windows Forms FolderBrowserDialog dlg   new FolderBrowserDialog        HwndSource source   PresentationSource FromVisual this  as HwndSource      System Windows Forms IWin32Window win   new OldWindow source Handle       System Windows Forms DialogResult result   dlg ShowDialog win     I m sure I can wrap this up better  but basically it works  Yay   -

User · Answer

VB net translation  Module MyWpfExtensions  Public Function GetIWin32Window this As Object  visual As System Windows Media Visual  As System Windows Forms IWin32Window      Dim source As System Windows Interop HwndSource   System Windows PresentationSource FromVisual Visual      Dim win As System Windows Forms IWin32Window   New OldWindow source Handle      Return win End Function  Private Class OldWindow     Implements System Windows Forms IWin32Window      Public Sub New handle As System IntPtr           handle   handle     End Sub       Dim  handle As System IntPtr     Public ReadOnly Property Handle As IntPtr Implements Forms IWin32Window Handle         Get          End Get     End Property   End Class  End Module

User · Answer

You should be able to get an IWin32Window by by using PresentationSource FromVisual and casting the result to HwndSource which implements IWin32Window   Also in the comments here

User · Answer

Why not using the built in WindowInteropHelper class  see namespace System Windows Interop   This class already impelements the IWin32Window     So you can forget about the  OldWindow class      the usage stays the same

User · Answer

OK  figured it out now - thanks to Jobi whose answer was close  but not quite   From a WPF application  here s my code that works   First a helper class   private class OldWindow   System Windows Forms IWin32Window           IntPtr  handle          public OldWindow IntPtr handle                 handle   handle                 region IWin32Window Members         IntPtr System Windows Forms IWin32Window Handle               get   return  handle                   endregion     Then  to use this       System Windows Forms FolderBrowserDialog dlg   new FolderBrowserDialog        HwndSource source   PresentationSource FromVisual this  as HwndSource      System Windows Forms IWin32Window win   new OldWindow source Handle       System Windows Forms DialogResult result   dlg ShowDialog win     I m sure I can wrap this up better  but basically it works  Yay   -

User · Answer

I realize this is an old question  but here is an approach which might be slightly more elegant  and may or may not have been available before      using System  using System Windows  using System Windows Forms                lt summary gt          Utilities for easier integration with WinForms       lt  summary gt  public static class WinFormsCompatibility             lt summary gt              Gets a handle of the given  lt paramref name  window   gt  and wraps it into  lt see cref  IWin32Window   gt               so it can be consumed by WinForms code  such as  lt see cref  FolderBrowserDialog   gt            lt  summary gt           lt param name  window  gt              The WPF window whose handle to get           lt  param gt           lt returns gt              The handle of  lt paramref name  window   gt  is returned as  lt see cref  IWin32Window Handle   gt            lt  returns gt      public static IWin32Window GetIWin32Window this Window window            return new Win32Window new System Windows Interop WindowInteropHelper window  Handle                   lt summary gt              Implementation detail of  lt see cref  GetIWin32Window   gt            lt  summary gt      class Win32Window   IWin32Window      NOTE  This is System Windows Forms IWin32Window  not System Windows Interop IWin32Window           public Win32Window IntPtr handle                Handle   handle     C  6  read-only  automatic property                     public IntPtr Handle   get                Then  from your WPF window  you can simply     public partial class MainWindow   Window        void Button Click object sender  RoutedEventArgs e            using  var dialog   new FolderBrowserDialog                  if  dialog ShowDialog this GetIWin32Window       System Windows Forms DialogResult OK                       Use dialog SelectedPath                                          Actually  does it matter    I m not sure if it matters in this case  but generally  you should tell Windows what is your window hierarchy  so if a parent window is clicked while child window is modal  Windows can provide a visual  and possibly audible  clue to the user   Also  it ensures the  right  window is on top when there are multiple modal windows  not that I m advocating such UI design   I ve seen UIs designed by a certain multi-billion dollar corporation  which shell remain unnamed   that hanged simply because one modal dialog got  stuck  underneath another  and user had no clue it was even there  let alone how to close it

[wpf] How to use a FolderBrowserDialog from a WPF application

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