Vista - add browse button to windows form

Hi guys. It's the first time that I try to use windows forms in powershell. I'd like to add a browse button to choose a directory but obviously my code doesn't work.
Someone can put me in the right way?

[void][reflection.assembly]::LoadWithPartialName("System.Windows.Forms")
$form = new-object Windows.Forms.Form
$browse = new-object windows.Forms.OpenFileDialog
$browse.text = "..."
$form.controls.add($browse)
$form.ShowDialog()

Hi sardinian_guy,
you cannot ad the OpenFileDialog to the Form as a control.
Add a Button and asign the OpenFileDialog to the KlickEvent of the
Button:

[void][reflection.assembly]::LoadWithPartialName
("System.Windows.Forms")
$form = new-object Windows.Forms.Form
$browse = new-object windows.Forms.OpenFileDialog
$browse.text = "..."

$button1 = New-Object system.Windows.Forms.Button
$button1.Text = "Choose...."
$button1.Add_Click({$browse.ShowDialog()})
$button1.left = 20
$button1.top = 20

$form.controls.add($button1)
$form.ShowDialog()


If you want to choose a Folder you should use the FolderBrowserDialog.
However i had problems with this in a Poweshell V2 CTP3 Environment -
it only runs in the ISE.

Example:

$button = $browse = $form = 0
[void][reflection.assembly]::LoadWithPartialName
("System.Windows.Forms")
$browse = new-object system.windows.Forms.FolderBrowserDialog
$browse.RootFolder = [System.Environment+SpecialFolder]'MyComputer'
$browse.ShowNewFolderButton = $false
$browse.selectedPath = "C:\"
$browse.Description = "Choose a directory"

$button1 = New-Object system.Windows.Forms.Button
$button1.Text = "Choose Directory"
$button1.Add_Click({$browse.ShowDialog()})
$button1.left = 20
$button1.top = 20

$form = New-Object system.windows.forms.Form
$form.controls.add($button1)
$form.ShowDialog()
$form.Dispose()

$browse.SelectedPath


Finally i do not recommend to use to much of this graphical stuff
with Powershell because it could be very extensive to arrange the
controls etc...
Using the Dialogs without the Form ist much easier.

PowerShell is meant for console scripting rather than GUI, however,
you can use PrimalForms, a free GUI builder tool. It edits and stores
Windows Forms in a native XML format and generates PowerShell code on
demand. In addition, you must provide your own code e.g. function to
trigger the windows controls. Give it a try, http://www.primaltools.com/freetools/

Cheers.


On Jan 18, 7:18*pm, sardinian_guy <gu...@xxxxxx-email.com> wrote:

On Jan 18, 3:10*pm, bluefin <desertcamel.c...@xxxxxx> wrote:Not necessarily. PowerShell is for automation. The majority of
examples that people have are for the console, but PowerShell was made
with more than this kind of automation in mind. That being said, I'd
second the suggestion to try PrimalForms. You can write forms by hand
as well, but that tool will make it much easier for you.

Good Point. didn't hear about that.
I think this can be usefull for little "Powershell Applications"....

Thanks for the Hint.
Best Regards
BJ

bluefin schrieb:

Hello BJ,

Do you actually see folders in the FolderBrowserDialog dialog? I guess not,
you need to launch PowerShell with -STA switch and it is
only available in v2. A workaround would be to use the Shell.Application
com object, check this thread:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2...rom-powershell


BTW, in XP the dialog appears behind the PowerShell window, you need to press
ALT+TAB to make it active.
You can also invoke the dialog without a form:

[void][reflection.assembly]::LoadWithPartialName("System.Windows.Forms")
$browse = new-object system.windows.Forms.FolderBrowserDialog
$browse.RootFolder = [System.Environment+SpecialFolder]'MyComputer'
$browse.ShowNewFolderButton = $false
$browse.selectedPath = "C:\"
$browse.Description = "Choose a directory"

$browse.ShowDialog()
$browse.SelectedPath
$browse.Dispose()



---
Shay Levy
Windows PowerShell MVP
http://blogs.microsoft.co.il/blogs/ScriptFanatic
PowerShell Toolbar: http://tinyurl.com/PSToolbar


B> Hi sardinian_guy,
B> you cannot ad the OpenFileDialog to the Form as a control.
B> Add a Button and asign the OpenFileDialog to the KlickEvent of the
B> Button:
B> [void][reflection.assembly]::LoadWithPartialName
B> ("System.Windows.Forms")
B> $form = new-object Windows.Forms.Form
B> $browse = new-object windows.Forms.OpenFileDialog
B> $browse.text = "..."
B> $button1 = New-Object system.Windows.Forms.Button
B> $button1.Text = "Choose...."
B> $button1.Add_Click({$browse.ShowDialog()})
B> $button1.left = 20
B> $button1.top = 20
B> $form.controls.add($button1)
B> $form.ShowDialog()
B> If you want to choose a Folder you should use the
B> FolderBrowserDialog. However i had problems with this in a Poweshell
B> V2 CTP3 Environment - it only runs in the ISE.
B>
B> Example:
B>
B> $button = $browse = $form = 0
B> [void][reflection.assembly]::LoadWithPartialName
B> ("System.Windows.Forms")
B> $browse = new-object system.windows.Forms.FolderBrowserDialog
B> $browse.RootFolder = [System.Environment+SpecialFolder]'MyComputer'
B> $browse.ShowNewFolderButton = $false
B> $browse.selectedPath = "C:\"
B> $browse.Description = "Choose a directory"
B> $button1 = New-Object system.Windows.Forms.Button
B> $button1.Text = "Choose Directory"
B> $button1.Add_Click({$browse.ShowDialog()})
B> $button1.left = 20
B> $button1.top = 20
B> $form = New-Object system.windows.forms.Form
B> $form.controls.add($button1)
B> $form.ShowDialog()
B> $form.Dispose()
B> $browse.SelectedPath
B>
B> Finally i do not recommend to use to much of this graphical stuff
B> with Powershell because it could be very extensive to arrange the
B> controls etc...
B> Using the Dialogs without the Form ist much easier.

Dear Shay and Marco,
thanks for the pointer to the STA Mode - i already tried this but it
didn't run.
My today's try worked - strange. Maybe it was too late
yesterday..... .

Best Regards,
BJ

There is a saying by Shay Levy, one of PowerShell MVP says: " repeat
it? script it! ". That's about the intended purpose of PowerShell.

Cheers.

On Jan 19, 1:55*pm, tojo2000 <tojo2...@xxxxxx> wrote:

Hi guys, thanks to everybody for all your answers.
I spent a lot of time to try all your advices. I didn't think it was so difficult. I'm using windows xp pro sp3 and my powershell version is 1. The link posted by Shay work

$app = new-object -com Shell.Application
$folder = $app.BrowseForFolder(0, "Select Folder", 0, "C:\")
if ($folder.Self.Path -ne "") {write-host "You selected " $folder.Self.Path}


However my hard disk has several units. Is it possible to browse them all or I have to specify one unit at time?
Moreover if I add a simple

gci $folder -rec after those three lines nothing happens.