asked on

Setting a specified start folder for JFileChooser setCurrentDirectory()

I am trying to set a specific working folder for JFileChooser as specified in a String PROJECT_FOLDER + "\\PCBs" for base folder for opening files in this directory, where PROJECT_FOLDER is a final String containing a project directory absolute path in Windows, such as: .

The method below will have a parameter of the file extension as a String, because only a certain type of files
should show up in the JFileChooser interface if that certain type of files is to be opened by the user, determined
by the parameter passed down to the method.

The method should return the absolute path to the file that the user chose to open.

I just don't know how to point JFileChooser to the specific folder defined in a String upon startup of the open
dialog box of JFileChooser, instead of browsing to the folder from the default folder:

jfc.setCurrentDirectory(f); // This works, but you have to browse through folders !

jfc.setCurrentDirectory(PROJECT_FOLDER + "\\PCBs"); // This doesn't work!

// The userFileNameFromUser() method will acquire the filename of the file to be opened
// from the user and return the file name and file path as a String:

            public String getFileNameFromUser(String extensionString) {

                String fileNameAndPath = "";

                JFileChooser jfc = new JFileChooser();
                try {
                    File f = new File(new File(".").getCanonicalPath());
                   // jfc.setCurrentDirectory(f);
                   jfc.setCurrentDirectory(PROJECT_FOLDER + "\\PCBs");    // This doesn't work!

                } catch (IOException except) {
                    System.out.println("Unable to set current directory!");
                  
                    JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Unable to set current directory.", "Loading Data",
                                                  JOptionPane.ERROR_MESSAGE);
                }


                switch (extensionString) {
                case ".pcb":
                    jfc.setFileFilter(new PCBFileFilter());
                    break;
                case ".cap":
                    jfc.setFileFilter(new DiagFileFilter());
                    break;
                case ".csv":
                        jfc.setFileFilter(new CSVFileFilter());
                        break;
                case ".asc":
                            jfc.setFileFilter(new ASCFileFilter());
                            break;
                
                }

                int result = jfc.showOpenDialog(null);

                if (result == JFileChooser.CANCEL_OPTION) {
                
                    JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "No file was chosen.", "File not loaded", JOptionPane.WARNING_MESSAGE);
                    return fileNameAndPath; 
                }

                try {
                    File file = jfc.getSelectedFile();
                    fileNameAndPath = file.getPath();
                } catch (Exception ex) {
                    JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Failure to open file.", "Loading Data", JOptionPane.ERROR_MESSAGE);
                   
                }
                // Do not process further if wrong file extension:
                if (!(fileNameAndPath.toLowerCase().endsWith(extensionString))) {
                    
                    JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "PCB file type required.", "Incorrect Data", JOptionPane.ERROR_MESSAGE);
                }
                return fileNameAndPath;
            }

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PCBFileFilter, DiagFileFilter, CSVFileFilter, etc. are inner classes extending javax.swing.filechooser.FileFilter

Thanks for your help.

krakatoa

I think you have to set the FileSystemView in the FileChooser constructor, to pick its default directory view. Take a look at the API.

CEHJ

Try

jfc.setCurrentDirectory(new File(PROJECT_FOLDER, "PCBs"));

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krakatoa

This comment is not in any shape intended to dis CEHJ's comment - which is most likely correct. But as I'd already made mine, it falls to me to say that in this : (which I've now edited)

JFileChooser jfc = new JFileChooser(FileSystemView.getFileSystemView());
		 System.out.println(jfc.getCurrentDirectory().toString());

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. . . you'd see your OS-defined user current dir. So you might want to think about extra-Java setting of that directory . . . if that would be appropriate for you.

Course you can see the default dir with :

System.out.println(FileSystemView.getFileSystemView().getDefaultDirectory().toString());

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AttilaB

ASKER

I tried:

jfc.setCurrentDirectory(new File(PROJECT_FOLDER, "PCBs"));

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It will actually take me to the system default folder ("C:\\Users\\Attila\Documents") , instead of the PROJECT_FOLDER + "\\PCBs" where I wanted to go.

So, if we tried to hard-code - just to make it simple - where I wanted the opening JFileChooser Open dialog box to take me to browse files by default is:

"C:\\goepel\\CAS4WIN\\Uuts\\00061055G 55-75100 CPLD DB Shorted\\CAD\\PCBs"

OK. If I run:

JFileChooser jfc = new JFileChooser(FileSystemView.getFileSystemView());
		 System.out.println(jfc.getCurrentDirectory().toString());

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What I get is: C:\Users\Attila\Documents printed.

So we have no trouble finding or understanding that our default directory is this.

Krakatoa said:

"So you might want to think about extra-Java setting of that directory . . ."

I don't understand what this sentence refers to.

Also, can you elaborate what exactly this means too:

"I think you have to set the FileSystemView in the FileChooser constructor, to pick its default directory view. Take a look at the API"

So, where I need to get is here:

"C:\\goepel\\CAS4WIN\\Uuts\\00061055G 55-75100 CPLD DB Shorted\\CAD\\PCBs"

which is a directory name defined by a String, so I don't understand how finding the system default directory will
help me in this case.

Thanks for looking at this.

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

CEHJ

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AttilaB

ASKER

You are right, it does work as you said!

jfc.setCurrentDirectory(new File(PROJECT_FOLDER + "\\CAD\\PCBs"));

I left the CAD out, so it pointed to a non-existent folder. Otherwise fine.

Interesting, that if the folder doesn't exist instead of creating an exception it just goes to the default folder. This is what through me off.

krakatoa

Hmm, I must be missing something because even with the directory in place, this impl still points at the OS user dir, not the project folder.