MultiSelect

Returns or sets whether the Open dialog lets the user select more than one file.

Syntax: object.MultiSelect [ = boolean ]

object

required An object expression that evaluates to a cDialog.

boolean

A Boolean. True sets OFN_ALLOWMULTISELECT for ShowOpen. The default is False.

Remarks

Only ShowOpen uses the property. ShowSave and ShowBrowseForFolder ignore it.

With MultiSelect True, ShowOpen gives Windows a buffer of 32,768 characters, in place of 260. The class also always sets OFN_EXPLORER, so Windows fills the buffer with the folder, then the name of each selected file, each ended by a null character, and one more null character at the end. When the user selects one file, the buffer holds its full path, with no separator.

Warning

When the user selects two or more files, ShowOpen returns a String that holds only the folder of the files. It does not return an array and it does not return the file names, and FileName becomes the folder too. No error is raised, so the result looks like a valid answer and the names of the files are lost. One selected file gives its full path, as a String.

The source of ShowOpen has a branch that splits the names and returns an array of full paths. It never runs: the code cuts the buffer at its first null character, which is the end of the folder, before it looks for the separators between the names. A program can tell the two results apart, because the result for several files is the path of a folder.

SelectAndOpenFile passes the folder to OpenFile, which opens it in File Explorer.

Example

Dim dlg As New cDialog
Debug.Print dlg.MultiSelect   ' False

dlg.MultiSelect = True
Debug.Print dlg.MultiSelect   ' True

This example lets the user select several files, and reports when only the folder came back.

Dim dlg As New cDialog
Dim result As String

dlg.MultiSelect = True
dlg.SetImageFilters
result = dlg.ShowOpen()

If Len(result) = 0 Then
    Debug.Print "Cancelled"
ElseIf GetAttr(result) And vbDirectory Then
    Debug.Print "Several files were selected; only the folder came back: " & result
Else
    Debug.Print "One file: " & result
End If

See Also

• ShowOpen method – shows the Open dialog and returns the result
• SelectAndOpenFile method – opens the file that the dialog returns
• FileName property – holds the result
• cDialog class – overview