Save/open file box

Question

I would like to make a pop up box that given a path to a file on a disk can do either:
save File: <path to the file> (new location)
or
Open File <path to the file> (with a matching application)
I have tried modifying the code from this tutorial:
http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/uiswing/examples/components/FileChooserDemoProject/src/components/FileChooserDemo.java
But I can't seem to specify the file that is already located on the disk.
Open File can be done using Desktop.browse(URI), but how do I create a FileChooser box with two buttons for saving or opening a file already on disk?
Edited by: fedevaps on May 14, 2009 9:30 PM

Answer 1

So you have a file which is already on disk? And you want to present the user with an option whereby he can "save" that file, which is already on disk, to some other location on disk? This sounds peculiar already... how exactly does that work in your proposed design? Do you just tell the user where the file is and then display a standard save dialog which tells you where you're going to copy the file to? (Or move it, if that's what "save" means in your terminology?)
Usually a save dialog is used for the user to select the file where your program will save data that's in memory. You've used save dialogs before, surely? Every text editor uses them.
And this idea of a dialog which allows the user to do two different things, that's kind of peculiar too. If it were me I would have two buttons, Save and Open. The Save button would open the save dialog, the Open button would open the open dialog.
And if you hadn't already figured it out, an open dialog doesn't actually open the file selected. It just allows the user to select a file and passes that file back to its caller. It's the caller's responsibility to do whatever "open" means to it.
Likewise a save dialog doesn't actually save the selected file. It just allows the user to select a file, then the caller actually does the saving to that file.
You'll find programming much easier if you do things in the normal way just like everyone else. If you do it differently, then first of all you can't use the standard tools and you find yourself floundering, trying to modify them or rewrite them or bend them out of shape. And second of all, your users will be confused by a non-standard interface.
And don't tell me you're thinking "outside the box" when you do things in a strange way. First you need to know where the box is and how it works. Then you'll be able to think outside it.