tGetFile.dll

Published Apr 24, 2001/Last updated March 31, 2007

tGetFile File Dialog Box

tGetFile Folder Dialog Box

Microsoft defined a guideline for Pocket PCs to locate document files under "\My Documents", and this reflects to the common file dialog box so that the dialog box can open files only under the "\My Documents".

I can understand that Microsoft has the guideline and the company wants all developers to obey the guideline. However, from the developer's point of view, the common file dialog boxes on Pocket PCs are too restricted to use. For example, I could not use the common file dialog box in order for PocketTweak to select an application program assigned for ".txt" extension.

"On H/PCs or desktop PCs, I can use the common file dialog box for such purpose. Why could not I use it for Pocket PC programs?"

I thought so and I have developed the tGetFile.dll dynamic link library (DLL) to answer my own question.

Dynamic link library (DLL) is a library which will be linked with executable programs when the programs are executed, and will behave as a part of the executable programs.

The programs which support tGetFile.dll include PocketNotepad (v2.0 and later) and PocketTweak (v4.0 and later). The programs use the common file dialog box when tGetFile.dll is not installed on the device, and will use the tGetFile.dll file dialog box when tGetFile.dll is installed.

To make programs to support tGetFile.dll, tGetFile SDK should be used. However, if the program uses GetOpenFileName or GetSaveFileName API, it would be quite easy for developers to support tGetFile.dll. Anyway, please refer to the web page for tGetFile SDK for the detailed information to support tGetFile.dll.

tGetFile.dll is a free software. However, unlike the other Tillanosoft free software, redistribution of tGetFile.dll is not permitted. License condition is written in a distributed file. Read the condition before using the tGetFile.dll.

tGetFile for Smartphone

tGetFile.dll for Smartphones

Smartphone version is also available. However, please note that tGetFile.dll provided from this page is available only for unlocked Smartphone devices. For locked Smartphone devices, use tGetFile.dll which is delivered with a compatible program, and has digital signature.

tGetFile.dll compatible software

Download the tGetFile.dll (Approx. 70KB)

Changes

• Windows Mobile 5 soft keys have been supported.
• A problem which added redundant file extensions when file extensions was displayed has been fixed.
• A problem with pressing OK button while editing file name has been fixed. tGetFile.dll returned previous file names in such cases.
• A problem in renaming into invalid file names has been fixed. tGetFile.dll closed its dialog box soon after displaying an error message when a user attempted to rename a filename into an invalid one.
• Landscape and portrait QVGA Windows Mobile Smartphones are now supported. tGetFile.dll resizes its edit box and so on for the resolutions.
• A border line of list box was not drawn in some case for QVGA Windows Mobile Smartphone. This problem has been fixed.
• Column width for file name list has been re-adjusted for QVGA Windows Mobile Smartphone.

• File extensions are now optionally displayed via Options dialog box.
• Tool tips have been added to toolbars on Pocket PC versions.
• An SDK problem has been fixed. Specifying long extensions via SDK (lpstrDefExt) caused the extensions be cut to 3 character long.
• Initial column width for detail view on VGA Pocket PCs has been widened.

• tGetFile.dll has improved compatibility with Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition Pocket PC VGA mode. It now draws the separator line in appropriate thickness when it is called from hi-resolution aware applications.
• Hidden command (Ctrl+I) for showing the current version added.

• Smartphone is supported.
• Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition Pocket PC is fully supported including VGA screen and landscape layout.
• "Cancel" button is newly added. "Ok" and "Cancel" button on the menu bar in the bottom was removed.
• Folder names including periods (.) are now displayed including periods and extensions. Such names were displayed without extensions.
• New application interface for .NET CF programs is added. Now, .NET CF programs are able to use tGetFile.dll.
• The list view area is now a little bit wider than before, which eliminates the surrounding lines.
• Renaming a folder or a file now moves the folder/file line in the list box, in the case raising SIP hides the folder/file line, so that, the folder/file line will not be hidden by the raising SIP.
• A problem in opening renamed file has been fixed. tGetFile.dll opened the previous file name in the case the opening operation was performed just after the renaming operation.

• GUI has changed to have more Pocket PC taste.
• Palm-size PC version has retired.
• File management functions such as creating a folder, renaming a file or folder, and deleting a file or folder have been added to the file dialog box.
• Tap&Hold now functions at "Name" box of file dialog box, and cut, copy and paste functions are now available there.
• Tapping OK while "Name" box is empty now behaves as canceling.
• "Name" box can be hidden in tGetOpenFileName(), by specifying an option flag by application programs.
• A few other minor modifications have been made.

• Internationalized. From this version, localization of tGetFile.dll could be easily achieved.
• OFN_PROJECT flag has been supported to browse for folders.
• OFN_NODEREFERENCELINKS flag has been supported.
• File name body can now be returned unless lpstrFileTitle member of OPENFILENAME structure is NULL.
• A hook for obtaining the version of tGetFile.dll has been created.
• Control for automatic insertion of default extension given via a parameter of GetOpenFileName/GetSaveFileName added. The insertion would not be done if a user entered a name surrounded by double quotations (").
• Behavior of tGetFile dialog box when OK button was depressed without giving any file name has been changed. It now refreshes the items of list view.
• Entering filename with '*' and/or '?' refreshes the file list using the filename as a filter.
• Shortcuts to folders are now always listed regardless of file filter.
• Warning has been added for invalid filenames with invalid characters.
• Duplicated '*.mpeg' items observed when PocketTV accesses to remote folders has been removed.
• Fixed icons for shortcuts on Pocket PC 2002.
• A few more minor modifications have been made.

• The Smart Close button which is added by Pocket PC 2002 has been removed from tGetFile file dialog box. tGetFile file dialog box has already had the close button so that the Smart Close button was redundant and/or confusing. (Pocket PC only)
• PC setup has been added.

• Memory leak problem introduced in ver 2.0 has been fixed. The leak occurred when detailed view was selected. Amount of memory leak varies from 90 to 1K bytes according to the number of file types actually visible through the file list.
• Buffer overflow under very rare condition has been fixed. The problem was also introduced in ver 2.0.
• Tool buttons have moved from header bar to menu bar in the bottom. (Pocket PC only)

• Detailed view for file list has been supported.
• Controls on the dialog box have been rearranged and file list window now uses as large area as possible.
• File extensions have been suppressed from the file list window.
• Shortcut overlay image has added to icons of shortcut files.
• Automatic SIP opening is now available just for "Save As" operation. SIP will no longer be raised automatically for "Open" operation. (Pocket PC only)
• Two "OK" button were shown, that is, on the navigation bar and on tGetFile.dll's dialog box window. The redundant "OK" button has been removed from the navigation bar. (Pocket PC only)

• SIP is now automatically opened when file dialog box is popped up. (Pocket PC only)
• The dialog box size is now resized according to the SIP's popping up and down. (Pocket PC only)
• If the calling program hid the SIP button, users could not raise SIP even when tGetFile.dll's file dialog box was popped up. This problem has been fixed. (Pocket PC only)
• tGetFile.dll's file dialog box now hides menubars to prevent users from confusion. (Pocket PC only)
• If no filters were passed to lpstrFilter member of OPENFILENAME structure, waiting cursor was shown and never disappeared when file dialog box was popped up. This problem has been fixed.
• Colon (:) has been added to separator letters for separating multiple patterns of extensions within lpstrFilter member of OPENFILENAME structure.
• Trailing backslash (\) for lpstrInitialDir member of OPENFILENAME structure caused a strange behavior on 'up' button. The problem has been fixed.
• nFilterIndex returned an index with 0 origin. This has been fixed and it now returns an index with 1 origin.

• Initial focus is now on the file name edit box.
• Minor rearrangement on the parts of the dialog box window has done.