1mNAME0m
       tk_getOpenFile,  tk_getSaveFile  -  pop up a dialog box for the user to
       select a file to open or save.

1mSYNOPSIS0m
       1mtk_getOpenFile 22m?4moption24m 4mvalue24m 4m...24m?
       1mtk_getSaveFile 22m?4moption24m 4mvalue24m 4m...24m?


1mDESCRIPTION0m
       The procedures 1mtk_getOpenFile 22mand 1mtk_getSaveFile 22mpop up  a  dialog  box
       for  the user to select a file to open or save. The 1mtk_getOpenFile 22mcom-
       mand is usually associated with the 1mOpen 22mcommand in the 1mFile 22mmenu.  Its
       purpose  is  for  the user to select an existing file 4monly24m. If the user
       enters an non-existent file, the dialog box gives  the  user  an  error
       prompt  and  requires  the user to give an alternative selection. If an
       application allows the user to create new files, it  should  do  so  by
       providing a separate 1mNew 22mmenu command.

       The  1mtk_getSaveFile 22mcommand is usually associated with the 1mSave as 22mcom-
       mand in the 1mFile 22mmenu. If the user enters a file that  already  exists,
       the  dialog  box prompts the user for confirmation whether the existing
       file should be overwritten or not.

       The following 4moption-value24m pairs are possible as command line arguments
       to these two commands:

       1m-defaultextension 4m22mextension0m
              Specifies  a string that will be appended to the filename if the
              user enters a filename without an extension. The defaut value is
              the  empty  string, which means no extension will be appended to
              the filename in any case. This option is ignored on  the  Macin-
              tosh platform, which does not require extensions to filenames.

       1m-filetypes 4m22mfilePatternList0m
              If a 1mFile types 22mlistbox exists in the file dialog on the partic-
              ular platform, this option gives the 4mfiletype24ms in this  listbox.
              When  the  user choose a filetype in the listbox, only the files
              of that type are listed. If this option is unspecified, or if it
              is  set  to  the empty list, or if the 1mFile types 22mlistbox is not
              supported by the particular platform then all files  are  listed
              regardless  of their types. See the section SPECIFYING FILE PAT-
              TERNS below for a discussion on the contents of 4mfilePatternList24m.

       1m-initialdir 4m22mdirectory0m
              Specifies  that  the files in 4mdirectory24m should be displayed when
              the dialog pops up. If this parameter is not specified, then the
              files  in  the  current  working directory are displayed. If the
              parameter specifies a relative path, the return value will  con-
              vert the relative path to an absolute path.  This option may not
              always work on the Macintosh.  This is not a  bug.  Rather,  the
              4mGeneral24m 4mControls24m control panel on the Mac allows the end user to
              override the application default directory.

       1m-initialfile 4m22mfilename0m
              Specifies a filename to be displayed in the dialog when it  pops
              up.  This option is ignored on the Macintosh platform.

       1m-multiple0m
              Allows  the  user to choose multiple files from the Open dialog.
              On the Macintosh, this is only available  when  Navigation  Ser-
              vices are installed.

       1m-message0m
              Specifies a message to include in the client area of the dialog.
              This is only available on the Macintosh, and only  when  Naviga-
              tion Services are installed.

       1m-parent 4m22mwindow0m
              Makes  4mwindow24m  the  logical  parent of the file dialog. The file
              dialog is displayed on top of its parent window.

       1m-title 4m22mtitleString0m
              Specifies a string to display as the title of the dialog box. If
              this option is not specified, then a default title is displayed.

       If the user selects a  file,  both  1mtk_getOpenFile  22mand  1mtk_getSaveFile0m
       return  the  full pathname of this file. If the user cancels the opera-
       tion, both commands return the empty string.

1mSPECIFYING FILE PATTERNS0m
       The 4mfilePatternList24m value given by the 1m-filetypes 22moption is a  list  of
       file patterns. Each file pattern is a list of the form
              4mtypeName24m {4mextension24m ?4mextension24m 4m...24m?} ?{4mmacType24m ?4mmacType24m 4m...24m?}?
       4mtypeName24m  is  the  name of the file type described by this file pattern
       and is the text string that appears in the 1mFile types  22mlistbox.  4mexten-0m
       4msion24m  is  a  file  extension for this file pattern.  4mmacType24m is a four-
       character Macintosh file type. The list of 4mmacType24ms is optional and may
       be  omitted  for applications that do not need to execute on the Macin-
       tosh platform.

       Several file patterns may have the same 4mtypeName,24m in  which  case  they
       refer  to  the  same file type and share the same entry in the listbox.
       When the user selects an entry in the listbox, all the files that match
       at  least  one  of  the  file  patterns corresponding to that entry are
       listed. Usually, each file pattern corresponds to a  distinct  type  of
       file.  The  use  of more than one file patterns for one type of file is
       necessary on the Macintosh platform only.

       On the Macintosh platform, a file matches a file pattern  if  its  name
       matches at least one of the 4mextension24m(s) AND it belongs to at least one
       of the 4mmacType24m(s) of the file pattern. For example, the 1mC Source  Files0m
       file  pattern  in  the  sample  code  matches with files that have a 1m.c0m
       extension AND belong to the 4mmacType24m 1mTEXT22m. To use the OR  rule  instead,
       you  can  use  two  file patterns, one with the 4mextensions24m only and the
       other with the 4mmacType24m only. The 1mGIF Files 22mfile type in the sample code
       matches  files  that EITHER have a 1m.gif 22mextension OR belong to the 4mmac-0m
       4mType24m 1mGIFF22m.

       On the Unix and Windows platforms, a file matches a file pattern if its
       name  matches  at at least one of the 4mextension24m(s) of the file pattern.
       The 4mmacType24ms are ignored.

1mSPECIFYING EXTENSIONS0m
       On the Unix and Macintosh platforms, extensions are matched using glob-
       style  pattern  matching.  On  the  Windows  platforms,  extensions are
       matched by the underlying  operating  system.  The  types  of  possible
       extensions  are:  (1) the special extension * matches any file; (2) the
       special extension "" matches any files that do not  have  an  extension
       (i.e., the filename contains no full stop character); (3) any character
       string that does not contain any wild card characters (* and ?).

       Due to the different pattern matching rules on the  various  platforms,
       to  ensure  portability,  wild  card  characters are not allowed in the
       extensions, except as in the special extension *. Extensions without  a
       full  stop character (e.g, ~) are allowed but may not work on all plat-
       forms.


1mEXAMPLE0m
              set types {
                  {{Text Files}       {.txt}        }
                  {{TCL Scripts}      {.tcl}        }
                  {{C Source Files}   {.c}      TEXT}
                  {{GIF Files}        {.gif}        }
                  {{GIF Files}        {}        GIFF}
                  {{All Files}        *             }
              }
              set filename [tk_getOpenFile -filetypes $types]

              if {$filename != ""} {
                  # Open the file ...
              }


1mSEE ALSO0m
       tk_chooseDirectory


1mKEYWORDS0m
