Using w32's find file dialog from the keyboard

Using w32's find file dialog from the keyboard

[Mathias Dahl]

Is there a way to open the file selector on w32 using the keyboard? As
it is now, the only way to open it is by using the File menu. I am
currently running on GNU/Linux so I cannot check what the function
name called is.

RE: Using w32's find file dialog from the keyboard

[Drew Adams]

    Is there a way to open the file selector on w32 using the keyboard? As
    it is now, the only way to open it is by using the File menu. I am
    currently running on GNU/Linux so I cannot check what the function
    name called is.

One way is to use tmm (or icicle-menu) to access the File menu item from the
keyboard. It takes only a few keystrokes to access the "File > Open File..."
item.

Re: Using w32's find file dialog from the keyboard

[B. T. Raven]

"Mathias Dahl" <mathias.dahl@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:m2u04jjsq3.fsf@gmail.com...
> Is there a way to open the file selector on w32 using the keyboard? As
> it is now, the only way to open it is by using the File menu. I am
> currently running on GNU/Linux so I cannot check what the function
> name called is.

I used to want this but now I am convinced that C-x d and then emacs
screen navigation is faster. Once the directory buffer opens you can use <
and > for browsing to subdirs or C-v, M-v, and of course the
semi-miraculous C-r and C-s. After you're on the right line a bare e will
open (visit) the file. I am curious to know what other useful
functionality might be obtained from using the w32 file selection window.

Ed.

Re: Using w32's find file dialog from the keyboard

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: Mathias Dahl <mathias.dahl@gmail.com>
> Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2006 15:40:36 +0200
> 
> Is there a way to open the file selector on w32 using the keyboard?

I know of three ways:

 . Type F10, which will activate the menu bar, then select the File
   menu and "Open File" item with arrow keys and RET.

 . Set the variable w32-pass-alt-to-system to a non-nil value, then
   pressing Alt will activate the menu; the rest is like in the
   previous method.

 . Cheat:

    (let (last-nonmenu-event)
      (call-interactively 'find-file))

> As it is now, the only way to open it is by using the File menu.

Out of curiosity: why would you wish to open the file selector so
badly?

Re: Using w32's find file dialog from the keyboard

[Reiner Steib]

On Fri, Aug 11 2006, Eli Zaretskii wrote:

>  . Cheat:
>
>     (let (last-nonmenu-event)
>       (call-interactively 'find-file))
[...]
> Out of curiosity: why would you wish to open the file selector so
> badly?

I don't want it (using GNU/Linux with `use-file-dialog' set to nil),
but such an option has also been requested in the German newsgroup[1]
by several people.  IIRC, a similar workaround as your "cheat" was
suggested there.  Maybe an additional value `always' could be
introduced for `use-file-dialog'.  (After the release.)

Bye, Reiner.

[1] de.comp.editoren, e.g. by Michael Schierl in
    <news:44295274$0$17575$9b4e6d93@newsread2.arcor-online.net>
-- 
       ,,,
      (o o)
---ooO-(_)-Ooo---  |  PGP key available  |  http://rsteib.home.pages.de/

Re: Using w32's find file dialog from the keyboard

[Mathias Dahl]

"B. T. Raven" <ecinmn@alcisp.com> writes:

> I used to want this but now I am convinced that C-x d and then emacs
> screen navigation is faster.

Sorry for being so brief. This is for a friend, I am already convinced
of what I like the best :)

Re: Using w32's find file dialog from the keyboard

[Mathias Dahl]

Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> writes:

>  . Cheat:
>
>     (let (last-nonmenu-event)
>       (call-interactively 'find-file))

This sounds like the solution my friend wanted. I guess I could just
make that a command and bind it to some key, right?

> Out of curiosity: why would you wish to open the file selector so
> badly?

I don't :) This is for a friend that decided to give Emacs a second
try. I guess he want to make the switch gradually (I suggested he use
CUA-mode to begin with because he was put off too much by Emacs
"non-Windows-standard" bindings).

Thanks!