Can we get the "default" common open/save as dialogs for Windows 7?

[scunliffe]

HippoEDIT uses what I'm going to call the "WindowsXP File Dialog" when opening/saving files.

However on Windows 7 (possibly Vista too, and I'm guessing Windows there is an improved version of the common dialog that I think would be helpful in HippoEDIT! ;-)

Hopefully some screenshots will help.

Here's the current dialog:


And here's the "system dialog" from Windows 7 (as seen in Firefox)


The differences may appear subtle at first, but there are MAJOR usability improvements in the "native" Windows 7 version.

1.) In the location bar at the top I can directly click on any folder in the current hierarchy
2.) I can freely type/edit in this location bar at the top to quickly navigate to anywhere
3.) The panel on the left is a full tree of access to any folder (physical or virtual) on my system, or even a DropBox folder
4.) I can search for a file/folder in the top right
5.) There's a refresh option if a file has been added/updated (yeah I know [F5] works too, but an icon is handy
6.) It just feels more natural on Windows 7
7.) It remembers frequently accessed folders/files so I can quickly re-navigate to them
8.) There's a preview pane available (it doesn't help so much with text files, but being able to see images etc. in a preview is a nice to have)

Just a few of the improvements that would be a nice addition to HippoEDIT.

Thanks for your consideration.

[alex]

Hi Stephen,

I have already considered that, already in time when Windows Vista was released.
The problem is, that MS has done incompatible change with File Open dialog, from Vista when switching to new dialog.

So, from one side, I will need to support two different kind of dialogs when running before and after Vista, which will require significant effort, to keep maintaining both ways in parallel.
From another side, with new dialog it is now much more difficult to extend it layout, and not all things were possible before can be done - so HE will lose functionality (see toolbar button on attached screenshot).

7.) It remembers frequently accessed folders/files so I can quickly re-navigate to them

[attachimg=1]
This button is HE extension, which suggest as recent folders, as favorites from File Explorer.

2.) I can freely type/edit in this location bar at the top to quickly navigate to anywhere

You can do this in file name field, in old style dialog.

If HE will do no customizing of the file open dialog, it will work without problems, but it does it, and I do not want to lose it (extensions are toolbar button, encoding field, also some other programmatic).

Probably when XP will go out of support, I can once more check this, but for sooner time I do not plan it.

BR, Alex