Common Dialog Box Types

The Common Dialog Box Library provides a creation function and a structure for each type of common dialog box. To use a common dialog box in its simplest form, you call its creation function and specify a pointer to a structure that contains initial values and option flags. After initializing the dialog box, the dialog box procedure uses the structure to return information about the user input. You can also customize a common dialog box to suit the needs of your application.

The following table provides a brief description of the different types of common dialog boxes, and shows the function and structure used with each type.

Dialog box	Description
Color	Displays available colors and optionally lets the user create custom colors. The user can select a basic or custom color. Use the ChooseColor function and CHOOSECOLOR structure. For more information, see Color Dialog Box.
Find	Displays a dialog box in which the user can type the string to find. The user can also specify search options, such as the search direction and whether the search is case sensitive. Use the FindText function and FINDREPLACE structure. For more information, see Find and Replace Dialog Boxes.
Font	Displays a dialog box in which the user can select a font family and associated font style, point sizes, and other font attributes such as font color, underline, or strikethrough. Use the ChooseFont function and CHOOSEFONT structure. For more information, see Font Dialog Box.
Open	Displays a dialog box in which the user can type or select the name of a file or shell name-space object to open. The dialog box includes lists of drives, directories, and shell name-space extensions that enable the user to browse the shell name space. It also includes a list of file name extensions that enables the user to filter the file names displayed. Use the GetOpenFileName function and OPENFILENAME structure. For more information, see Open and Save As Dialog Boxes.
Page Setup	Displays the current page configuration. The user can select page configuration options, such as paper orientation, size, source, and margins. Use the PageSetupDlg function and PAGESETUPDLG structure. For more information, see Page Setup Dialog Box.
Print	Displays information about the installed printer and its configuration. The user can select print job options, such as the range of pages to print and the number of copies, and start the printing process. Use the PrintDlg function and PRINTDLG structure. For more information, see Print Dialog Box. To display a Print property sheet rather than a Print dialog box, use the PrintDlgEx function with the PRINTDLGEX structure. The General page of the property sheet is similar to the Print dialog box. The property sheet can have additional application-specific and driver-specific property pages following the General page. For more information, see Print Property Sheet.
Replace	Displays a dialog box in which the user can type the string to find and the replacement string. The user can specify search options, such as whether the search is case sensitive, and replacement options, such as the scope of replacement. Use the ReplaceText function and FINDREPLACE structure. For more information, see Find and Replace Dialog Boxes.
Save As	Displays a dialog box in which the user can type or select the name with which to save a file or shell name-space object. The dialog box includes lists of drives, directories, and shell name-space extensions that enable the user to browse the shell name space. It also includes a list of file name extensions that enables the user to filter the file names displayed. Use the GetSaveFileName function and OPENFILENAME structure. For more information, see Open and Save As Dialog Boxes.

Although a Print Setup dialog box is available, it has been superseded by the Page Setup dialog box. Applications should use the Page Setup dialog box rather than the Print Setup dialog box.

All common dialog boxes are modal, except the Find and Replace dialog boxes. Modal dialog boxes must be closed by the user before the function used to create the dialog box can return. The Find and Replace dialog boxes are modeless; the function returns before the dialog box closes. If you use the Find and Replace dialog boxes, you must also use the IsDialogMessage function in the main message loop of your application to ensure that these dialog boxes correctly process keyboard input, such as the TAB and ESC keys.