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.NET Development
.NET Framework 3.5
FileDialog Class
 FileNames Property

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This page is specific to
Microsoft Visual Studio 2008/.NET Framework 3.5

Other versions are also available for the following:
.NET Framework Class Library
FileDialog..::.FileNames Property

Gets the file names of all selected files in the dialog box.

Namespace:  System.Windows.Forms
Assembly:  System.Windows.Forms (in System.Windows.Forms.dll)
Visual Basic (Declaration)
<BrowsableAttribute(False)> _
Public ReadOnly Property FileNames As String()
Visual Basic (Usage)
Dim instance As FileDialog
Dim value As String()

value = instance.FileNames
C#
[BrowsableAttribute(false)]
public string[] FileNames { get; }
Visual C++
[BrowsableAttribute(false)]
public:
property array<String^>^ FileNames {
    array<String^>^ get ();
}
JScript
public function get FileNames () : String[]

Property Value

Type: array<System..::.String>[]()[]
An array of type String, containing the file names of all selected files in the dialog box.

Each file name includes both the file path and the extension. If no files are selected, this method returns an empty array.

The following code example allows the user to select a number of images and display them in PictureBox controls on a Form. It demonstrates initializing an OpenFileDialog, setting the Title and Filter properties, and allowing the user to select multiple files by setting the Multiselect property to true. This code example assumes that your form already has an OpenFileDialog control named openFileDialog1, a Button named SelectFileButton, and a FlowLayoutPanel named flowLayoutPanel1.

Visual Basic
Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
    InitializeOpenFileDialog()
End Sub

Private Sub SelectFileButton_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles SelectFileButton.Click
    Dim dr As DialogResult = Me.OpenFileDialog1.ShowDialog()
    If (dr = System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK) Then
        ' Read the files
        Dim file As String
        For Each file In OpenFileDialog1.FileNames
            ' Create a PictureBox for each file, and add that file to the FlowLayoutPanel.
            Try
                Dim pb As New PictureBox()
                Dim loadedImage As Image = Image.FromFile(file)
                pb.Height = loadedImage.Height
                pb.Width = loadedImage.Width
                pb.Image = loadedImage
                FlowLayoutPanel1.Controls.Add(pb)
            Catch SecEx As SecurityException
                ' The user lacks appropriate permissions to read files, discover paths, etc.
                MessageBox.Show("Security error. Please contact your administrator for details.\n\n" & _
                    "Error message: " & SecEx.Message & "\n\n" & _
                    "Details (send to Support):\n\n" & SecEx.StackTrace)
            Catch ex As Exception
                ' Could not load the image - probably permissions-related.
                MessageBox.Show(("Cannot display the image: " & file.Substring(file.LastIndexOf("\"c)) & _
                ". You may not have permission to read the file, or " + "it may be corrupt." _
                & ControlChars.Lf & ControlChars.Lf & "Reported error: " & ex.Message))
            End Try
        Next file
    End If
End Sub

Public Sub InitializeOpenFileDialog()
    ' Set the file dialog to filter for graphics files.
    Me.OpenFileDialog1.Filter = _
            "Images (*.BMP;*.JPG;*.GIF)|*.BMP;*.JPG;*.GIF|" + _
            "All files (*.*)|*.*"

    ' Allow the user to select multiple images.
    Me.OpenFileDialog1.Multiselect = True
    Me.OpenFileDialog1.Title = "My Image Browser"
End Sub

C#
private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    InitializeOpenFileDialog();
}

private void InitializeOpenFileDialog()
{
    // Set the file dialog to filter for graphics files.
    this.openFileDialog1.Filter =
        "Images (*.BMP;*.JPG;*.GIF)|*.BMP;*.JPG;*.GIF|" +
        "All files (*.*)|*.*";

    // Allow the user to select multiple images.
    this.openFileDialog1.Multiselect = true;
    this.openFileDialog1.Title = "My Image Browser";
}

private void selectFilesButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    DialogResult dr = this.openFileDialog1.ShowDialog();
    if (dr == System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK)
    {
        // Read the files
        foreach (String file in openFileDialog1.FileNames) 
        {
            // Create a PictureBox.
            try
            {
                PictureBox pb = new PictureBox();
                Image loadedImage = Image.FromFile(file);
                pb.Height = loadedImage.Height;
                pb.Width = loadedImage.Width;
                pb.Image = loadedImage;
                flowLayoutPanel1.Controls.Add(pb);
            }
            catch (SecurityException ex)
            {
                // The user lacks appropriate permissions to read files, discover paths, etc.
                MessageBox.Show("Security error. Please contact your administrator for details.\n\n" +
                    "Error message: " + ex.Message + "\n\n" +
                    "Details (send to Support):\n\n" + ex.StackTrace
                );
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                // Could not load the image - probably related to Windows file system permissions.
                MessageBox.Show("Cannot display the image: " + file.Substring(file.LastIndexOf('\\'))
                    + ". You may not have permission to read the file, or " +
                    "it may be corrupt.\n\nReported error: " + ex.Message);
            }
        }
    }

Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP SP2, Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows XP Starter Edition, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2000 SP4, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 98

The .NET Framework and .NET Compact Framework do not support all versions of every platform. For a list of the supported versions, see .NET Framework System Requirements.

.NET Framework

Supported in: 3.5, 3.0, 2.0, 1.1, 1.0
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