Скачать или смотреть How to Keep Selection Order with QFileDialog.getOpenFileNames in PyQt5

Discover how to maintain the order of file selections when using QFileDialog in PyQt5, enhancing the user experience of your GUI application.
---
This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/74109269/ asked by the user 'crazydecibel' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/12066344/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/74111478/ provided by the user 'ekhumoro' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/984421/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

Visit these links for original content and any more details, such as alternate solutions, latest updates/developments on topic, comments, revision history etc. For example, the original title of the Question was: PyQt5: keep selection order with QFileDialog.getOpenFileNames

Also, Content (except music) licensed under CC BY-SA https://meta.stackexchange.com/help/l...
The original Question post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license, and the original Answer post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license.

If anything seems off to you, please feel free to write me at vlogize [AT] gmail [DOT] com.
---
How to Keep Selection Order with QFileDialog.getOpenFileNames in PyQt5

When developing graphical user interfaces (GUIs) with PyQt5, a common feature is allowing users to select multiple files at once. However, you might run into a problem where the files returned by QFileDialog.getOpenFileNames do not maintain the order in which the user selected them. Instead, they are sorted based on their directory listing. This can be frustrating for users, especially when they need files in a specific order.

In this guide, we'll explore a straightforward solution to this issue, ensuring that your application captures the selection order of files accurately.

The Problem

When using the following line of code to create a file dialog for multiple file selections:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

the variable filepath will contain the paths of the files as sorted by the operating system’s file manager. This means the user’s selection order is lost, which can hinder workflow especially when dealing with a large set of files.

The Solution

Fortunately, there exists a simple way to remedy this situation. Instead of relying on the native file dialog, you can instruct PyQt5 to use the built-in file dialog, which does not automatically sort the selections. Here’s how to implement it:

Updated Code Snippet

Modify your QFileDialog.getOpenFileNames call to include the option QFileDialog.DontUseNativeDialog:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Example Output

When the user selects their desired files, the output will maintain the order as selected:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Why This Works

By utilizing the built-in dialog from Qt instead of the native file dialog, you're circumventing the automatic sorting feature seen in many operating systems. This change makes the behavior consistent across different platforms, ensuring that your program respects the user’s file selection order. This solution has been tested with various versions of Qt, including Qt-5.15.6 and Qt-6.4.0, demonstrating its reliability.

Conclusion

Incorporating this simple adjustment to your file selection dialog can greatly improve the usability of your PyQt5 applications. By following the steps outlined above, you can enhance your user interface and ensure a smoother workflow for users when selecting multiple files.

Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!