Dialogs API

Overview

The Dialogs API provides methods to show native file dialogs and message dialogs. Access dialogs through the app.Dialog manager.

Dialog Types:

• File Dialogs - Open and Save dialogs
• Message Dialogs - Info, Error, Warning, and Question dialogs

All dialogs are native OS dialogs that match the platform’s look and feel.

Accessing Dialogs

Dialogs are accessed through the app.Dialog manager:

app.Dialog.OpenFile()
app.Dialog.SaveFile()
app.Dialog.Info()
app.Dialog.Question()
app.Dialog.Warning()
app.Dialog.Error()

File Dialogs

OpenFile()

Creates a file open dialog.

func (dm *DialogManager) OpenFile() *OpenFileDialogStruct

Example:

dialog := app.Dialog.OpenFile()

OpenFileDialogStruct Methods

SetTitle()

Sets the dialog title.

func (d *OpenFileDialogStruct) SetTitle(title string) *OpenFileDialogStruct

Example:

dialog.SetTitle("Select Image")

AddFilter()

Adds a file type filter.

func (d *OpenFileDialogStruct) AddFilter(displayName, pattern string) *OpenFileDialogStruct

Parameters:

• displayName - Filter description shown to user (e.g., “Images”, “Documents”)
• pattern - Semicolon-separated list of extensions (e.g., “.png;.jpg”)

Example:

dialog.AddFilter("Images", "*.png;*.jpg;*.gif").
    AddFilter("Documents", "*.pdf;*.docx").
    AddFilter("All Files", "*.*")

SetDirectory()

Sets the initial directory.

func (d *OpenFileDialogStruct) SetDirectory(directory string) *OpenFileDialogStruct

Example:

homeDir, _ := os.UserHomeDir()
dialog.SetDirectory(homeDir)

CanChooseDirectories()

Enables or disables directory selection.

func (d *OpenFileDialogStruct) CanChooseDirectories(canChooseDirectories bool) *OpenFileDialogStruct

Example (folder selection):

// Select folders instead of files
path, err := app.Dialog.OpenFile().
    SetTitle("Select Folder").
    CanChooseDirectories(true).
    CanChooseFiles(false).
    PromptForSingleSelection()

CanChooseFiles()

Enables or disables file selection.

func (d *OpenFileDialogStruct) CanChooseFiles(canChooseFiles bool) *OpenFileDialogStruct

CanCreateDirectories()

Enables or disables creating new directories.

func (d *OpenFileDialogStruct) CanCreateDirectories(canCreateDirectories bool) *OpenFileDialogStruct

ShowHiddenFiles()

Shows or hides hidden files.

func (d *OpenFileDialogStruct) ShowHiddenFiles(showHiddenFiles bool) *OpenFileDialogStruct

AttachToWindow()

Attaches the dialog to a specific window.

func (d *OpenFileDialogStruct) AttachToWindow(window Window) *OpenFileDialogStruct

PromptForSingleSelection()

Shows the dialog and returns the selected file.

func (d *OpenFileDialogStruct) PromptForSingleSelection() (string, error)

Returns:

• string - Selected file path (empty if cancelled)
• error - Error if dialog failed

Example:

path, err := app.Dialog.OpenFile().
    SetTitle("Select Image").
    AddFilter("Images", "*.png;*.jpg;*.gif").
    PromptForSingleSelection()

if err != nil {
    // User cancelled or error occurred
    return
}

// Use the selected file
processFile(path)

PromptForMultipleSelection()

Shows the dialog and returns multiple selected files.

func (d *OpenFileDialogStruct) PromptForMultipleSelection() ([]string, error)

Returns:

• []string - Array of selected file paths
• error - Error if dialog failed

Example:

paths, err := app.Dialog.OpenFile().
    SetTitle("Select Images").
    AddFilter("Images", "*.png;*.jpg").
    PromptForMultipleSelection()

if err != nil {
    return
}

for _, path := range paths {
    processFile(path)
}

SaveFile()

Creates a file save dialog.

func (dm *DialogManager) SaveFile() *SaveFileDialogStruct

Example:

dialog := app.Dialog.SaveFile()

SaveFileDialogStruct Methods

SetTitle()

Sets the dialog title.

func (d *SaveFileDialogStruct) SetTitle(title string) *SaveFileDialogStruct

SetFilename()

Sets the default filename.

func (d *SaveFileDialogStruct) SetFilename(filename string) *SaveFileDialogStruct

Example:

dialog.SetFilename("document.pdf")

AddFilter()

Adds a file type filter.

func (d *SaveFileDialogStruct) AddFilter(displayName, pattern string) *SaveFileDialogStruct

Example:

dialog.AddFilter("PDF Document", "*.pdf").
    AddFilter("Text Document", "*.txt")

SetDirectory()

Sets the initial directory.

func (d *SaveFileDialogStruct) SetDirectory(directory string) *SaveFileDialogStruct

AttachToWindow()

Attaches the dialog to a specific window.

func (d *SaveFileDialogStruct) AttachToWindow(window Window) *SaveFileDialogStruct

PromptForSingleSelection()

Shows the dialog and returns the save path.

func (d *SaveFileDialogStruct) PromptForSingleSelection() (string, error)

Example:

path, err := app.Dialog.SaveFile().
    SetTitle("Save Document").
    SetFilename("untitled.pdf").
    AddFilter("PDF Document", "*.pdf").
    PromptForSingleSelection()

if err != nil {
    // User cancelled
    return
}

// Save to the selected path
saveDocument(path)

Folder Selection

There is no separate SelectFolderDialog. Use OpenFile() with directory options:

path, err := app.Dialog.OpenFile().
    SetTitle("Select Output Folder").
    CanChooseDirectories(true).
    CanChooseFiles(false).
    PromptForSingleSelection()

if err != nil {
    // User cancelled
    return
}

// Use the selected folder
outputDir = path

Message Dialogs

All message dialogs return *MessageDialog and share the same methods.

Info()

Creates an information dialog.

func (dm *DialogManager) Info() *MessageDialog

Example:

app.Dialog.Info().
    SetTitle("Success").
    SetMessage("File saved successfully!").
    Show()

Error()

Creates an error dialog.

func (dm *DialogManager) Error() *MessageDialog

Example:

app.Dialog.Error().
    SetTitle("Error").
    SetMessage("Failed to save file: " + err.Error()).
    Show()

Warning()

Creates a warning dialog.

func (dm *DialogManager) Warning() *MessageDialog

Example:

app.Dialog.Warning().
    SetTitle("Warning").
    SetMessage("This action cannot be undone.").
    Show()

Question()

Creates a question dialog with custom buttons.

func (dm *DialogManager) Question() *MessageDialog

Example:

dialog := app.Dialog.Question().
    SetTitle("Confirm").
    SetMessage("Do you want to save changes?")

save := dialog.AddButton("Save")
save.OnClick(func() {
    saveDocument()
})

dontSave := dialog.AddButton("Don't Save")
dontSave.OnClick(func() {
    // Continue without saving
})

cancel := dialog.AddButton("Cancel")
cancel.OnClick(func() {
    // Do nothing
})

dialog.SetDefaultButton(save)
dialog.SetCancelButton(cancel)
dialog.Show()

MessageDialog Methods

SetTitle()

Sets the dialog title.

func (d *MessageDialog) SetTitle(title string) *MessageDialog

SetMessage()

Sets the dialog message.

func (d *MessageDialog) SetMessage(message string) *MessageDialog

SetIcon()

Sets a custom icon for the dialog.

func (d *MessageDialog) SetIcon(icon []byte) *MessageDialog

AddButton()

Adds a button to the dialog and returns the button for configuration.

func (d *MessageDialog) AddButton(label string) *Button

Returns: *Button - The button instance for further configuration

Example:

button := dialog.AddButton("OK")
button.OnClick(func() {
    // Handle click
})

SetDefaultButton()

Sets which button is the default (activated by pressing Enter).

func (d *MessageDialog) SetDefaultButton(button *Button) *MessageDialog

Example:

yes := dialog.AddButton("Yes")
no := dialog.AddButton("No")
dialog.SetDefaultButton(yes)

SetCancelButton()

Sets which button is the cancel button (activated by pressing Escape).

func (d *MessageDialog) SetCancelButton(button *Button) *MessageDialog

Example:

ok := dialog.AddButton("OK")
cancel := dialog.AddButton("Cancel")
dialog.SetCancelButton(cancel)

AttachToWindow()

Attaches the dialog to a specific window.

func (d *MessageDialog) AttachToWindow(window Window) *MessageDialog

Show()

Shows the dialog. Button callbacks handle user responses.

func (d *MessageDialog) Show()

Note: Show() does not return a value. Use button callbacks to handle user responses.

Button Methods

OnClick()

Sets the callback function for when the button is clicked.

func (b *Button) OnClick(callback func()) *Button

SetAsDefault()

Marks this button as the default button.

func (b *Button) SetAsDefault() *Button

SetAsCancel()

Marks this button as the cancel button.

func (b *Button) SetAsCancel() *Button

Complete Examples

File Selection Example

type FileService struct {
    app *application.App
}

func (s *FileService) OpenImage() (string, error) {
    path, err := s.app.Dialog.OpenFile().
        SetTitle("Select Image").
        AddFilter("Images", "*.png;*.jpg;*.jpeg;*.gif").
        AddFilter("All Files", "*.*").
        PromptForSingleSelection()

    if err != nil {
        return "", err
    }

    return path, nil
}

func (s *FileService) SaveDocument(defaultName string) (string, error) {
    path, err := s.app.Dialog.SaveFile().
        SetTitle("Save Document").
        SetFilename(defaultName).
        AddFilter("PDF Document", "*.pdf").
        AddFilter("Text Document", "*.txt").
        PromptForSingleSelection()

    if err != nil {
        return "", err
    }

    return path, nil
}

func (s *FileService) SelectOutputFolder() (string, error) {
    path, err := s.app.Dialog.OpenFile().
        SetTitle("Select Output Folder").
        CanChooseDirectories(true).
        CanChooseFiles(false).
        PromptForSingleSelection()

    if err != nil {
        return "", err
    }

    return path, nil
}

Confirmation Dialog Example

func (s *Service) DeleteItem(app *application.App, id string) {
    dialog := app.Dialog.Question().
        SetTitle("Confirm Delete").
        SetMessage("Are you sure you want to delete this item?")

    deleteBtn := dialog.AddButton("Delete")
    deleteBtn.OnClick(func() {
        deleteFromDatabase(id)
    })

    cancelBtn := dialog.AddButton("Cancel")
    // Cancel does nothing

    dialog.SetDefaultButton(cancelBtn) // Default to Cancel for safety
    dialog.SetCancelButton(cancelBtn)
    dialog.Show()
}

Save Changes Dialog

func (s *Editor) PromptSaveChanges(app *application.App) {
    dialog := app.Dialog.Question().
        SetTitle("Unsaved Changes").
        SetMessage("Do you want to save your changes before closing?")

    save := dialog.AddButton("Save")
    save.OnClick(func() {
        s.Save()
        s.Close()
    })

    dontSave := dialog.AddButton("Don't Save")
    dontSave.OnClick(func() {
        s.Close()
    })

    cancel := dialog.AddButton("Cancel")
    // Cancel does nothing, dialog closes

    dialog.SetDefaultButton(save)
    dialog.SetCancelButton(cancel)
    dialog.Show()
}

Multi-File Processing

func (s *Service) ProcessMultipleFiles(app *application.App) error {
    // Select multiple files
    paths, err := app.Dialog.OpenFile().
        SetTitle("Select Files to Process").
        AddFilter("Images", "*.png;*.jpg").
        PromptForMultipleSelection()

    if err != nil {
        return err
    }

    if len(paths) == 0 {
        app.Dialog.Info().
            SetTitle("No Files Selected").
            SetMessage("Please select at least one file.").
            Show()
        return nil
    }

    // Process files
    for _, path := range paths {
        err := processFile(path)
        if err != nil {
            app.Dialog.Error().
                SetTitle("Processing Error").
                SetMessage(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to process %s: %v", path, err)).
                Show()
            continue
        }
    }

    // Show completion
    app.Dialog.Info().
        SetTitle("Complete").
        SetMessage(fmt.Sprintf("Successfully processed %d files", len(paths))).
        Show()

    return nil
}

Error Handling with Dialogs

func (s *Service) SaveFile(app *application.App, data []byte) error {
    // Select save location
    path, err := app.Dialog.SaveFile().
        SetTitle("Save File").
        SetFilename("data.json").
        AddFilter("JSON File", "*.json").
        PromptForSingleSelection()

    if err != nil {
        // User cancelled - not an error
        return nil
    }

    // Attempt to save
    err = os.WriteFile(path, data, 0644)
    if err != nil {
        // Show error dialog
        app.Dialog.Error().
            SetTitle("Save Failed").
            SetMessage(fmt.Sprintf("Could not save file: %v", err)).
            Show()
        return err
    }

    // Show success
    app.Dialog.Info().
        SetTitle("Success").
        SetMessage("File saved successfully!").
        Show()

    return nil
}

Platform-Specific Defaults

import (
    "os"
    "path/filepath"
    "runtime"
)

func (s *Service) GetDefaultDirectory() string {
    homeDir, _ := os.UserHomeDir()

    switch runtime.GOOS {
    case "windows":
        return filepath.Join(homeDir, "Documents")
    case "darwin":
        return filepath.Join(homeDir, "Documents")
    case "linux":
        return filepath.Join(homeDir, "Documents")
    default:
        return homeDir
    }
}

func (s *Service) OpenWithDefaults(app *application.App) (string, error) {
    return app.Dialog.OpenFile().
        SetTitle("Open File").
        SetDirectory(s.GetDefaultDirectory()).
        AddFilter("All Files", "*.*").
        PromptForSingleSelection()
}

Best Practices

Do

• Use native dialogs - They match the platform’s look and feel
• Provide clear titles - Help users understand the purpose
• Set appropriate filters - Guide users to correct file types
• Handle cancellation - Check for errors (user may cancel)
• Show confirmation for destructive actions - Use Question dialogs
• Provide feedback - Use Info dialogs for success messages
• Set sensible defaults - Default directory, filename, etc.
• Use callbacks for button actions - Handle user responses properly

Don’t

• Don’t ignore errors - User cancellation returns an error
• Don’t use ambiguous button labels - Be specific: “Save”/“Cancel”
• Don’t overuse dialogs - They interrupt workflow
• Don’t show errors for cancellation - It’s a normal action
• Don’t forget file filters - Help users find the right files
• Don’t hardcode paths - Use os.UserHomeDir() or similar

Dialog Types by Platform

macOS

• Dialogs slide down from title bar
• “Sheet” style attached to parent window
• Native macOS appearance

Windows

• Standard Windows dialogs
• Follows Windows design guidelines
• Modern Windows 10/11 appearance

Linux

• GTK dialogs on GTK-based systems
• Qt dialogs on Qt-based systems
• Matches desktop environment

Linux GTK4 Limitations

On Linux with GTK4 (the default for modern distributions), file dialogs use the xdg-desktop-portal for native integration. This provides better desktop integration but means some options have no effect:

Option	GTK3	GTK4	Notes
ShowHiddenFiles()	✅ Works	❌ No effect	User controls via dialog’s UI toggle (Ctrl+H or menu)
CanCreateDirectories()	✅ Works	❌ No effect	Always enabled in the portal
ResolvesAliases()	✅ Works	❌ No effect	Portal handles symlink resolution
SetButtonText()	✅ Works	✅ Works	Custom accept button text works

Why these limitations exist: GTK4’s portal-based dialogs delegate UI control to the desktop environment (GNOME, KDE, etc.). This is by design - the portal provides consistent UX across applications and respects user preferences.

Note

The table above shows GTK4 behavior when building with -tags gtk4. By default, Wails uses GTK3 which provides full control over these dialog options.

Common Patterns

”Save As” Pattern

func (s *Service) SaveAs(app *application.App, currentPath string) (string, error) {
    // Extract filename from current path
    filename := filepath.Base(currentPath)

    // Show save dialog
    path, err := app.Dialog.SaveFile().
        SetTitle("Save As").
        SetFilename(filename).
        PromptForSingleSelection()

    if err != nil {
        return "", err
    }

    return path, nil
}

”Open Recent” Pattern

func (s *Service) OpenRecent(app *application.App, recentPath string) error {
    // Check if file still exists
    if _, err := os.Stat(recentPath); os.IsNotExist(err) {
        dialog := app.Dialog.Question().
            SetTitle("File Not Found").
            SetMessage("The file no longer exists. Remove from recent files?")

        remove := dialog.AddButton("Remove")
        remove.OnClick(func() {
            s.removeFromRecent(recentPath)
        })

        cancel := dialog.AddButton("Cancel")
        dialog.SetCancelButton(cancel)
        dialog.Show()

        return err
    }

    return s.openFile(recentPath)
}