As you don't show any relevant code, I can only guess:

For a. - the style the folder pops up is maintained by the OS / the user. In theory, the OS remembers the file picker style for the user.

For b. - how do you call BrowseForFolder()? You can likely give it a "parent window" id, in front of which it pops up. If you pass 0, that means "desktop", which sounds like the symptoms you describe.

Esteemed monks: thank you for your efforts.

Here is the relevant excerpt from the code:

 use strict;
 use warnings;
 use 5.014;    
 use Win32::Console;
 use Win32::GUI();
 use autodie; 
 use warnings    qw< FATAL  utf8     >;
 use Carp::Always;
 use Win32API::File::Time qw{:win};
use Image::ExifTool qw(:Public);
use Date::Parse;

# ...
my ( $FileName, $ImageDir, $DIR, $TopDir);
# ...
$TopDir = 'D:\My Documents';
    $ImageDir = Win32::GUI::BrowseForFolder( -root => $TopDir, -includ
+efiles => 1,);
    unless ($ImageDir) { 
        say '$DirName not defined after calling Win32::GUI::BrowseForF
+older, ',
        'Photo date set line'.__LINE__;
        exit;
    }
    else {
        say "Identified directory: $ImageDir";
    }    
    # now select a file
    
    $FileName = Win32::GUI::GetOpenFileName( -title  => 'Select an ima
+ge file', -directory => $ImageDir,
        -file   => "\0" . " " x 256,
        -filter => ["Image files (*.jpg)" => "*.jpg;*.jpeg", "All file
+s", "*.*", ],);
    unless ($FileName) {
        say '$FileName not defined after calling Win32::GUI::GetOpenFi
+leName, ',
        'Photo date set line'.__LINE__;
    }
    else {
        say "Identified image file: $FileName";
    }
# ...
[download]

For a. - the style the folder pops up is maintained by the OS / the user. In theory, the OS remembers the file picker style for the user.

How do you set up the style for the picker?

For b. ... You can likely give it a "parent window" id, in front of which it pops up. If you pass 0, that means "desktop", which sounds like the symptoms you describe.

I have posted the code. Can you please post an example how to do that right?

Many TIA - Helen

1. As far as I can tell, the view for the Open Dialog box is based on the settings for Windows Explorer or any previous instances of the dialog box. So if you change the view in one dialog box and open another, the view should be remembered.

2. You may need to specify an owner for the dialog box using the -owner parameter.

a. As far as I can tell, the view for the Open Dialog box is based on the settings for Windows Explorer or any previous instances of the dialog box. So if you change the view in one dialog box and open another, the view should be remembered.

The view settings are not remembered. I am on Windows XP Service Pack 3. Strawberry Perl.

You may need to specify an owner for the dialog box using the -owner parameter.

Can you give an example for the exact command?

Many TIA, Helen

(for which I can't seem to find answers in the documentation):

You're looking in the wrong documentation, you need to look on ddg://GetOpenFileName View Details site:microsoft.com

you need to look on ddg://GetOpenFileName View Details site:microsoft.com

Thank you. This is deep. It's the MSDN documentation.

It seems that (in the GetOpenFileName dialog) in order to switch from the default "List" view to the required "Detail" view, you need to use the "hook function dialog". They only give (naturally) C++ and VBA examples. Can you explain how to apply those examples in Perl?

Can you explain how to apply those examples in Perl?

What examples?

Try ddg://win32::GUI OFNHookProc, ddg://win32::GUI HOOK