CTkFileDialog

A modern and fully customizable File Dialog for CustomTkinter — a must-have extension pack!

🚀 Features

• 🔍 Autocomplete in the path entry field (with Tab, Up, and Down)
• 🧩 Flexible filetype filters: accepts simple extensions or tkinter-style (label, pattern) tuples (patterns may contain multiple space‑separated globs). Wildcards like */*.* are treated as match‑all.
• � Search/filter files in real-time
• 🖼️ Live image preview
• 🎥 Video thumbnail preview
• 📁 Directory selection (single or multiple)
• 📄📁 Combined file-or-folder selection (single or multiple)
• ➕ Create new folders from within the dialog (foldercreation)
• 💾 Save file dialog (return path or open file), with automatic extension (defaultext)
• ❔ Tooltip support
• 🖥️ Shell Path Syntax Support
• ⌨️ Backspace using Alt + Left Arrow shortcut
• 👀 Multiple view modes (Grid and List view in Default dialog)
• 📊 Sort files by name, date, size, type, or last modified
• 💡 Data type validation at runtime and for static type analyzers

📦 Installation

# Using bash
git clone https://github.com/hmidani-abdelilah/CTkFileDialog-plus
cd CTkFileDialog-plus
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip3 install -r requirements.txt

# On Windows
git clone https://github.com/hmidani-abdelilah/CTkFileDialog-plus
cd CTkFileDialog-plus
python3 -m venv .venv
.\.venv\Scripts\activate.ps1  # In PowerShell
pip3 install -r requirements.txt

# Or using pip
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate  # On PowerShell use .\.venv\Scripts\activate.ps1
pip3 install CTkFileDialog-plus

📁 Project structure

CTkFileDialog-plus/
├── LICENSE                         # project license terms
├── README.md                       # user and developer documentation
├── requirements.txt                # Python dependencies
├── test.py                         # general package usage example
├── test_save_as.py                 # save-as dialog regression/test example
├── CTkFileDialog/                  # package source code
│   ├── __init__.py                 # public package API
│   ├── _functions.py               # dialog helper functions exposed to users
│   ├── _system.py                  # cross-platform path handling support
│   ├── Dialog.py                   # dialog imports and public component exports
│   ├── Constants/                  # reusable package constants
│   │   ├── __init__.py
│   │   └── constants.py
│   ├── core/                       # core filesystem/search/sorting logic
│   │   ├── __init__.py
│   │   ├── filesystem.py
│   │   ├── search.py
│   │   └── sorting.py
│   ├── icons/                      # icon assets for the dialogs
│   │   ├── _IconsMini/
│   │   └── *.png
│   ├── preview/                    # image/video preview helpers
│   │   ├── __init__.py
│   │   └── media.py
│   ├── resources/                  # shared resource loading utilities
│   │   ├── __init__.py
│   │   └── icons.py
│   ├── system/                     # platform-specific system utilities
│   │   ├── __init__.py
│   │   └── platform.py
│   ├── ui/                         # dialog UI implementations and widgets
│   │   ├── __init__.py
│   │   ├── default_dialog.py
│   │   ├── mini_dialog.py
│   │   └── tooltip.py
│   └── utils/                      # small helper utilities
│       ├── __init__.py
│       └── helpers.py
├── Images/                         # README screenshots showing light and dark themes
│   ├── MiniDialogDark.png
│   ├── MiniDialogLight.png
│   ├── NormalDialogDark.png
│   └── NormalDialogLight.png

🧪 Demo — All Methods

🗂️ Open File

import customtkinter as ctk
from CTkFileDialog import askopenfilename

ctk.set_appearance_mode("Dark")
ctk.set_default_color_theme("blue")

def open_file():
    # you can pass simple extensions...
    # path = askopenfilename(preview_img=True, autocomplete=True)
    # or tkinter‑style tuples with labels and multiple globs:
    path = askopenfilename(
        filetypes=[
            ("Text files","*.txt"),
            ("Python","*.py *.pyw"),
            ("All","*.*"),
        ],
        preview_img=True,
        autocomplete=True,
    )
    if path:
        result_label.configure(text=f"Selected file:\n{path}")

app = ctk.CTk()
app.title("askopenfilename Demo")
app.geometry("500x200")

ctk.CTkButton(app, text="Open File", command=open_file).pack(pady=20)
result_label = ctk.CTkLabel(app, text="Waiting for file selection...")
result_label.pack()

app.mainloop()

🗂️ Open Multiple Files

import customtkinter as ctk
from CTkFileDialog import askopenfilenames

ctk.set_appearance_mode("Dark")
ctk.set_default_color_theme("blue")

def open_files():
    paths = askopenfilenames(
        filetypes=[("Images","*.jpg *.png"), ("All","*.*")],
        preview_img=True,
        autocomplete=True,
    )
    if paths:
        result_label.configure(text="Selected files:\n" + "\n".join(paths))

app = ctk.CTk()
app.title("askopenfilenames Demo")
app.geometry("500x300")

ctk.CTkButton(app, text="Open Multiple Files", command=open_files).pack(pady=20)
result_label = ctk.CTkLabel(app, text="Waiting for file selection...", wraplength=450)
result_label.pack()

app.mainloop()

📁 Select Directory

import customtkinter as ctk
from CTkFileDialog import askdirectory

ctk.set_appearance_mode("Dark")
ctk.set_default_color_theme("blue")

def select_directory():
    folder = askdirectory(autocomplete=True)
    if folder:
        result_label.configure(text=f"Selected directory:\n{folder}")

app = ctk.CTk()
app.title("askdirectory Demo")
app.geometry("500x200")

ctk.CTkButton(app, text="Select Directory", command=select_directory).pack(pady=20)
result_label = ctk.CTkLabel(app, text="Waiting for directory selection...")
result_label.pack()

app.mainloop()

📁 Select Single Directory (askopendirname)

import customtkinter as ctk
from CTkFileDialog import askopendirname

ctk.set_appearance_mode("Dark")
ctk.set_default_color_theme("blue")

def select_directory():
    folder = askopendirname(autocomplete=True)
    if folder:
        result_label.configure(text=f"Selected directory:\n{folder}")

app = ctk.CTk()
app.title("askopendirname Demo")
app.geometry("500x200")

ctk.CTkButton(app, text="Select Directory", command=select_directory).pack(pady=20)
result_label = ctk.CTkLabel(app, text="Waiting for directory selection...")
result_label.pack()

app.mainloop()

📁 Select Multiple Directories (askopendirnames)

import customtkinter as ctk
from CTkFileDialog import askopendirnames

ctk.set_appearance_mode("Dark")
ctk.set_default_color_theme("blue")

def select_directories():
    # Hold Ctrl or Shift while clicking to select several folders
    folders = askopendirnames(autocomplete=True)
    if folders:
        result_label.configure(text="Selected directories:\n" + "\n".join(folders))

app = ctk.CTk()
app.title("askopendirnames Demo")
app.geometry("500x300")

ctk.CTkButton(app, text="Select Directories", command=select_directories).pack(pady=20)
result_label = ctk.CTkLabel(app, text="Waiting for directory selection...", wraplength=450)
result_label.pack()

app.mainloop()

📄📁 Select a File or a Folder (askopenpathname)

import customtkinter as ctk
from CTkFileDialog import askopenpathname

ctk.set_appearance_mode("Dark")
ctk.set_default_color_theme("blue")

def select_path():
    path = askopenpathname(autocomplete=True)
    if path:
        result_label.configure(text=f"Selected:\n{path}")

app = ctk.CTk()
app.title("askopenpathname Demo")
app.geometry("500x200")

ctk.CTkButton(app, text="Select File or Folder", command=select_path).pack(pady=20)
result_label = ctk.CTkLabel(app, text="Waiting for selection...")
result_label.pack()

app.mainloop()

📄📁 Select Multiple Files and/or Folders (askopenpathnames)

import customtkinter as ctk
from CTkFileDialog import askopenpathnames

ctk.set_appearance_mode("Dark")
ctk.set_default_color_theme("blue")

def select_paths():
    # Hold Ctrl or Shift while clicking to mix files and folders in one selection
    items = askopenpathnames(autocomplete=True)
    if items:
        result_label.configure(text="Selected:\n" + "\n".join(items))

app = ctk.CTk()
app.title("askopenpathnames Demo")
app.geometry("500x300")

ctk.CTkButton(app, text="Select Files/Folders", command=select_paths).pack(pady=20)
result_label = ctk.CTkLabel(app, text="Waiting for selection...", wraplength=450)
result_label.pack()

app.mainloop()

import customtkinter as ctk
from CTkFileDialog import asksaveasfilename

ctk.set_appearance_mode("Dark")
ctk.set_default_color_theme("blue")

def save_as_filename():
    path = asksaveasfilename(autocomplete=True)
    if path:
        result_label.configure(text=f"Save file as:\n{path}")

# You can also auto-append an extension if the user doesn't type one:
# path = asksaveasfilename(autocomplete=True, defaultext=".txt")

app = ctk.CTk()
app.title("asksaveasfilename Demo")
app.geometry("500x200")

ctk.CTkButton(app, text="Save As (Filename Only)", command=save_as_filename).pack(pady=20)
result_label = ctk.CTkLabel(app, text="Waiting for filename...")
result_label.pack()

app.mainloop()

💾 Save As (write to file)

import customtkinter as ctk
from CTkFileDialog import asksaveasfile

ctk.set_appearance_mode("Dark")
ctk.set_default_color_theme("blue")

def save_as_file():
    file = asksaveasfile(autocomplete=True)
    if file:
        file.write("This file was created using the demo.")
        file.close()
        result_label.configure(text=f"File saved:\n{file.name}")

# Alternatively, asksaveasfile supports the context manager protocol:
# with asksaveasfile(autocomplete=True) as file:
#     if file:
#         file.write("This file was created using the demo.")

app = ctk.CTk()
app.title("asksaveasfile Demo")
app.geometry("500x200")

ctk.CTkButton(app, text="Save As (Real File)", command=save_as_file).pack(pady=20)
result_label = ctk.CTkLabel(app, text="Waiting for save location...")
result_label.pack()

app.mainloop()

📂 Open File as Object

import customtkinter as ctk
from CTkFileDialog import askopenfile

ctk.set_appearance_mode("Dark")
ctk.set_default_color_theme("blue")

def open_file_obj():
    f = askopenfile(mode='rb', 
                    filetypes=[("Binary","*.bin"), ("All","*.*")])
    if f:
        data = f.read()
        f.close()
        result_label.configure(text=f"Read {len(data)} bytes from {f.name}")

app = ctk.CTk()
app.title("askopenfile Demo")
app.geometry("500x200")

ctk.CTkButton(app, text="Open File Object", command=open_file_obj).pack(pady=20)
result_label = ctk.CTkLabel(app, text="Waiting for file selection...")
result_label.pack()

app.mainloop()

📂 Open Multiple Files as Objects

import customtkinter as ctk
from CTkFileDialog import askopenfiles

ctk.set_appearance_mode("Dark")
ctk.set_default_color_theme("blue")

def open_files_obj():
    files = askopenfiles(mode='r', filetypes=[("Text","*.txt")])
    if files:
        for f in files:
            content = f.read()
            f.close()
            print(f"{f.name}: {len(content)} chars")
        result_label.configure(text=f"Opened {len(files)} files, see console output.")

app = ctk.CTk()
app.title("askopenfiles Demo")
app.geometry("500x200")

ctk.CTkButton(app, text="Open Files Objects", command=open_files_obj).pack(pady=20)
result_label = ctk.CTkLabel(app, text="Waiting for file selection...")
result_label.pack()

app.mainloop()

🧩 Parameters

🎯 Using New Features

🔎 Search/Filter Files

Both Default and Mini dialogs include a search bar. Simply type in the search field to filter files and directories in real-time:

file = askopenfilename(style='Default')
# Use the search bar in the dialog to filter results

👀 View Modes (Default Dialog Only)

The Default dialog supports two view modes:

• Grid View: Icon-based grid layout (default)
• List View: Detailed list with file info (size, date modified, type)

Toggle between modes using the view buttons in the toolbar.

📊 Sorting Options (Default Dialog Only)

Sort files by:

• Name (alphabetical)
• Date (creation/modification time)
• Type (file extension)
• Size (file size)
• Last Modified (most recent first)

Select a sort option from the sort menu in the toolbar.

This module has constants that can be used outside or inside the dialog, they are used to obtain paths like /home/user or /home/user/.config/ Here is a basic example

#!/usr/bin/env python3 
import customtkinter as ctk 
from CTkFileDialog import askopenfilename
from CTkFileDialog.Constants import HOME

root = ctk.CTk()

def open_file(): 
    f = askopenfilename(initial_dir=HOME, autocomplete=True)
    if f: 
        print(f"file selected: {f}")

ctk.CTkButton(master=root, command=open_file, text="Open File").pack(padx=10, pady=10, anchor=ctk.CENTER)

root.mainloop()

And here are the constants available from the package

🌙 Dark Mode Normal

☀️ Light Mode Preview

🌙 Dark Mode Mini

☀️ Light Mode Mini

The mini design wasn't made by me; it was made by this user. Additionally, I did not design the normal interface; it was developed by this user, and they deserve all the credit. I would like to express my gratitude to them for developing that design beforehand.I revamped the interface, established a new framework, and incorporated additional features.