File dialog user interfaces and creation of same

A computer-readable medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform steps of a method for creating a dialog user interface, said steps comprising:

• (a) receiving from a first computer program a request to generate a file dialog graphical user interface, wherein
• (i) the file dialog has a format defined by a second computer program,
• (ii) the format defines a graphical display area for the file dialog, the defined area having plural regions, one of the plural regions being an extensibility region having a predefined position relative to one or more other of the plural regions,
• (iii) the format includes a predefined collection of user interface (UI) control types, each UI control type of the collection being capable of receiving user input,
• (iv) the format permits inclusion in the extensibility region of multiple UI controls of one or more types selected from the collection, and
• (v) the request identifies at least one UI control of a type in the collection;
• and
• (b) generating the requested file dialog in the second program, in response to the request of step (a) and according to the format, so as to include the at least one identified UI control in an extensibility region of the generated dialog.

A software architecture, stored on one or more computer-readable media, for creating dialog user interfaces, comprising:

• (a) at least one component configured to generate on a computer display a file dialog user interface having a format defined by the at least one component, wherein the format
• (i) defines a graphical display area for the file dialog, the defined area having plural regions, one of the plural regions being an extensibility region having a predefined position relative to one or more other of the plural regions,
• (ii) includes a predefined collection of user interface (UI) control types, each UI control type of the collection being capable of receiving user input, and
• (iii) permits inclusion in the extensibility region of multiple UI controls of one or more types selected from the collection, and
• (b) at least one application program interface to access the at least one component, the at least one application program interface configured to accept data indicative of one or more UI controls of a type in the collection and to be included in a file dialog.