Delphi OpenDialog for FTP server

Question

Is there a way to use opendialog or savedialog to navigate on FTP server?
I've tried to use
InitialDir := 'ftp://ftpip'

Answer 1

You can write a shell extension (within your project, but in a separate DLL) which will create a virtual folder from your remote FTP server. Then your open/save dialogs will be able to navigate to this virtual folder and choose files there.

Answer 2

A description how an FTP server can be integrated with Explorer without any third-party tools can be found at

CyberNotes: Map a FTP to a Drive in Windows

The solution I'm about to show you doesn't exactly assign a drive letter to the FTP server, but it will essentially serve the same purpose as a drive. Through Windows Explorer you'll have one-click access to your files, and they will even be accessible through the standard Open/Save dialog boxes in apps such as Microsoft Word.