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The Daily Newbie Using the Dir() Function

Explains the basics of using the Dir() command to get file and folder information.

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The Daily Newbie

	

		

To Start 
   Things Off Right

		
	
	

		
Today's 
   Topic: 
		
		
Using the Dir 
 Command
		
	
	

		
Name 
   Derived From 
		
		
"Directory"
		
	
	

		
Used 
   For: 
		
		
Getting Information about a 
   particular folder or file.
		
	
	

		
VB Help 
   File Description  
		
		
Returns a String representing 
   the name of a file, directory, or folder that matches a specified pattern 
   or file attribute, or the volume label of a drive. Syntax 
		
	
	

		
Plain 
   English Description 
		
		

Depending on the paramters set, 
   returns:
			

				
The Name of a file in a folder that matches a 
    patten (*.txt) 
				
The name of a sub folder within a folder. 
				
The name of a hard drive.
			
		
	
	

		
Usage:
		
		

To get a file name from a 
   directory:   strFile = Dir 
   ("c:\MyFolder\*.txt")

To get a read-only file name from a directory:   strFile = Dir ("c:\MyFolder\*.txt", 
   vbReadOnly)
To get a sub-directory from a directory:   strFile = Dir ("c:\MyFolder\*", 
   vbDirectory)
To get the label of a drive:   strFile = Dir ("d:", 
   vbVolume)
		
	
	

		
Parameters:
		
		

			

				
Path - The root directory to search from.
				
Attribute - One of the following VB attribute 
    values: vbNormal (default), vbReadOnly, vbHidden, VbSystem, 
    vbVolume, vbDirectory
			
 
		
	
	

		
Copy 
   & Paste Code:  
		
		

Today's copy and paste code lists 
   all of the files in a directory to the debug window. For details on usage 
   of the Dir ()command in this example, see the Notes below.
		
  Dim strPathAndPattern As String
    Dim strFileName As String
   
    strPathAndPattern = InputBox("Enter a path and search pattern (ex: c:\windows\*.exe):")
   
    strFileName = Dir(strPathAndPattern)
    Debug.Print strFileName
   
    While strFileName > ""
       strFileName = Dir
         Debug.Print strFileName     
  Wend
		
	
	

		
Notes
		
		

			

				
IMPORTANT: To find multiple 
    files, you must do a "two step" proccess. In the example above, notice 
    that the first time Dir() is called (before the While...Wend loop), the 
    parameter strPathAndPatten is used. After that, the call is 
    simply Dir. (strFileName = Dir). This is sort of confusing if 
    you don't know what is going on. When I first used the Dir command, I 
    kept getting the same file name over and over. This is because using 
    Dir() with a path parameter will always return the FIRST match. To 
    get subsequent matches, you simply call Dir(). It remembers the last 
    pattern and passes the NEXT match. Really screwy.

				
Dir can be used to see if a file already 
    exists:

         If Dir 
    ("c:\MyFolder\log.txt") > "" 
    Then
                
    MsgBox "File Already 
    Exists!"
         End 
    If

This is because Dir() will return an empty string ("") if 
    a match is not found, but will return the file name if a match 
    is found.

				
Dir can also be used to see if a folder exists, but 
    this is a little different. Because of the way Windows handles folder 
    names, there is always a folder named "." and another named ".." . As 
    odd as that seems, these names represent the current folder and the 
    parent folder. So to find out if a certain folder exists, you can do 
    this:

If Dir ("c:\windows\system", 
    vbDirectory) > ".." Then
     MsgBox "Folder 
    Already Exists!"
End If

				
For a downloadable project using the Dir command, 
    Click Here