Excel, VBA, Macro, File - Open or Create, Dialog - excel

I am writing a macro in MS excel using VBA. I need to open or create a file to write to.
Potentially the file may have a different extension (i.e. .cal) but internally it just contains text.
I have looked over a lot of examples that create a file by explicitly stating the path for the new file (here's one I found):
strFileName = "C:\test.txt"
Open strFileName For Output As #iFileNumber
Other examples open a file which already exists.
I would like to have a popup/dialog which allows the user to "either" open an existing file "or" create a new one. I assume this is possible.
I have played around with the Application.FileDialog(....) function using strings/paths and objects without much success so far.

With Application.FileDialog(...) your user should be able to create a new text file as they would in Windows Explorer (by right-clicking and selecting New->Text File), they can then select that file to output data to.
The below SelectFile(...) function returns the path to a selected file (or an empty string if no file was selected). Using this function as-is it is only possible for the user to select one file, but given the context I would hope this isn't a problem.
Public Sub SelectOrCreateFile()
Dim strFileName As String
Dim iFileNum As Integer
iFileNum = FreeFile
strFileName = SelectFile
If strFileName <> "" Then
Open strFileName For Output As #iFileNum
'### WRITE YOUR DATA ###
Close #iFileNum
End If
End Sub
'Returns File Path of file selected with file selection dialog
Public Function SelectFile(Optional DefaultPath As String = "", _
Optional FileType As String = "All Files", _
Optional FileExtension As String = "*.*") As String
Dim F As Object
Set F = Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogFilePicker)
'Set up FileDialog properties
F.Filters.Clear
F.Filters.Add FileType, FileExtension
F.AllowMultiSelect = False
F.Title = "Select File"
F.ButtonName = "Select"
If DefaultPath <> "" Then F.InitialFileName = DefaultPath
'FileDialog.Show returns False if the user cancels
If F.show Then
SelectFile = F.SelectedItems(1)
Else
MsgBox "No File Selected", vbInformation, "Cancelled"
SelectFile = ""
End If
Set F = Nothing
End Function
Hope this helps!

Related

Can I assign a string value containing the name of a workbook as an argument?

To summarize, the workbook's name changes twice every week and me instead of thinking of another optmized way to do it automatically, decided to simply show an inputbox where the current workbook's name will be typed in and then assign it to:
Public fileName As String
fileName = InputBox("Type here the current workbook's name: ")
Dim ext As String
ext = ".xlsb"
Set wk = Excel.Workbooks(fileName & ext)
Error 9: subscript out of range
Technically this is not exactly, what you were asking for, but it is a much better programming practice to let users select files within
the OS interface, rather than to let them type-away at file names,
which ultimately arrives at the same goal.
I've created a custom function for picking files via the FileDialog object. As an optional argument, you can enforce a specific file-type in the format argument.
get_file([format], [fullpath])
' Returns a file name of a selected file via the .FileDialog object
' Arguments:
' [format] : Optional argument, if left empty any file format can be selected, _
otherwise enforce what [format] was put in to be selected
' [fullpath] : Optional argument, if left empty will only return FileName.xxx, _
otherwise will return full path (eg. D:\MyDir\Book.xlsx")
' Returns: A <String> with the selected filename.
This is how the function looks like:
Private Function get_file(Optional ByVal format As String = "nomatch", _
Optional ByVal fullpath As Boolean = False) As String
Dim fs As FileDialog: Set fs = Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogFilePicker)
Dim goodmatch As Boolean: goodmatch = False
Do Until goodmatch = True
With fs
If .Show <> -1 Then
.Title = "Choose a Workbook to work with"
.AllowMultiSelect = False
.InitialFileName = Application.DefaultFilePath
End If
If format = "nomatch" Then
goodmatch = True
Else
format = Replace(format, ".", "")
If Mid(.SelectedItems(1), InStrRev(.SelectedItems(1), ".") + 1) <> format Then
MsgBox "Please select a " & format & " file format", vbCritical
Else
goodmatch = True
End If
End If
End With
Loop
If fullpath = True Then
get_file = fs.SelectedItems(1)
Else
get_file = Mid(fs.SelectedItems(1), InStrRev(fs.SelectedItems(1), "\") + 1)
End If
End Function
Example user of the function:
Private Sub test()
Dim wb As Workbook: Set wb = Workbooks.Open(get_file(".xlsx", fullpath:= True))
' saves a workbook of only .xlsx type from what user selected into wb variable
Debug.Print wb.Name
End Sub
Opened the workbook with the [fullpath] for proper link (True) wit the enforced .xlsx [format] and printed the Name propert of the Workbook object saved inside the wb variable

Excel VBA - Check if file exists using Wildcard and open the file

I wish to check whether a file exist in a folder on my computer. I have below, which can see if a specific file exists:
Function FileExists(sFile As String)
sPath = "M:\User\" & sFile & ".xlsm"
FileExists = Dir(sPath) <> ""
End Function
However, my files are named like: Filename - Version xx.xlsm and is updated regularly. Please note that there will only be one file in the folder, but the filename can vary.
How can I search in the folder using wildcard:
Filename - Version % % and then, if it find any file, open the file afterwards?
One option would be to Open the file inside of the FileExists function. However, I would not recommend doing this. The function should do exactly what the name implies and nothing more.
Another option is restructure your code a little bit:
Private Sub OpenFile()
Dim FileName As String
FileName = GetFile("Filename - Version*")
If FileName <> "" Then
'open FileName as needed
End If
End Sub
Private Function GetFile(sFile As String) As String
sPath = "M:\User\" & sFile & ".xlsm"
GetFile = Dir(sPath)
End Function

How to set FileDialog to not allow double-click

I want to use a file open dialog to extract a file pathway (or open the file if easier)
Is it possible to set the dialog so that it will not open a file if a file-name is double-clicked?
What I want to avoid is if the user double-clicks a file name but that file is already open then a further alert appears.
Or, alternatively, it would work if I set things up so that a read-only version of the file is opened when the user clicks the dialog's OPEN button or double-clicks a file name - is this an easier approach? In this case do I use the dialog's Execute method ?
Private Function FindFilePath() As Boolean
Dim selectedMultiFiles As Boolean
Dim fd As FileDialog
Dim objfl As Variant
Set fd = Excel.Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogOpen)
Dim myTxt As String
With fd
.Filters.Add "Excel Files", "*.xlsx;*.xlsm", 1
.AllowMultiSelect = False
.Title = "Choose the file with the target table"
.InitialView = msoFileDialogViewDetails
If .Show = -1 Then
myTxt = .SelectedItems.Item(1)
fFileName = myTxt
FindFilePath = True
Else
myTxt = "Nothing was selected"
FindFilePath = False
End If
On Error Resume Next End With
txBoxFilePath.Text = myTxt
End Function
I am not sure how much this would mess your current project up but are you aware of
Dim getPath As Variant
getPath = Application.GetOpenFilename
Debug.Print getPath
where getPath will literally store the path to whatever file the user chose.
It will not open the file automatically unless you actually Set getPath = App..
You can open the file later in your code performing checks for the file being already open or just opening it read-only like you mentioned.

Create hyperlink to file on active sheet

I am trying to create a button which prompts the user for a file then creates a hyperlink in the active spreadsheet.
Goal: after the file is uploaded subsequent users can click on the hyperlink to view the file.
What I have tried, create an ActiveX control in Excel, but representing the input as a hyperlink output in a cell is the problem.
Private Sub CommandButton1_Click()
Dim sFullName As String
Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogOpen).Show
sFullName = Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogOpen).SelectedItems(1)
End Sub
Insert reference to pdfs
Sub InsertObjectAsIcon()
'lets user browse for a file to insert into the
'current active worksheet.
'all are inserted as icons, not "visible" objects, so
'to view they will need an appropriate viewer/reader
'at the recipient end.
'
'This one shows how you could set up to use
'several different icons depending on the type of file
'inserted. You'll have to experiment by recording
'macros while inserting various file types to build
'up a list to use, just add new Case Is = statements
'do deal with the file types. Be sure to enter the
'file type in all UPPERCASE.
'
Dim iconToUse As String
Dim fullFileName As String
Dim FNExtension As String
fullFileName = Application.GetOpenFilename("*.*, All Files", , , , False)
If fullFileName = "False" Then
Exit Sub ' user cancelled
End If
'choose an icon based on filename extension
'get all after last "." in filename
FNExtension = Right(fullFileName, Len(fullFileName) - _
InStrRev(fullFileName, "."))
'select icon based on filename extension
Select Case UCase(FNExtension)
Case Is = "TXT"
iconToUse = "C:\Windows\system32\packager.dll"
Case Is = "XLS", "XLSM", "XLSX"
iconToUse = "C:\Windows\Installer\{91140000-0011-0000-0000-0000000FF1CE}\xlicons.exe"
Case Is = "PDF"
iconToUse = "C:\Windows\Installer\{AC76BA86-1033-F400-7761-000000000004}\_PDFFile.ico"
Case Else
'this is a generic icon
iconToUse = "C:\Windows\system32\packager.dll"
End Select
ActiveSheet.OLEObjects.Add(Filename:=fullFileName, Link:=False, DisplayAsIcon:=True, IconFileName:=iconToUse, IconIndex:=0, IconLabel:=fullFileName).Select3
End Sub
Private Sub CommandButton1_Click()
InsertObjectAsIcon
End Sub
This code opens the common file dialog, filtered to show .xslx files. It picks up the path to the file, then inserts it into the activecell. There's also an inputbox asking for a short text name, if you don't want to see the full path.
Sub FileToLink()
Dim strFileName As String
Dim strShortName As String
strFileName = Application.GetOpenFilename("Excel Documents (*.xlsx), *.xlsx")
If strFileName = "False" Then
Exit Sub ' user cancelled
End If
strShortName = InputBox("What do you want to call this link?", "Short Text", strFileName)
ActiveSheet.Hyperlinks.Add Anchor:=Selection, Address:=strFileName, TextToDisplay:=strShortName
End Sub
You can substitute strFileName = Application.GetOpenFilename("All Documents (*.*), *.*") to show all files. It doesn't matter to the link what file it is, as clicking on the link will invoke the application linked with that file type.

Using VBA in Excel 2010

We have been using VBA code for years with Excel 2003. I have about 70 files that I pull information from and compile it into one spreadsheet. This time, it only recognizes 3 of the 70. I do not get any errors. I noticed that all 3 recognized are the old version ".xls." and all not being recognized are the ".xlsx". The portion of the code that I think is causing the problem is below. Can anyone help?
Public currApp As String
Public i As String
Public recordC As String
Public excelI As Integer
Public intFileHandle As Integer
Public strRETP As String
Public errFile As String
Public Function loopFiles(ByVal sFolder As String, ByVal noI As Integer)
'This function will loop through all files in the selected folder
'to make sure that they are all of excel type
Dim FOLDER, files, file, FSO As Object
excelI = noI
'MsgBox excelI
i = 0
'Dim writeFile As Object
'writeFile = My.Computer.FileSystem.WriteAllText("D:\Test\test.txt", "sdgdfgds", False)
Dim cnn As Connection
Set cnn = New ADODB.Connection
currApp = ActiveWorkbook.path
errFile = currApp & "\errorFile.txt"
If emptyFile.FileExists(errFile) Then
Kill errFile
Else
'Do Nothing
End If
'cnn.Open "DSN=AUTOLIV"
'cnn.Open "D:\Work\Projects\Autoliv\Tax workshop\Tax Schedules\sox_questionnaire.mdb"
cnn.Open ("DRIVER={Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb)}; DBQ=" & currApp & "\tax_questionnaire.mdb")
With Application
.Calculation = xlCalculationManual
.ScreenUpdating = False
End With
Set FSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
'Upon each found excel file it will make a call to saveFiles.
If sFolder <> "" Then
Set FOLDER = FSO.getfolder(sFolder)
Set files = FOLDER.files
For Each file In files
'ONLY WORK WITH EXCEL FILES
If file.Type = "Microsoft Excel Worksheet" Then
Workbooks.Open fileName:=file.path
xlsx is a "macro-free" workbook. To use VBA in the new file format, the file must be saved as an xlsm file.
EDIT: I read the question too hastily. If you want to identify excel files from the FSO object, use file.Type LIKE "Microsoft Excel *" or similar. Or, check the file's extension against ".xls*"
EDIT
The whole concept of identifying the file type by looking at the file name is fundamentally flawed. It's too easily broken by changes to file extensions and/or the "type" texts associated with those descriptions. It's easily broken by, say, an image file named "file.xls". I would just try opening the file with Workbooks.Open and catch the error. I'd probably put this logic in a separate function:
Function OpenWorkbook(strPath As String) As Workbook
On Error GoTo ErrorLabel
Set OpenWorkbook = Workbooks.Open(strPath)
ExitLabel:
Exit Function
ErrorLabel:
If Err.Number = 1004 Then
Resume ExitLabel
Else
'other error handling code here
Resume ExitLabel
End If
End Function
Then you can consume the function like this:
Dim w As Workbook
Set w = OpenWorkbook(file.Path)
If Not (w Is Nothing) Then
'...
The problem you're having has to do with this line:
If file.Type = "Microsoft Excel Worksheet" Then
Try adding and replacing it with this:
// add these lines just AFTER the line 'For Each file In files'
IsXLFile = False
FilePath = file.path
FilePath2 = Right(FilePath, 5)
FilePath3 = Mid(FilePath2, InStr(1, FilePath2, ".") + 1)
If UCase(Left(FilePath3, 2)) = "XL" Then IsXLFile = True
// replace faulty line with this line
If IsXLFile = True Then
Let me know how it works. Yes, it'd be possible to compress the statements that start with FilePath into one expression but I left it like that for clarity. Vote and accept the answer if good and follow-up if not.
Have a nice day.

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