How To Search Directories to Find or List Files (185476)

MORE INFORMATION

While Visual Basic provides methods for retrieving information about files and directories, you may also use Windows API functions for these tasks. Using the API is not faster than the built in methods, but the two methods work a little differently. So, this article demonstrates both techniques for retrieving this information. If you test both methods, try using the same starting path and search string. You should get similar results.

Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) includes an Application.FileSearch object that can be used to find and list files. While not directly available in Visual Basic, you can use it from a Microsoft Office 97 product. More information and examples can be found in the Online Help, and by searching the Microsoft Knowledge Base for "FileSearch."

Please note that the following examples do not include full error trapping, but Method 2 does catch a special case where the VB GetAttr() function fails on Pagefile.sys, which is the Windows NT virtual memory paging file. Also, depending on the search string, the API version lists and counts directory names by default, where the VB version does not. Please note that the following examples do not include full error trapping, but Method 2 does catch a special case where the VB GetAttr() function fails on Pagefile.sys, which is the Windows NT virtual memory paging file. The only difference in results between these two methods is that the VB code does not return the file create dates.

Method 1: Using the Windows API

1. Start a new Standard EXE project in Visual Basic. Form1 is created by default.
2. Add a CommandButton named Command1, four TextBoxes named Text1, Text2, Text3 and Text4 and a ListBox to Form1.
3. Add a Module from the Projects menu and insert the following:

      Declare Function FindFirstFile Lib "kernel32" Alias _
      "FindFirstFileA" (ByVal lpFileName As String, lpFindFileData _
      As WIN32_FIND_DATA) As Long
   
      Declare Function FindNextFile Lib "kernel32" Alias "FindNextFileA" _
      (ByVal hFindFile As Long, lpFindFileData As WIN32_FIND_DATA) As Long
   
      Declare Function GetFileAttributes Lib "kernel32" Alias _
      "GetFileAttributesA" (ByVal lpFileName As String) As Long
   
      Declare Function FindClose Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hFindFile As Long) _
      As Long
   
      Declare Function FileTimeToLocalFileTime Lib "kernel32" _
      (lpFileTime As FILETIME, lpLocalFileTime As FILETIME) As Long
        
      Declare Function FileTimeToSystemTime Lib "kernel32" _
      (lpFileTime As FILETIME, lpSystemTime As SYSTEMTIME) As Long
   
      Public Const MAX_PATH = 260
      Public Const MAXDWORD = &HFFFF
      Public Const INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE = -1
      Public Const FILE_ATTRIBUTE_ARCHIVE = &H20
      Public Const FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY = &H10
      Public Const FILE_ATTRIBUTE_HIDDEN = &H2
      Public Const FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL = &H80
      Public Const FILE_ATTRIBUTE_READONLY = &H1
      Public Const FILE_ATTRIBUTE_SYSTEM = &H4
      Public Const FILE_ATTRIBUTE_TEMPORARY = &H100
   
      Type FILETIME
        dwLowDateTime As Long
        dwHighDateTime As Long
      End Type
   
      Type WIN32_FIND_DATA
        dwFileAttributes As Long
        ftCreationTime As FILETIME
        ftLastAccessTime As FILETIME
        ftLastWriteTime As FILETIME
        nFileSizeHigh As Long
        nFileSizeLow As Long
        dwReserved0 As Long
        dwReserved1 As Long
        cFileName As String * MAX_PATH
        cAlternate As String * 14
      End Type
   
      Type SYSTEMTIME
        wYear As Integer
        wMonth As Integer
        wDayOfWeek As Integer
        wDay As Integer
        wHour As Integer
        wMinute As Integer
        wSecond As Integer
        wMilliseconds As Integer
      End Type
   
      Public Function StripNulls(OriginalStr As String) As String
         If (InStr(OriginalStr, Chr(0)) > 0) Then
            OriginalStr = Left(OriginalStr, _
             InStr(OriginalStr, Chr(0)) - 1)
         End If
         StripNulls = OriginalStr
      End Function
   					

4. Copy the following code into Form1's module:

      Option Explicit
   
      Function FindFilesAPI(path As String, SearchStr As String, _
       FileCount As Integer, DirCount As Integer)
      Dim FileName As String   ' Walking filename variable...
      Dim DirName As String    ' SubDirectory Name
      Dim dirNames() As String ' Buffer for directory name entries
      Dim nDir As Integer   ' Number of directories in this path
      Dim i As Integer      ' For-loop counter...
      Dim hSearch As Long   ' Search Handle
      Dim WFD As WIN32_FIND_DATA
      Dim Cont As Integer
      Dim FT As FILETIME
      Dim ST As SYSTEMTIME
      Dim DateCStr As String, DateMStr As String
        
      If Right(path, 1) <> "\" Then path = path & "\"
      ' Search for subdirectories.
      nDir = 0
      ReDim dirNames(nDir)
      Cont = True
      hSearch = FindFirstFile(path & "*", WFD)
      If hSearch <> INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE Then
         Do While Cont
            DirName = StripNulls(WFD.cFileName)
            ' Ignore the current and encompassing directories.
            If (DirName <> ".") And (DirName <> "..") Then
               ' Check for directory with bitwise comparison.
               If GetFileAttributes(path & DirName) And _
                FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY Then
                  dirNames(nDir) = DirName
                  DirCount = DirCount + 1
                  nDir = nDir + 1
                  ReDim Preserve dirNames(nDir)
                  ' Uncomment the next line to list directories
                  'List1.AddItem path & FileName
               End If
            End If
            Cont = FindNextFile(hSearch, WFD)  ' Get next subdirectory.
         Loop
         Cont = FindClose(hSearch)
      End If
   
      ' Walk through this directory and sum file sizes.
      hSearch = FindFirstFile(path & SearchStr, WFD)
      Cont = True
      If hSearch <> INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE Then
         While Cont
            FileName = StripNulls(WFD.cFileName)
               If (FileName <> ".") And (FileName <> "..") And _
                 ((GetFileAttributes(path & FileName) And _
                  FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY) <> FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY) Then
               FindFilesAPI = FindFilesAPI + (WFD.nFileSizeHigh * _
                MAXDWORD) + WFD.nFileSizeLow
               FileCount = FileCount + 1
               ' To list files w/o dates, uncomment the next line
               ' and remove or Comment the lines down to End If
               'List1.AddItem path & FileName
               
              ' Include Creation date...
              FileTimeToLocalFileTime WFD.ftCreationTime, FT
              FileTimeToSystemTime FT, ST
              DateCStr = ST.wMonth & "/" & ST.wDay & "/" & ST.wYear & _
                 " " & ST.wHour & ":" & ST.wMinute & ":" & ST.wSecond
              ' and Last Modified Date
              FileTimeToLocalFileTime WFD.ftLastWriteTime, FT
              FileTimeToSystemTime FT, ST
              DateMStr = ST.wMonth & "/" & ST.wDay & "/" & ST.wYear & _
                 " " & ST.wHour & ":" & ST.wMinute & ":" & ST.wSecond
              List1.AddItem path & FileName & vbTab & _
                 Format(DateCStr, "mm/dd/yyyy hh:nn:ss") _
                 & vbTab & Format(DateMStr, "mm/dd/yyyy hh:nn:ss")
             End If
            Cont = FindNextFile(hSearch, WFD)  ' Get next file
         Wend
         Cont = FindClose(hSearch)
      End If
   
      ' If there are sub-directories...
       If nDir > 0 Then
         ' Recursively walk into them...
         For i = 0 To nDir - 1
           FindFilesAPI = FindFilesAPI + FindFilesAPI(path & dirNames(i) _
            & "\", SearchStr, FileCount, DirCount)
         Next i
      End If
      End Function
   
      Private Sub Command1_Click()
      Dim SearchPath As String, FindStr As String
      Dim FileSize As Long
      Dim NumFiles As Integer, NumDirs As Integer
   
      Screen.MousePointer = vbHourglass
      List1.Clear
      SearchPath = Text1.Text
      FindStr = Text2.Text
      FileSize = FindFilesAPI(SearchPath, FindStr, NumFiles, NumDirs)
      Text3.Text = NumFiles & " Files found in " & NumDirs + 1 & _
       " Directories"
      Text4.Text = "Size of files found under " & SearchPath & " = " & _
      Format(FileSize, "#,###,###,##0") & " Bytes"
      Screen.MousePointer = vbDefault
      End Sub
   					

5. Run the Project. Enter a starting path into Text1, a search string in Text2 (like *.* or *.txt) and then click Command1.

You will see a list of the files found display in the ListBox with the create date and the last modified date, the actual number of files found displays in Text3, and the total size of the files found under the starting directory appears in Text4.

Method 2: Using Built-In Visual Basic Functions

These instructions build on the sample described prior, but can also be used in a new Project.

1. Open the Project by using the steps described in Method1
2. Add another CommandButton named Command2, two more TextBoxes named Text5 and Text6 and another ListBox, List2, to Form1.
3. Copy the following code into Form1's module:

      Function FindFiles(path As String, SearchStr As String, _
          FileCount As Integer, DirCount As Integer)
         Dim FileName As String   ' Walking filename variable.
         Dim DirName As String    ' SubDirectory Name.
         Dim dirNames() As String ' Buffer for directory name entries.
         Dim nDir As Integer      ' Number of directories in this path.
         Dim i As Integer         ' For-loop counter.
   
         On Error GoTo sysFileERR
         If Right(path, 1) <> "\" Then path = path & "\"
         ' Search for subdirectories.
         nDir = 0
         ReDim dirNames(nDir)
         DirName = Dir(path, vbDirectory Or vbHidden Or vbArchive Or vbReadOnly _
   Or vbSystem)  ' Even if hidden, and so on.
         Do While Len(DirName) > 0
            ' Ignore the current and encompassing directories.
            If (DirName <> ".") And (DirName <> "..") Then
               ' Check for directory with bitwise comparison.
               If GetAttr(path & DirName) And vbDirectory Then
                  dirNames(nDir) = DirName
                  DirCount = DirCount + 1
                  nDir = nDir + 1
                  ReDim Preserve dirNames(nDir)
                  'List2.AddItem path & DirName ' Uncomment to list
               End If                           ' directories.
      sysFileERRCont:
            End If
            DirName = Dir()  ' Get next subdirectory.
         Loop
   
         ' Search through this directory and sum file sizes.
         FileName = Dir(path & SearchStr, vbNormal Or vbHidden Or vbSystem _
         Or vbReadOnly Or vbArchive)
         While Len(FileName) <> 0
            FindFiles = FindFiles + FileLen(path & FileName)
            FileCount = FileCount + 1
            ' Load List box
            List2.AddItem path & FileName & vbTab & _
               FileDateTime(path & FileName)   ' Include Modified Date
            FileName = Dir()  ' Get next file.
         Wend
   
         ' If there are sub-directories..
         If nDir > 0 Then
            ' Recursively walk into them
            For i = 0 To nDir - 1
              FindFiles = FindFiles + FindFiles(path & dirNames(i) & "\", _
               SearchStr, FileCount, DirCount)
            Next i
         End If
   
      AbortFunction:
         Exit Function
      sysFileERR:
         If Right(DirName, 4) = ".sys" Then
           Resume sysFileERRCont ' Known issue with pagefile.sys
         Else
           MsgBox "Error: " & Err.Number & " - " & Err.Description, , _
            "Unexpected Error"
           Resume AbortFunction
         End If
         End Function
   
         Private Sub Command2_Click()
         Dim SearchPath As String, FindStr As String
         Dim FileSize As Long
         Dim NumFiles As Integer, NumDirs As Integer
   
         Screen.MousePointer = vbHourglass
         List2.Clear
         SearchPath = Text1.Text
         FindStr = Text2.Text
         FileSize = FindFiles(SearchPath, FindStr, NumFiles, NumDirs)
         Text5.Text = NumFiles & " Files found in " & NumDirs + 1 & _
          " Directories"
         Text6.Text = "Size of files found under " & SearchPath & " = " & _
         Format(FileSize, "#,###,###,##0") & " Bytes"
         Screen.MousePointer = vbDefault
         End Sub
   
      Private Sub Form_Load()
         Command1.Caption = "Use API code"
         Command2.Caption = "Use VB code"
         ' start with some reasonable defaults
         Text1.Text = "C:\My Documents\"
         Text2.Text = "*.*"
      End Sub
   					

4. Run the Project. Enter a starting path into Text1, a search string in Text2 (like *.* or Myfile?.txt, and so forth) and then click Command2.

You see a list of the files found appear in List2 with the last modified date, the number of files found in Text5, and the total size of the files found under the starting directory in Text6. By combining these two methods on one form you can verify that both methods return matching information.

Method 3: Use the FileSystem Object with Visual Basic

For information about using the FileSystemObject with Visual Basic to find or list files, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: