6/18/2015

VB6/VBA/OfficeTip:HowtorenameaFileorFolder(Directory)inCode

Thu18Jun2015

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HowtoRenameaFileorFolder(Directory)fromVBA,VisualBasic6,Microsoft
Office/Access/Excel

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DidyouknowthereisabuiltinstatementinVB6/VBA/Office/Access/ExcelthatallowsyoutodothiswithoutusingAPI
callsandwithoutreferencingtheFileSystem?

FromtheVB6,VBA,Office/Access/ExcelHelpFile
TheNamestatementmovesthefiletothenewdirectoryorfolderandrenamesthefile,ifnecessary.Here'sthesyntax:
NameOldPathNameAsNewPathName

Namecanmoveafileacrossdrives,butitcanonlyrenameanexistingdirectoryorfolderwhenbothOldPathNameand
NewPathNamearelocatedonthesamedrive.Namecannotcreateanewfile,directory,orfolder.
IfOldPathNameandNewPathNamehavedifferentpaths,andthesamefilename,theNamestatementmovesthefileto
thenewlocationandleavesthefilenameunchanged.
UsingName,youcanmoveafilefromonedirectoryorfoldertoanother,butyoucannotmoveadirectoryorfolder.
UsingNameonanopenfileproducesanerror.Youmustcloseanopenfilebeforerenamingit.Nameargumentscannot
includemultiplecharacter(*)andsinglecharacter(?)wildcards.

SampleCodeforRenamingaFileorFolder
Ourexamplebelowonlyprovidessupportforfilesorsimplefolderrenaming(e.g.thepathfolderdoesnotexist).
Renamingadirectorytoanamethatalreadyexistsismorecomplicatedandmaybeincludedinafuturetip.

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PublicFunctionTestNameStatement()
DimfOKAsBoolean

'FoldersmustexistforSource,butdonotneedtoexistfordestination
fOK=RenameFileOrDir("C:\TestFolder\test.txt","C:\TestFolder\test_NEWNAME.txt")
fOK=RenameFileOrDir("C:\TestFolder\test.txt","D:\TestFolder\test_NEWNAME.txt")

'Foldermustexistforsource
fOK=RenameFileOrDir("C:\TestFolder","C:\TestFolder_NEWNAME")

'Foldersonlywillfailacrossdrives
fOK=RenameFileOrDir("C:\TestFolder","D:\TestFolder")
EndFunction
PublicFunctionRenameFileOrDir(ByValstrSourceAsString,ByValstrTargetAsString,_
OptionalfOverwriteTargetAsBoolean=False)AsBoolean

OnErrorGoToPROC_ERR

DimfRenameOKAsBoolean
DimfRemoveTargetAsBoolean
DimstrFirstDriveAsString
DimstrSecondDriveAsString
DimfOKAsBoolean

IfNot((Len(strSource)=0)Or(Len(strTarget)=0)Or(Not(FileOrDirExists(strSource))))Then

'Checkifthetargetexists
IfFileOrDirExists(strTarget)Then

IffOverwriteTargetThen
fRemoveTarget=True
Else
IfMsgBox("Doyouwishtooverwritethetargetfile?",vbExclamation+vbYesNo,"Overwriteconfirmation")=vbYesThen
fRemoveTarget=True
EndIf
EndIf

IffRemoveTargetThen
'Checkthatit'snotadirectory
If((GetAttr(strTarget)AndvbDirectory))<>vbDirectoryThen
KillstrTarget
fRenameOK=True
Else
MsgBox"Cannotoverwriteadirectory",vbOKOnly,"Cannotperformoperation"
EndIf
EndIf
Else
'Thetargetdoesnotexist
'Checkifsourceisadirectory
If((GetAttr(strSource)AndvbDirectory)=vbDirectory)Then
'Sourceisadirectory,seeifdrivesarethesame
strFirstDrive=Left(strSource,InStr(strSource,":\"))
strSecondDrive=Left(strTarget,InStr(strTarget,":\"))
IfstrFirstDrive=strSecondDriveThen
fRenameOK=True

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VB6/VBA/OfficeTip:HowtorenameaFileorFolder(Directory)inCode

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Else
MsgBox"Cannotrenamedirectoriesacrossdrives",vbOKOnly,"Cannotperformoperation"
ReportDesign
EndIf
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'It'safile,oktoproceed
andFootersontheFirst
PageofYourReport
fRenameOK=True
EndIf
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IffRenameOKThen
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RenameFileOrDir=fOK

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PROC_EXIT:
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PROC_ERR:
ofaProcedure
MsgBox"Error:"&Err.Number&"."&Err.Description,,"RenameFileOrDir"
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ResumePROC_EXIT
SettingModuleOptions
EndFunction
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RenameaFileorFolder
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PublicFunctionFileOrDirExists(strDestAsString)AsBoolean
DimintLenAsInteger
DimfReturnAsBoolean
fReturn=False
IfstrDest<>vbNullStringThen
OnErrorResumeNext
intLen=Len(Dir$(strDest,vbDirectory+vbNormal))
OnErrorGoToPROC_ERR
fReturn=(NotErrAndintLen>0)
EndIf
PROC_EXIT:
FileOrDirExists=fReturn
ExitFunction
PROC_ERR:
MsgBox"Error:"&Err.Number&"."&Err.Description,,"FileOrDirExists"
ResumePROC_EXIT
EndFunction

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VB6/VBA/OfficeTip:HowtorenameaFileorFolder(Directory)inCode

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