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File Dialog

How to use the File Dialog.

There was a question on the forum asking how to use the FileDialog instead of the Common Dialog control.

This is an alternative to the Common Dialog control used in the Access Imaging Seminar.

Create a Form, add a Listbox control and rename it "FileList".

Add a button to a Form.

Set the OnClick() Event of the Button.

In the VBA Editor go to Tools | References.

Find the Microsoft Office 11.0 Object Library Reference and add it.

This maybe a higher number depending which version of Office you have installed.

	Private Sub cmdFileDialog_Click() 
	   ' Requires reference to Microsoft Office 11.0 Object Library. 
	 
	   Dim fDialog As Office.FileDialog 
	   'Dim fDialog As Object
	   
	   Dim varFile As Variant 
	 
	   ' Clear listbox contents. 
	   Me.FileList.RowSource = "" 
	 
	   ' Set up the File Dialog. 
	   Set fDialog = Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogFilePicker) 
	   'Set fDialog = Application.FileDialog(3)
	   
	   With fDialog 
	 
		  ' Allow user to make multiple selections in dialog box 
		  .AllowMultiSelect = True 
				 
		  ' Set the title of the dialog box. 
		  .Title = "Please select one or more files" 
	 
		  ' Clear out the current filters, and add our own. 
		  .Filters.Clear 
		  .Filters.Add "Access Databases", "*.MDB" 
		  .Filters.Add "Access Projects", "*.ADP" 
		  .Filters.Add "All Files", "*.*" 
	 
		  ' Show the dialog box. If the .Show method returns True, the 
		  ' user picked at least one file. If the .Show method returns 
		  ' False, the user clicked Cancel. 
		  If .Show = True Then 
	 
			 'Loop through each file selected and add it to our list box. 
			 For Each varFile In .SelectedItems 
				Me.FileList.AddItem varFile 
			 Next 
	 
		  Else 
			 MsgBox "You clicked Cancel in the file dialog box." 
		  End If 
	   End With 
	End Sub
	

You might get the following error using the Office.FileDialog so just swap it to the below.

Compile error: User-defined type not defined

	'Dim fDialog As Office.FileDialog 
	Dim fDialog As Object
	

	'Set fDialog = Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogFilePicker) 
	Set fDialog = Application.FileDialog(3)
	

There are 4 options you can choose from as a Dialog but the msoFileDialogOpen and msoFileDialogSaveAs constants are not supported in Microsoft Access.

If you use the Folder Picker you can't use the Filters.

There are other options you can set.

	With fDialog
		...
		.InitialView = msoFileDialogViewSmallIcons
	End With
	

You can also set which Folder will open:

	With fDialog
		...
		.InitialFileName = "c:\599CD\"
	End With
	

You can change which Filter is selected if there is more than 1.

	With fDialog
		...
		.FilterIndex = 1
	End With
	

You can also change the text on the OK Button.

	With fDialog
		...
		.ButtonName = "Choose &Access file"
	End With
	

This won't change until you select a File.

The & allows the Alt key to be used.

By: Alex Hedley

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