using relative file paths instead of absolute

[nightheart2010]

Hi,

I had got the code below to insert a hyperlink to file location in a textbox (that i found after searching the different forums). The point here is that I need to store the relative file path instead of the absolute path, but whenever I use it the text box displays the absolute path (C:\Documents\...). Any help.

Private Sub cmd_browse_Click()
    Dim varItem As Variant
    Dim strPath As String
    Dim filePicker As FileDialog

Set filePicker = Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogFilePicker)

With filePicker

'setup File Dialog'
.AllowMultiSelect = False
.ButtonName = "Select"
.InitialView = msoFileDialogViewList
.Title = "Select File"
.InitialFileName = "C:\"

'add filter for all files'
With .Filters
.Clear
.Add "All Files", "*.*"
End With
.FilterIndex = 1

'display file dialog box'
.Show

End With

If filePicker.SelectedItems.Count > 0 Then

Dim selectedFile As String
selectedFile = filePicker.SelectedItems(1)
GetAbsolutePath = Replace(selectedFile, ".\", CurrentProject.Path & "\")
Me.exp_inv = selectedFile

End If
End Sub

[si_the_geek]

Thread moved from the 'Database Development' forum (which is for questions about tables/SQL/etc) to the 'Office Development/VBA' forum (which is where other Access based questions belong)

[vbfbryce]

When I test this out, this line:

GetAbsolutePath = Replace(selectedFile, ".\", CurrentProject.Path & "\")

doesn't do anything, because I have no ".\" to replace.

[nightheart2010]

That is exactly what I'm getting, nothing is been done when that code is used.

[vbfbryce]

you could do something like this:

Dim splits() As String
Dim fName As String

splits = Split(selectedFile, "\")
fName = splits(UBound(splits))

getabsolutepath = CurrentProject.Path & "\" & fName

[nightheart2010]

Thank you for that, so should I keep the following statement as it is?

Me.exp_inv = selectedFile

[vbfbryce]

I don't know what "Me.exp_inv" is, or what (if anything) is done with its value.

What is it?

[nightheart2010]

I missed that part, it is the text box that shows the hyperlink.

[westconn1]

so should I keep the following statement as it is?

no that would still return the absolute path

try like

Me.exp_inv = GetAbsolutePath

while the suggestions posted above may be adequate for your needs, they are not a real solution to thread title

[vbfbryce]

Agreed, Pete. We addressed it if the title were more like "How do you split a string and then concatenate part of that string with another string?"

[nightheart2010]

Thank you all for the reply. What I'm looking for here is to store the link to files in a database using the relative file path instead of the absolute path. so I don't want to store it using something like C:\ but instead \Application Data\Adobe\Acrobat

[vbfbryce]

So you want a reference to the "generic part of the file path," so that no matter whose computer the "app" is running from, it will know where the files are? Like in either of these two scenarios:

C:\Users\user123\Documents\testFile.txt

C:\Users\user456\Documents\testFile.txt

You'd want to see "Documents\testFile.txt" for example?

[nightheart2010]

Yes, that what I'm exactly looking for.

[vbfbryce]

You could do something like this, using the Documents folder as an example. Note that it would not be the same for all versions of Windows.

If filePicker.SelectedItems.Count > 0 Then

Dim selectedFile As String
Dim pathMinusFile As String
Dim pathUnique As String
Dim locDoc As Integer
Dim lenSelected As Integer

selectedFile = filePicker.SelectedItems(1)
lenSelected = Len(selectedFile)

On Error Resume Next
locDoc = InStr(LCase(selectedFile), "documents")
If Err.Number <> 0 Then     '   "documents" not found most likely ***
    MsgBox Err.Description
    Exit Sub
End If

pathUnique = Right(selectedFile, lenSelected - locDoc + 1)

Insert that into your current code and see what "pathUnique" is.

[westconn1]

if you want to find current users folders or other system folders, you should be returning from the special folders collections

to do this you can use API, wscript shell object or environ
whichever best suits your needs