Finding the description associated with a file type

Does anyone have any idea how I access the current description for a file type? For example, if I was looking at a file named 'text.xls' I would like to be able to get 'Microsoft Excel Worksheet' back.

Many thanks
Geoff Soper

Here's an example which does that and a little more:

VB Code:

Const SHGFI_DISPLAYNAME = &H200
Const SHGFI_TYPENAME = &H400
Const MAX_PATH = 260
Private Type SHFILEINFO
    hIcon As Long                      '  out: icon
    iIcon As Long          '  out: icon index
    dwAttributes As Long               '  out: SFGAO_ flags
    szDisplayName As String * MAX_PATH '  out: display name (or path)
    szTypeName As String * 80         '  out: type name
End Type
Private Declare Function SHGetFileInfo Lib "shell32.dll" Alias "SHGetFileInfoA" (ByVal pszPath As String, ByVal dwFileAttributes As Long, psfi As SHFILEINFO, ByVal cbFileInfo As Long, ByVal uFlags As Long) As Long
 
Private Sub Form_Paint()
    'KPD-Team 1999
    'URL: [url]http://www.allapi.net/[/url]
    'E-Mail: [email][email protected][/email]
    Dim FI As SHFILEINFO
    'Get file info
    SHGetFileInfo "c:\autoexec.bat", 0, FI, Len(FI), SHGFI_DISPLAYNAME Or SHGFI_TYPENAME
    Me.Cls
    Me.Print "Filename: Autoexec.bat"
    Me.Print "Typename: " + StripTerminator(FI.szTypeName)
    Me.Print "Displayname: " + StripTerminator(FI.szDisplayName)
End Sub
'This fucntion is used to strip al the unnecessary chr$(0)'s
Function StripTerminator(sInput As String) As String
    Dim ZeroPos As Integer
    'Search the position of the first chr$(0)
    ZeroPos = InStr(1, sInput, vbNullChar)
    If ZeroPos > 0 Then
        StripTerminator = Left$(sInput, ZeroPos - 1)
    Else
        StripTerminator = sInput
    End If
End Function

or you can try this:

VB Code:

Private Sub Command1_Click()
    'Add a reference to the 'Microsoft Scripting Runtime' (scrrun.dll)
    Dim fso As New FileSystemObject
    Dim fle As File
    Set fle = fso.GetFile("C:\autoexec.bat")
    Debug.Print fle.Attributes
    Debug.Print fle.DateCreated
    Debug.Print fle.Size
    Debug.Print fle.Type
    Debug.Print fle.Path
    Debug.Print fle.DateLastAccessed
    Debug.Print fle.DateLastModified
    Debug.Print fle.Drive
    Debug.Print fle.Name
    Debug.Print fle.ParentFolder
    Debug.Print fle.Path
    Debug.Print fle.ShortName
    Debug.Print fle.ShortPath
End Sub

Regards...