Dialog to select multiple files

[mattalexx]

In Access VBA, is there a way to bring up a Windows dialog from which you can select multiple files on your hard drive? I'd like it to return a string with the path and filenames, separated with commas or something.

Is this, or something like it, possible?

Thanks in advance,
Matt

[Ecniv]

Yes, it is possible.

Public Type mOpenFilename
    lStructSize As Long
    hwndOwner As Long
    hInstance As Long
    lpstrFilter As String
    lpstrCustomFilter As String
    nMaxCustFilter As Long
    nFilterIndex As Long
    lpstrFile As String
    nMaxFile As Long
    lpstrFileTitle As String
    nMaxFileTitle As Long
    lpstrInitialDir As String
    lpstrTitle As String
    Flags As Long
    nFileOffset As Integer
    nFileExtension As Integer
    lpstrDefExt As String
    lCustData As Long
    lpfnHook As Long
    lpTemplateName As String
End Type
 
Public Type mChooseColor
    lStructSize As Long
    hwndOwner As Long
    hInstance As Long
    rgbResult As Long
    lpCustColors As String
    Flags As Long
    lCustData As Long
    lpfnHook As Long
    lpTemplateName As String
End Type
 
'---- common dialog stuff :)
Public Declare Function apiGetOpenFilename Lib "comdlg32.dll" Alias "GetOpenFileNameA" (pmOpenFilename As mOpenFilename) As Long
Public Declare Function apiGetSaveFileName Lib "comdlg32.dll" Alias "GetSaveFileNameA" (pmOpenFilename As mOpenFilename) As Long
Public Declare Function apiGetChooseColor Lib "comdlg32.dll" Alias "ChooseColorA" (pmChooseColor As mChooseColor) As Long
 
'---- Selects a/several file(s) using common dialogs
Public Function FileSelection(ByVal strInitDir As String, ByVal lngFlag As Long, ByVal strFilter As String, ByVal lngFilterIndex As Long, ByVal blnOpen As Boolean, Optional strTitle, Optional strFileExtension, Optional lngOwnerHwnd) As String
'---- Selects one or more filenames
'---- Requires
'----   inital directory to open in
'----   flags for opening
 
 
'---- usual flags are :
'----   &H200000 - use long filenames
'----   &H80000 - Explorer type window
'----   &H200 - multi select
'----   &H4 - hide read only option on box - v useful
'----   &H8 - force same dir as when opened
'----   &H1000 - file must exist - useful for opening
'---- usual I use : &H280004
 
'---- Returns a string holding either :
'----   nothing
'----   path and filename
'----   path chr$(0) filenames separated by chr$(0)
'---- NOTE : current max chars = 257 ... I think expand if neccessary
 
    Dim strTemp As String
    Dim lngReturn As Long, lngP As Long, lngO As Long
    Dim cOpenFilename As mOpenFilename
 
    On Error Resume Next
 
    With cOpenFilename
 
'---- Default values according to another developer
        .lStructSize = Len(cOpenFilename)
        .hInstance = 0
        .nFilterIndex = 1
        .nFileOffset = 0
        .lpstrFile = String(5000, 0)
        .nMaxFile = Len(.lpstrFile) - 1
        .lpstrFileTitle = .lpstrFile
        .nMaxFileTitle = .nMaxFile
 
        If Not IsMissing(strFileExtension) Then .lpstrDefExt = strFileExtension
 
 
'---- Bits like the common dialog control
        If blnOpen Then
            .lpstrTitle = "Open a file..."
        Else
            .lpstrTitle = "Save file as..."
        End If
        If Not IsMissing(strTitle) Then .lpstrTitle = strTitle
 
'---- messing
'----   default filter
 
'---- each filter is separated by a character of 0 - Name - filter - name filter (etc..)
'---- example :
'        .lpstrFilter = "All Files" & Chr$(0) & "*.*" & Chr$(0) & "Text Files" & Chr$(0) & "*.txt;*.csv"
'---- replace filter with the selection chosen by the programmer...
        .lpstrFilter = "All Files (*.*)" & Chr$(0) & "*.*"
 
        lngO = 1
        lngP = InStr(1, strFilter, "|")
        If lngP > 0 Then
            strTemp = ""
            Do Until lngP = 0
                strTemp = strTemp & IIf(Len(strTemp) > 0, Chr$(0), "") & Mid$(strFilter, lngO, lngP - lngO)
                lngO = lngP + 1
                lngP = InStr(lngP + 1, strFilter, "|")
            Loop
            strTemp = strTemp & Chr$(0) & Right$(strFilter, Len(strFilter) - lngO + 1)
        Else
            strTemp = strFilter
        End If
        .lpstrFilter = strTemp
 
        .Flags = lngFlag
 
        .hwndOwner = 0
        If Not IsMissing(lngOwnerHwnd) Then .hwndOwner = lngOwnerHwnd
 
        .lpstrInitialDir = strInitDir
 
    End With
 
'---- is the dialog box an open or save?
    If blnOpen Then
        lngReturn = apiGetOpenFilename(cOpenFilename)
    Else
        lngReturn = apiGetSaveFileName(cOpenFilename)
    End If
 
'---- send back the selected file(s)
    If lngReturn = 0 Then
        FileSelection = ""
    Else
        FileSelection = RemoveNonPChars(cOpenFilename.lpstrFile)
    End If
 
End Function
 
Public Function RemoveNonPChars(ByVal strText As String) As String
'---- gets rid of the extra chr$(0)'s in the text
'---- by looking for two chr$(0)'s together (only happens at the end...)
'---- NOTE : only removes those at the end of the string - for multi means that you can get the filenames...
    Dim lngP As Long
 
    On Error Resume Next
 
    RemoveNonPChars = " "
    If Len(strText) = 0 Then Exit Function
    lngP = InStr(1, strText, Chr$(0) & Chr$(0))
    If lngP > 1 Then RemoveNonPChars = Left$(strText, lngP - 1)
    If Not Err.Number = 0 Then
        RemoveNonPChars = " "
        Err.Clear
    End If
End Function

If you use this (its a version which I rewrote using someone elses base code, that at the time I didn't understand, and the MSDN libraries.

If you use multi select and pick one file, the filename is as normal (like [i]C:\Test.Txt[i/]). If you use multi select and pick several files, they are returned with Chr$(0) as separators (C:\(0)Test1.Txt(0)Test2.txt)


Vince