[RESOLVED] Checking if file has correct extension

[Chris001]

Hello, I have a small problem with file extensions.

My application only works with one filetype (avi). When I take a file with a .mpg, .wmv, .wav, .mp3, .ac3 or other extension, rename it to avi and use my application with the file, then my application freezes, because it can't read the file.

I need to have some error checking for this. Is there a way to check if a file has the correct extension?

Thanks.

[Jmacp]

Here's a example that will give you the file extension. There are other ways of doing it.

Private Const TheFilename    As String = "myfile.mpg"
 
Private Sub Form_Load()
 
Dim strParts() As String
 
    strParts = Split(TheFilename, ".")
    MsgBox strParts(UBound(strParts))
    
 
End Sub

[Chris001]

Thanks, but that's not what I'm looking for. I need to know if a certain file has the extension that belongs to the file.

For example, I have a file "SomeFile.mp3". If I rename it to "SomeFile.avi" and use it with my application, then it freezes, because "SomeFile.avi" is not a real AVI file.

Is there a way to check if a file with an avi extension really is an avi?

[jcis]

Who renames it? only you, or the users of your program?
If you rename files in your app, check the real extension before doing it.
If you say the user can rename files and try to play them in your app, then you could let your app fail, and trap the error, showing a messagebox "Wrong file format".

I think It would be hard to detect if the file is valid, you should check the content of the whole file, besides, it could also be a real AVI file, and be corrupted.

[Harsh Gupta]

i think there are some codecs which can do this job for you, like the one used by Win Media Player or by the AVI editor (in MS Visual Studio Tools). you may try searching for one at MSDN, or google it. if i can find one, i will post it.

[moeur]

you have to know the format of an avi file, open it in binary mode and check to see if the beginning of the file corresponds to the avi format. There is probably a required header in the file somewhere that you can check.

[Harsh Gupta]

see these if they are any use to you:

Link 1
Link 2
Main Page

[Hack]

you have to know the format of an avi file, open it in binary mode and check to see if the beginning of the file corresponds to the avi format. There is probably a required header in the file somewhere that you can check.

Actually, I was thinking along these lines, but I would have no idea what to tell him to look for. Any idea what an avi header, in binary format, would be formatted like?

[Jmacp]

Found this, might be useful.

Public Function GetFileType(xFile As String) As String
    On Error Resume Next
    Dim ID As String * 300
 
 
   
    Open xFile For Binary Access Read As #1
    Get #1, 1, ID
    Close #1
 
 
    If Left(ID, 2) = "MZ" Or Left(ID, 2) = "ZM" Then
        GetFileType = "PE Executable"
        Exit Function
    ElseIf Left(ID, 1) = "[" And InStr(1, Left(ID, 100), "]") > 0 Then
        GetFileType = "INI File"
        Exit Function
    ElseIf Mid(ID, 9, 8) = "AVI LIST" Then
        GetFileType = "AVI Movie File"
        Exit Function
    ElseIf Left(ID, 4) = "RIFF" Then
        GetFileType = "WAV Audio File"
        Exit Function
    ElseIf Left(ID, 4) = Chr(208) & Chr(207) & Chr(17) & Chr(224) Then
        GetFileType = "Microsoft Word Document"
        Exit Function
    ElseIf Mid(ID, 5, 15) = "Standard Jet DB" Then
        GetFileType = "Microsoft Access Database"
        Exit Function
    ElseIf Left(ID, 3) = "GIF" Or InStr(1, ID, "GIF89") > 0 Then
        GetFileType = "GIF Image File"
        Exit Function
    ElseIf Left(ID, 1) = Chr(255) And Mid(ID, 5, 1) = Chr(0) Then
        GetFileType = "MP3 Audio File"
        Exit Function
    ElseIf Left(ID, 2) = "BM" Then
        GetFileType = "BMP (Bitmap) Image File"
        Exit Function
    ElseIf Left(ID, 3) = "II*" Then
        GetFileType = "TIFF Image File"
        Exit Function
    ElseIf Left(ID, 2) = "PK" Then
        GetFileType = "ZIP Archive File"
        Exit Function
    ElseIf InStr(1, LCase(ID), "<html>") > 0 Or InStr(1, LCase(ID), "<!doctype") > 0 Then
        GetFileType = "HTML Document File"
        Exit Function
    ElseIf UCase(Left(ID, 3)) = "RAR" Then
        GetFileType = "RAR Archive File"
        Exit Function
    ElseIf Left(ID, 2) = Chr(96) & Chr(234) Then
        GetFileType = "ARJ Archive File"
        Exit Function
    ElseIf Left(ID, 3) = Chr(255) & Chr(216) & Chr(255) Then
        GetFileType = "JPEG Image File"
        Exit Function
    ElseIf InStr(1, ID, "Type=") > 0 And InStr(1, ID, "Reference=") > 0 Then
        GetFileType = "Visual Basic Project File"
        Exit Function
    ElseIf Left(ID, 8) = "VBGROUP " Then
        GetFileType = "Visual Basic Group Project File"
        Exit Function
    ElseIf Left(ID, 8) = "VERSION " & InStr(1, ID, vbCrLf & "Begin") > 0 Then
        GetFileType = "Visual Basic Form File"
        Exit Function
    Else
        'Unknown file... make a weak attempt to
        '     determine if the file is text or binary
 
 
        If InStr(1, ID, Chr$(255)) > 0 Or InStr(1, ID, Chr$(1)) > 0 Or InStr(1, ID, Chr$(2)) > 0 Or InStr(1, ID, Chr$(3)) > 0 Then
            GetFileType = "Unknown binary file"
        Else
            GetFileType = "Unknown text file"
        End If
        Exit Function
    End If
End Function

[Chris001]

This last piece of code seems to do the trick.
I renamed a mp3 file to avi. Then I used the GetFileType function and it returned as a mp3 file.

Thank you very much

[Chris001]

I have another question about this. It's probably better to aks it here than to make a new thread about it.

This is the code I'm using now. It's a modified version of the code above to only check if the file is a valid AVI file:

Globals.SelectedFile is a filepath.

Public Function GetFileType(xFile As String) As String
    On Error Resume Next
    Dim ID As String * 300
 
    Open xFile For Binary Access Read As #1
    Get #1, 1, ID
    Close #1
 
    If Mid(ID, 9, 8) = "AVI LIST" Then
            MsgBox "This is an AVI file"
        Else
            MsgBox "This is NOT an AVI file"
        Exit Function
    End If
End Function
 
Private Sub Form_Load()
GetFileType (Globals.SelectedFile)
End Sub

When I right-click on one AVI and run the application (from the Explorer right-click menu), then it works fine. But when I highlight multiple AVI files, right-click on them and run the application, then it always returns "This is NOT an AVI file", because it can only read one AVI file at a time.

Is there a way to check file 1 first, then file 2, then file 3, etc?
Like a batch process.