Re: Classic VB - How can I check if a file exists?

[fafalone]

IMO, the best and easiest way is to simply use the API function.

Public Declare Function PathFileExists Lib "shlwapi" Alias "PathFileExistsA" (ByVal pszPath As String) As Long

If PathFileExists("C:\whatever.wtv") Then

It returns 0 if the file/folder doesn't exist. There's also PathFileExistsW if you're dealing with Unicode. I use this function extensively, it works fine in VB. Just pass the full directory info.

[Bonnie West]

IMO, the best and easiest way is to simply use the API function.

Public Declare Function PathFileExists Lib "shlwapi" Alias "PathFileExistsA" (ByVal pszPath As String) As Long

If PathFileExists("C:\whatever.wtv") Then

It returns 0 if the file/folder doesn't exist. There's also PathFileExistsW if you're dealing with Unicode. I use this function extensively, it works fine in VB. Just pass the full directory info.

From Visual C++ in Short: Determining whether a path refers to a file system object:

The shell provides the PathFileExists function which is simpler than the approaches mentioned thus far but is limited in that it does not distinguish between files and directories.

. . .

Incidentally, the PathFileExists function I mentioned above uses GetFileAttributes internally if it determines that you’re running on a supported version of Windows.

From Superstition: Why is GetFileAttributes the way old-timers test file existence?:

If you ask an old-timer how to test for file existence, they'll say, "Use GetFileAttributes." This is still probably the quickest way to test for file existence, since it requires only a single call. Other methods such as FindFirstFile or CreateFile require a separate FindClose or CloseHandle call, which triggers another network round-trip, which adds to the cost.

Through extensive research and experimentation, I believe I've found The Optimum FileExists Function.