Description

This sample recreates the first two tabs of the standard File Properties dialog, and provides you with two drop-in ready classes that offer access to almost all standard properties of any file. The main CFileInfo class serves up everything needed to populate this display:

With CFileInfo, you can:

• Categorize files through their TypeName property ("Application" above).
• Determine not only the Modified timestamp, but the Created and Last Accessed timestamps as well.
• Set any of the three timestamps to any date/time you specify.
• Present file sizes in Windows universal format using standard abbreviations and calculated sizes.
• Toggle any of the file's file system attributes, without fear blowing a SetAttr error when working with newer operating systems.
• Instantly know (FAQ alert!) whether a file or its path actually exists.
• Convert any path, even relative paths, to propercase through a recursive routine that queries the file system for each folder individually.

Also included in this sample is my CFileVersionInfo class, which provides you immediate access to all the standard version resources offered in this dialog:

Either class may be used fully independent of the other, of course.

VBA Usage Notes

Both of these classes will work, wholly unmodified, within all known versions of VBA. Just import them right into your project, and begin using! Example:

Dim FV As CFileVersionInfo

' get version information.
Set FV = New CFileVersionInfo
FV.FullPathName = FileName
If FV.Available Then
   sRet = "Version " & FV.ProductVersion
Else
   sRet = "Version [n/a]"
End If

Useful Stuff That Might Go Unnoticed

It's not uncommon to need to convert time/date formats between those used by VB and those used by Windows. Included in CFileInfo are two special purpose routines you might want to use elsewhere as well.

' API structures.
Private Type FILETIME
   dwLowDateTime As Long
   dwHighDateTime As Long
End Type

Private Type SYSTEMTIME
   wYear As Integer
   wMonth As Integer
   wDayOfWeek As Integer
   wDay As Integer
   wHour As Integer
   wMinute As Integer
   wSecond As Integer
   wMilliseconds As Integer
End Type

Private Function DoubleToFileTime( _
   ByVal ftDbl As Double, _
   Optional Universalize As Boolean = True) As FILETIME

   Dim ft As FILETIME
   Dim st As SYSTEMTIME

   ' Convert double to systemtime structure.
   With st
      .wYear = Year(ftDbl)
      .wMonth = Month(ftDbl)
      .wDay = Day(ftDbl)
      .wDayOfWeek = WeekDay(ftDbl) - 1
      .wHour = Hour(ftDbl)
      .wMinute = Minute(ftDbl)
      .wSecond = Second(ftDbl)
   End With

   ' Convert systemtime to filetime structure.
   Call SystemTimeToFileTime(st, ft)

   ' Convert local time to UTC time, if requested.
   If Universalize Then
      Call LocalFileTimeToFileTime(ft, DoubleToFileTime)
   Else
      DoubleToFileTime = ft
   End If
End Function

Private Function FileTimeToDouble( _
   ftUTC As FILETIME, _
   Localize As Boolean) As Double

   Dim ft As FILETIME
   Dim st As SYSTEMTIME

   ' Convert to local filetime, if necessary.
   If Localize Then
      Call FileTimeToLocalFileTime(ftUTC, ft)
   Else
      ft = ftUTC
   End If

   ' Convert to system time structure.
   Call FileTimeToSystemTime(ft, st)

   ' Convert to VB-style date (double).
   FileTimeToDouble = DateSerial(st.wYear, st.wMonth, st.wDay) + _
                      TimeSerial(st.wHour, st.wMinute, st.wSecond)
End Function

You were aware that VB stores Date data, internally, as a Double, right? Some of us can't get out of the habit, still, of using it like that too.

Published

This sample, or the one from which it originally derived, was published (or at least peripherally mentioned) in the following article(s):

• The Keys to Your Controls, Q&A, VBPJ, August 1997
• Let Me Count the Ways, Desktop Developer, VSM, November 2001

APIs Usage

This sample uses the following API calls:

Module	Library	Function
CFileInfo.cls	kernel32 shell32 user32	CloseHandle CreateFile FileTimeToLocalFileTime FileTimeToSystemTime FindClose FindFirstFile GetCompressedFileSize GetFullPathName GetShortPathName LocalFileTimeToFileTime SetFileAttributes SetFileTime SystemTimeToFileTime SHGetFileInfo DestroyIcon
CFileVersionInfo.cls	kernel32 version	GetFullPathName GetSystemDirectory lstrlen lstrlen RtlMoveMemory VerLanguageName GetFileVersionInfo GetFileVersionInfoSize VerQueryValue
FFileInfo.frm	user32	DrawIcon

Download

Please, enjoy and learn from this sample. Include its code within your own projects, if you wish. But, in order to insure only the most recent code is available to all, I ask that you don't share the sample by any form of mass distribution. Download FileInfo.zip, 32Kb, Last Updated: Thursday, 26 July 2001

See Also

The following resources may also be of interest:

• DrvInfo - Provides all kinds of information about any drive in the system.
• FileControls - Combines the native file controls into a single-file, easy-to-use, no-dependency UserControl.