How to Attach a file in VB

[azhagiri]

hi all,
i am new bie to vb and to this forum. i have started learning vb and i am doing project of my own in my pc.

i don't know how to attach a file in a form.(not in mail). ie i have a form where the user were allowed to attach a file. the details should be stored in database and when the user come later he can able to see the file he has attached.

i know how to attach a file in php and i have done lot of project using php but i don't know how to do the same in vb.

plz help me to solve this problem.

Thanks in advance,
S.Azhagiri

[pclement]

What do you mean by attach? I don't really know anything about PHP so I'm not sure what the equivalent would be in Visual Basic.

Perhaps you're looking for the Visual Basic OLE control?

[Amahdy]

Or maybe u want the commn dialog control, do u want a browse button with a textbox to choose a file and put path in it for example ? or what do u want to do exactly ?

[azhagiri]

hi amahdy & paul,
thanx for ur reply. i want a browse button with a textbox to choose a file and put path. so that when the user clicks the submit button all the details should be stored in the database. in php we will create a folder in server and we will store the file in that folder and in the database we will give the path of that file which matches the path in the common folder (ie while from the file textbox we will extract only the file name)

but i don't know how to do the same in the vb.

the reason why i want this is : in my case i should allow the user to store the file they have completed in a day and submit it for evaluation. later the evaluator can come to his panel and can see the work of the user and can evaluate by opening the file.

i want to attach all type of files like word/excel/psg/html/flash etc.

is there any way to do this.

plz help me i am struck with this point.

hope i have explained my status clearly

awaiting for ur reply ASAP

Thanks & regards,
S.Azhagiri

[Ron Weller]

As far as browsing is concerned, in VB you want the CommonDialog control. Then you set the properties, like dialog title, the filter ("All Files |*.*"), Default extension, Initial Directory, ect., then call the ShowOpen method.
If the len of the FileName property is not zero then you got the filename. You will need to seperate the actual file name from the path.
At this point you have the file name so you can use FileCopy to put a copy in a common directory.
CommonDialog And FileCopy are all in the VB Help files, so you can look them up and see all of the various options.

[azhagiri]

As far as browsing is concerned, in VB you want the CommonDialog control. Then you set the properties, like dialog title, the filter ("All Files |*.*"), Default extension, Initial Directory, ect., then call the ShowOpen method.
If the len of the FileName property is not zero then you got the filename. You will need to seperate the actual file name from the path.
At this point you have the file name so you can use FileCopy to put a copy in a common directory.
CommonDialog And FileCopy are all in the VB Help files, so you can look them up and see all of the various options.

Hi ron,
thanx for ur reply. i got the logic what u said. i would be happy if u give me
some sample code for showopen() and for filecopy() method. the other doubt i have is how can i find out the len of file name.

sorry to trouble u once again as i am new bie to vb i dont have much idea on how to use these function. i wuld be happy if u give some url which explains all these functions in detail.

awaiting for ur reply

Thanx and Regards,
S.Azhagiri

[Ron Weller]

Here is a little function that you can add to your forms module. Make sure to add a commondialog control to the form.

Function StoreFile() As String
  'Make sFile Static so it will remember the last file selected
  Static sFile As String
  Dim sPath As String
  Dim p As Long

  With CommonDialog1
    .DialogTitle = "Store File"
    .CancelError = False
    .Filter = "All Files (*.*)|*.*"
    .DefaultExt = ".txt"
    .FileName = sFile
    .InitDir = CurDir
    .CancelError = True
    Err.Clear
    On Error Resume Next
    .ShowOpen
    If Len(.FileName) = 0 Or Err.Number <> 0 Then GoTo Done
    On Error GoTo Err
    sFile = .FileName
  End With

  'seperate Path From File Name
  p = InStrRev(sFile, "\")
  sPath = Left(sFile, p)
  sFile = Mid(sFile, p + 1)

  'copy file to programs install directory
  FileCopy sPath & sFile, App.Path & "\" & sFile

  'Return File Name So it can be saved
  StoreFile = sFile

Done:
  Exit Function
Err:
   MsgBox Err.Description, vbCritical, "StoreFile"
   Resume Done
   Resume

End Function

[azhagiri]

Here is a little function that you can add to your forms module. Make sure to add a commondialog control to the form.

Function StoreFile() As String
  'Make sFile Static so it will remember the last file selected
  Static sFile As String
  Dim sPath As String
  Dim p As Long

  With CommonDialog1
    .DialogTitle = "Store File"
    .CancelError = False
    .Filter = "All Files (*.*)|*.*"
    .DefaultExt = ".txt"
    .FileName = sFile
    .InitDir = CurDir
    .CancelError = True
    Err.Clear
    On Error Resume Next
    .ShowOpen
    If Len(.FileName) = 0 Or Err.Number <> 0 Then GoTo Done
    On Error GoTo Err
    sFile = .FileName
  End With

  'seperate Path From File Name
  p = InStrRev(sFile, "\")
  sPath = Left(sFile, p)
  sFile = Mid(sFile, p + 1)

  'copy file to programs install directory
  FileCopy sPath & sFile, App.Path & "\" & sFile

  'Return File Name So it can be saved
  StoreFile = sFile

Done:
  Exit Function
Err:
   MsgBox Err.Description, vbCritical, "StoreFile"
   Resume Done
   Resume

End Function

hi ron,
once again thanx for ur reply. and i have tryed the similar type of code in my pc yesterday it was working fine and i am able to store the file path in the database and the file is getting stored in the directory which i have specified.

everything is working fine for me. but in the admin mode i am diplaying the link to the admin where the file is located. when the admin clicks the links either the file has to open or it should be downloaded in his system.

but it is not happening to me. i was trying to open the file using ShellExecute API function but it was not opening. is there any way to do the download the file when the admin clicks the link.

i once again thanx u for showing favour for me and giving the code.

waiting for ur reply

Thanx and Regards,
S.Azhagiri

[Ron Weller]

If you copy the file to a common directory, then you do not realy need the path because you know it is in the common directory. All you need to save it the file name itself. As far as opening the file you need to reference it relative to the server. As you see here in my sample I reference the file from my server "Dell-xps". The standard URL reference for a server is with the double slashes (\\Dell-xps). The rest is from the servers C drive to the All Users documents and music folder and of course the file to open.

Private Declare Function ShellExecute Lib "shell32.dll" Alias "ShellExecuteA" (ByVal hWnd As Long, ByVal lpOperation As String, ByVal lpFile As String, ByVal lpParameters As String, ByVal lpDirectory As String, ByVal nShowCmd As Long) As Long

'Launch Any Registered File Without Knowing The Associated App.

Public Function LaunchApp(ByVal URL As String) As Long
  On Error Resume Next
  Dim strFile As String
  strFile = ShellExecute(0&, vbNullString, URL, vbNullString, vbNullString, vbNormalFocus)
End Function

Sub OpenFile()
  Dim file As String
  
  'File and path need quotes qround them so file = """..."""
  
  file = """\\Dell-xps\C\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\My Music\Vladimir_Horowitz-Etude_In_C_Minor_Op_25_No_12_Chopin.mp3"""
  LaunchApp file      'opens the file in it's appropriate app

End Sub

[azhagiri]

If you copy the file to a common directory, then you do not realy need the path because you know it is in the common directory. All you need to save it the file name itself. As far as opening the file you need to reference it relative to the server. As you see here in my sample I reference the file from my server "Dell-xps". The standard URL reference for a server is with the double slashes (\\Dell-xps). The rest is from the servers C drive to the All Users documents and music folder and of course the file to open.

Private Declare Function ShellExecute Lib "shell32.dll" Alias "ShellExecuteA" (ByVal hWnd As Long, ByVal lpOperation As String, ByVal lpFile As String, ByVal lpParameters As String, ByVal lpDirectory As String, ByVal nShowCmd As Long) As Long

'Launch Any Registered File Without Knowing The Associated App.

Public Function LaunchApp(ByVal URL As String) As Long
  On Error Resume Next
  Dim strFile As String
  strFile = ShellExecute(0&, vbNullString, URL, vbNullString, vbNullString, vbNormalFocus)
End Function

Sub OpenFile()
  Dim file As String
  
  'File and path need quotes qround them so file = """..."""
  
  file = """\\Dell-xps\C\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\My Music\Vladimir_Horowitz-Etude_In_C_Minor_Op_25_No_12_Chopin.mp3"""
  LaunchApp file      'opens the file in it's appropriate app

End Sub

ya i accept ur point that we don't need the path if the file is stored in common directory. but in my case when the admin open his panel he/she has to view the other user request along with their attachment. to let the admin know that there is an attachment with the message i am giving some text as "attachment" after the message. when the user click the attachment it has to open the attached file.

i am working on the code given by u. i have doubt in the code. if i am using the application in my local system how can i reffer the file and open it. (u told that from server u refer the file by \\Dell-xps\ ). if it is local system can we use the directory directly such as C\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\My Music\Vladimir_Horowitz-Etude_In_C_Minor_Op_25_No_12_Chopin.mp3 )

Thanx and Regards,
S.Azhagiri

[Ron Weller]

I see, so you are tracking the entire transaction, that makes sence.

Yes you can reference the file locally, in my original example, if that were a local reference then you would leave off the server part and add back in the colon in the drive reference, like this:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\My Music\Vladimir_Horowitz-Etude_In_C_Minor_Op_25_No_12_Chopin.mp3

[azhagiri]

I see, so you are tracking the entire transaction, that makes sence.

Yes you can reference the file locally, in my original example, if that were a local reference then you would leave off the server part and add back in the colon in the drive reference, like this:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\My Music\Vladimir_Horowitz-Etude_In_C_Minor_Op_25_No_12_Chopin.mp3

Thanx ron,
thanx a lot for ur guidance and code. still i am working on the code gn by u and i will get back to u ASAP if it is working fine or if i face some problems.

u have shown me a way when i was struggling alone. thanx a lot

With Regards,
S.Azhagiri