Q179497: HOWTO: Select a Directory Without the Common Dialog Control

Article: Q179497
Product(s): Microsoft Visual Basic for Windows
Version(s): 
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbGrpDSVB
Last Modified: 11-JAN-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual Basic Learning Edition for Windows, versions 5.0, 6.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition for Windows, versions 5.0, 6.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition for Windows, versions 5.0, 6.0 
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SUMMARY
=======

This article demonstrates how to display the directory structure of a computer
and allow a user to select a directory without using the Common Dialog control.

MORE INFORMATION
================

The sample project uses the following API functions to display the directory
structure of a computer:

- SHBrowseForFolder - displays a dialog box that enables the user to select a
  shell folder.

- SHGetPathFromIDList - converts an item identifier list to a file system path.

Create the Sample Project
-------------------------

1. Start a new Standard EXE project in Visual Basic. Form1 is created by
  default.

2. Add a CommandButton to Form1.

3. Copy the following code to the Code window of Form1:

        Option Explicit

        Private Const BIF_RETURNONLYFSDIRS = 1
        Private Const BIF_DONTGOBELOWDOMAIN = 2
        Private Const MAX_PATH = 260

        Private Declare Function SHBrowseForFolder Lib "shell32" _
                                          (lpbi As BrowseInfo) As Long

        Private Declare Function SHGetPathFromIDList Lib "shell32" _
                                          (ByVal pidList As Long, _
                                          ByVal lpBuffer As String) As Long

        Private Declare Function lstrcat Lib "kernel32" Alias "lstrcatA" _
                                          (ByVal lpString1 As String, ByVal _
                                          lpString2 As String) As Long

        Private Type BrowseInfo
           hWndOwner      As Long
           pIDLRoot       As Long
           pszDisplayName As Long
           lpszTitle      As Long
           ulFlags        As Long
           lpfnCallback   As Long
           lParam         As Long
           iImage         As Long
        End Type

        Private Sub Command1_Click()
        'Opens a Treeview control that displays the directories in a computer

           Dim lpIDList As Long
           Dim sBuffer As String
           Dim szTitle As String
           Dim tBrowseInfo As BrowseInfo

           szTitle = "This is the title"
           With tBrowseInfo
              .hWndOwner = Me.hWnd
              .lpszTitle = lstrcat(szTitle, "")
              .ulFlags = BIF_RETURNONLYFSDIRS + BIF_DONTGOBELOWDOMAIN
           End With

           lpIDList = SHBrowseForFolder(tBrowseInfo)

           If (lpIDList) Then
              sBuffer = Space(MAX_PATH)
              SHGetPathFromIDList lpIDList, sBuffer
              sBuffer = Left(sBuffer, InStr(sBuffer, vbNullChar) - 1)
              MsgBox sBuffer
           End If
        End Sub

4. On the Run menu, click Start or press the F5 key to start the program. Click
  the CommandButton to display the directory structure of the computer. Select
  a directory and click the OK button to display the directory you selected in
  a message box.

Additional query words: directory chooser picker kbVBp500 kbVBp600 kbVBp kbdsd kbDSupport 
KBWIN32SDK KBAPI

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Keywords          : kbGrpDSVB 
Technology        : kbVBSearch kbAudDeveloper kbZNotKeyword6 kbZNotKeyword2 kbVB500Search kbVB600Search kbVBA500 kbVBA600 kbVB500 kbVB600
Issue type        : kbhowto

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