ShellApp.BrowseForFolder to give Default Folder and allow browse for any Folder

ShellApp.BrowseForFolder to give Default Folder and allow browse for any Folder

Hi
_1) So in short: I want a code using the ShellApp.BrowseForFolder to give me a Dialogue box which allows
Both
me to browse and select a Folder ( from anywhere on my computer )
and
as well it having initially a default Initial Folder.

I have been struggling to get that and have only been able to get one or the other.
_....

_2) In more detail to help explain exactly what I want:

_ So I use often a code of this form ( Simplified to demo ) to select a Folder, whilst giving also a default suggestion.
_It uses the VBA .FileDialog(msoFileDialogFolderPicker). Nice simple code works well

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(_... the only weird things I note is that on my default suggestion
_a) the syntax is
.InitialFileName =
Which is a bit weird , I would have expected something like
.InitialFolderName =
Or better still
.InitialFolderPath =
_b) i have to add a “\" on the end of my “Initial File name, although that appears on none of my returned Strings..... _...but never mind those, unless out of interest you know why that is?...)

_..............

Now I am happy with that code above. But I would like an alternative, and have seen the ShellApp.BrowseForFolder often given.
Generally I can get the ShellApp.BrowseForFolder version to work , but with a couple of problems .
_ a) I cannot seem to get a form of the dialogue box to come up with
both
a default suggestion
and
the ability to browse for a Folder. I only seem to be able to get one of the other. Here then two examples,
The first, code2a, gives you a default suggestion, but the ability to browse is lost. That makes of course this first code useless – you might as well hard copy the Folder name and be done!!!

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_.......


_b) Code2b allows you to browse, but I have no default suggestion.
In addition, the Folder path returned , comes up sometimes in a peculiar form. For example if I select “Computer” as my Folder, then the correct Folder name is returned as
“Computer”
However the path returned comes out as
"::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}"

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_.....

So can anyone clear up this weirdaty, and give me a code which uses ShellApp.BrowseForFolder and gives me a dialogue box with a default Folder and the ability to browse. ( and returns maybe always the “normal” looking path )

Thanks
Alan
_......
_....

P.s. The documentation is bad, or so my many hours of googling suggests.
I did find some info here:

http://wsh2.uw.hu/ch12f.html

Summarised here are the options. But despite many hours of experimenting I could find no combination the gave my desired dialogue box...

' objDlg.BrowseForFolder(hWnd, Title, Options[, Root])
'
'The first parameter submits a window handle to the dialog box. You should always use the value 0 for this parameter because the script has no handle.
'
'The second parameter specifies the string shown in the dialog box below the title bar
'
'The third parameter is a 32-bit flag that specifies internal features of the dialog box.....
'.... &H0001=1 Only file system folders can be selected. If this bit is set, the OK button is disabled if the user selects a folder that doesn't belong to the file system (such as the Control Panel folder).
'.... &H0002=2 The user is prohibited from browsing below the domain within a network (during a computer search).
'.... &H0004=4 Room for status text is provided under the text box. (I haven't found a way to show the status, however.)
'.... &H0008= etc. Returns file system ancestors only.
'.... &H0010 Shows an edit box in the dialog box for the user to type the name of an item.
'.... &H0020 Validate the name typed in the edit box.
'.... &H1000 Enables the user to browse the network branch of the shell's namespace for computer names.
'.... &H2000 Enables the user to browse the network branch of the shell's namespace for printer names.
'.... &H4000 Allows browsing for everything.
'
'The fourth parameter is optional and can be used to preselect a folder in the dialog box.
' You can submit a string with the folder's path (such as C:\Born) or you can use one of the values below to select a special folder object in the shell's namespace.
' .. 0 The Desktop (virtual) folder is the root directory. Using this constant along with &H0001 for the third parameter circumvents problems with the OK button.
' ..1 Internet Explorer is the root.
' ..2 The Programs folder of the Start menu is the root.
' ..3 The Control Panel folder is the root. The third parameter must be set to &H4000 (browse for everything).
' ..4 The Printers folder is the root. The third parameter must be set to &H4000 (browse for everything).
' ..5 The Documents folder of the Start menu is the root.
' ..6 The Favorites folder of the Start menu is the root.
' ..7 The Startup folder of the Start menu is the root. The third parameter must be set to &H4000 (browse for everything).
' ..8 The Recent folder is the root. The third parameter must be set to &H4000 (browse for everything).
' ..9 The SendTo folder is the root. The third parameter must be set to &H4000 (browse for everything).
' ..10 The Recycle Bin folder is the root. The third parameter must be set to &H4000 (browse for everything).
' ..11 The Start menu folder is the root.
' ..16 The Desktop (physical) folder is the root.
' ..17 My Computer is the root.
' ..18 Network Neighborhood is the root.
' ..19 The Nethood folder is the root.
' ..20 The Fonts folder is the root.
' ..21 The Templates folder is the root.

Rem Ref
' http://www.excelforum.com/excel-prog...ny-folder.html
' http://www.mrexcel.com/forum/excel-q...orkbook-2.html
' http://www.mrexcel.com/forum/excel-q...xcel-file.html

Try this and modify to suit your saving needs:
currently set to save MyFileName.xlsx to the selected folder

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Hi Kevin
Thanks for the reply. Your code is basically the one I gave at the start of the Thread which uses the VBA FileDialog(msoFileDialogFolderPicker). As I mentioned I have no problem with that.

I am trying to do the same using the ShellApp.BrowseForFolder alternative, that is to say using ShellApp.BrowseForFolder to give a dialogue box with a Default Folder and allowing browsing for any Folder

Thanks anyway for taking the time to reply.
Alan

try this

- answer is either 1 OR 2 OR type in full path when requested
- you need to add error traps for bad input!

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Thanks for coming back Kevin and thanks for the code.

_1 ) your code errors at compile at this line

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The error says that ws is not declared.

_2 )
If I understand correctly it is a workaround.

In your basic code idea, If I choose my default path in the First input box, then I do not need to open the Dialogue box to select again that default path.

So a slightly different version of your code would be

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It is a nice workaround Thanks.

But it basically avoids the issue of not being able to browse with a dialogue box which also initially highlights a default Folder using ShellApp.BrowseForFolder

So I will leave the thread as unsolved as
_1) I am puzzled that I cannot achieve the same result as with our simple FileDialog(msoFileDialogFolderPicker) using the ShellApp.BrowseForFolder.
I am wondering if there is a bug, or it is just a case of getting the correct arguments...
In my second code using the ShellApp.BrowseForFolder, for example , the dialogue box comes up thus:
code2aShellAppDialogue.JPG

As i have indicated there is an instruction
“Klicken Sie auf das Symbol neben einem Ordner, um Unterordner anzuzeigen”
Which roughly translate in English to
“Click on the icon next to a folder to display a subfolder”
Clicking anywhere to the left has no effect. If it did you could navigate to choose a different Folder.

_2) The workaround code still gives me a strange output for some things , such as when I select “computer” – instead of it returning the string computer i get the strange
"::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}"
Once again

_....

It is not a big issue.
But maybe someone familiar with the ShellApp.BrowseForFolder can shed some light on where i am going wrong here. I assume it must or should be possible to use the ShellApp.BrowseForFolder to give a Default Folder and allow browse for any Folder in the same dialogue box as we have done with the FileDialog(msoFileDialogFolderPicker)

Thanks again for your reply. Appreciate it
Maybe someone else can enlighten us.

Alan

Try this then

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"Computer" is the highest level folder on my computer. You will need to amend that

Computer.jpg

Sorry Kevin you have lost me. No offence, I am very grateful for your attempts to help. But I think you have missed the point. Apologies if I have not explained well enough.

_.....This last code from you , ( corrected for "Computer" rather than Computer )

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_..................Is equivalent to my original code, code2a, Post #1
This gives me the ability to browse. But not a Default Path

The issue remains trying to use the ShellApp.BrowseForFolder to give a Default Folder and allow browse for any Folder in the same dialogue box as we have done with the FileDialog(msoFileDialogFolderPicker)

Apologies for not being clearer. This is where my mind was heading!

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Hi Kevin,
I understand excactly what you are suggesting.

You have given me in Post #8 the same answer as Post # 4

My reply is the same. It is a nice workaround, thanks. ( But again no need to open the dialogue box if you choose the deafult. - No point in choosing it again! )
'

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_...
Thanks once again for the Workaround.

Alan