Visual Basic File API Routines

FindFirstFile: Comparison of FindFirstFile and SearchTreeForFile
     
Posted:   Wednesday October 3, 1999
Updated:   Monday December 26, 2011
     
Applies to:   VB4-32, VB5, VB6
Developed with:   VB6, Windows NT4
OS restrictions:   Requires Imagehlp.dll for the SearchTreeForFile API
Author:   VBnet - Randy Birch
     

Related:  

FindFirstFile: Recursive File Search for Single or Multiple File Types (minimal code)
FindFirstFile: Recursive File Search Including/Excluding Single or Multiple File Types (minimal code)
FindFirstFile: Recursive Search for Folders Using a Folder Mask (minimal code)
FindFirstFile: Changing File and/or Folder Attributes Recursively
FindFirstFile: Fast Directory File Count

FindFirstFile: Extract Filename from a Full Path
FindFirstFile: Performance Comparison - FSO vs. API
FindFirstFile: Comparison of FindFirstFile and SearchTreeForFile
FindFirstFile: Save a Recursive Search of All Drives to Disk
FindFirstFile: Save a Recursive Search of Specified Drives to Disk
GetFileVersionInfo: File Search and File Property Info
GetLogicalDriveStrings: An API 'DriveExists' Routine
FindFirstFile: An API 'FileExists' Routine
FindFirstFile: An API 'FolderExists' Routine
     
 Prerequisites
Imagehlp.dll for the SearchTreeForFile API methods. On NT this requires version 4.0 or later. On Win9x, this requires Windows 95 or later. The DLL is available as a redistributable for Windows 95x.

The four methods presents here making use of the FindFirstFile/FindNextFile and SearchTreeForFile APIs provide extremely rapid searching of the file system for either a specific file, files matching a particular filename or filespec, or folders.

As coded, the routines make use of a compact User-Defined Type for passing the search parameters to the routines and receiving the results, similar to the method used by popular APIs (including the FindXXX methods here). This UDT technique provides for extending the capabilities of a routine by simply adding a new member to the UDT and coding for it.

The four methods shown can be broken into two categories. The first two methods - "Search for Files" and "Search for Folders" - use the FindFirst/FindNextFile APIs available on all Win32 systems to search within a tight loop for a specified filename/extension on the target path.

The last two methods -"Search Drive for File" and "Search System for File" - use the SearchTreeForFile API, available when the newer imagehlp.dll libraries are installed, typically as part of an operating system upgrade. SearchTreeForFile takes a base (initial root) folder and searches the under that folder drive for file matching the filename specified, returning its full location. The "Search System for File" method also makes use of GetLogicalDriveStrings to allow full-system (multi-drive) searching across both local and mapped network drives. The GetLogicalDriveStrings method could be easily added to the FindFirst methods to perform a similar system-wide search using those APIs instead.

There is a primary difference between the FindFirst and SearchTreeForFile methodologies. SearchTreeForFile methods return only the first single file matching an exact filespec criteria, and does not accept wildcards in the search. This limitation is not present in the FindXXX methods. FindFirstFile, on successfully locating a file or folder satisfying the initial filespec criteria, returns a handle to be used for subsequent calls by its corresponding FindNextFile API.  The data of each retrieved folder or file is returned in each call wrapped in a WIN32_FIND_DATA structure. The dwFileAttributes member of WIN32_FIND_DATA can be used to determine if the returned item is a file or folder when AND'd with the VB (or WinAPI) constant vbDirectory. 

When "No Listing" is unchecked, the routines populate a listbox with retrieved data. Commends below indicate show how easily the code could be changed to instead populate an array or collection, or to create a file location mechanism when a partial filename / file spec was provided.

When "No Listing" is selected, the FindXXX methods skip populating the listbox providing an extremely rapid file counting / file size / file locating mechanism.

The default mode coded is to search only the specified folder. When the "Recurse" button is checked, the specified folder, and all subfolders under it are searched.  When a drive is specified as the source path, the recursion searches all folders on the drive. To search for multiple file types (ie a search for all *.frm;*.bas files) by specifying such a pattern as the extension of interest, see FindFirstFile: Recursive File Search for Single or Multiple File Types (minimal code) and FindFirstFile: Recursive File Search Including/Excluding Single or Multiple File Types (minimal code)

 BAS Module Code
None.

 Form Code
Create a new project with a form containing controls as shown in the illustration, and configured as: three text boxes (Text1, Text2, Text3), a combo box (Combo1), and four command buttons (Command1 - Command4). In addition, add two check boxes (Check1 and Check2). Finally, add a listbox (List1), label as desired, and add the following code:

Option Explicit
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' Copyright ©1996-2011 VBnet/Randy Birch, All Rights Reserved.
' Some pages may also contain other copyrights by the author.
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' Distribution: You can freely use this code in your own
'               applications, but you may not reproduce 
'               or publish this code on any web site,
'               online service, or distribute as source 
'               on any media without express permission.
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Private Const MAXDWORD As Long = &HFFFFFFFF
Private Const MAX_PATH As Long = 260
Private Const INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE As Long = -1
Private Const FILE_ATTRIBUTE_ARCHIVE As Long = &H20
Private Const FILE_ATTRIBUTE_COMPRESSED As Long = &H800
Private Const FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY As Long = &H10
Private Const FILE_ATTRIBUTE_HIDDEN As Long = &H2
Private Const FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL As Long = &H80
Private Const FILE_ATTRIBUTE_READONLY As Long = &H1
Private Const FILE_ATTRIBUTE_TEMPORARY As Long = &H100
Private Const FILE_ATTRIBUTE_FLAGS = FILE_ATTRIBUTE_ARCHIVE Or _
                                     FILE_ATTRIBUTE_HIDDEN Or _
                                     FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL Or _
                                     FILE_ATTRIBUTE_READONLY

Private Const DRIVE_UNKNOWN As Long = 0
Private Const DRIVE_NO_ROOT_DIR As Long = 1
Private Const DRIVE_REMOVABLE As Long = 2
Private Const DRIVE_FIXED As Long = 3
Private Const DRIVE_REMOTE As Long = 4
Private Const DRIVE_CDROM As Long = 5
Private Const DRIVE_RAMDISK As Long = 6

Private Type FILETIME
   dwLowDateTime As Long
   dwHighDateTime As Long
End Type

Private Type WIN32_FIND_DATA
   dwFileAttributes As Long
   ftCreationTime As FILETIME
   ftLastAccessTime As FILETIME
   ftLastWriteTime As FILETIME
   nFileSizeHigh As Long
   nFileSizeLow As Long
   dwReserved0 As Long
   dwReserved1 As Long
   cFileName As String * MAX_PATH
   cAlternate As String * 14
End Type

'custom UDT for searching - add additional members if required
Private Type FILE_PARAMS
   bRecurse As Boolean     'set True to perform a recursive search
   bList As Boolean        'set True to add results to listbox
   bFound As Boolean       'set only with SearchTreeForFile methods
   sFileRoot As String     'search starting point, ie c:\, c:\winnt\
   sFileNameExt As String  'filename/filespec to locate, ie *.dll, notepad.exe
   sResult As String       'path to file. Set only with SearchTreeForFile methods
   nFileCount As Long      'total file count matching filespec. Set in FindXXX only
   nFileSize As Double     'total file size matching filespec. Set in FindXXX only
End Type

Private Declare Function FindClose Lib "kernel32" _
  (ByVal hFindFile As Long) As Long
   
Private Declare Function FindFirstFile Lib "kernel32" _
   Alias "FindFirstFileA" _
  (ByVal lpFileName As String, _
   lpFindFileData As WIN32_FIND_DATA) As Long
   
Private Declare Function FindNextFile Lib "kernel32" _
   Alias "FindNextFileA" _
  (ByVal hFindFile As Long, _
   lpFindFileData As WIN32_FIND_DATA) As Long

Private Declare Function SearchTreeForFile Lib "imagehlp" _
  (ByVal sFileRoot As String, _
   ByVal InputPathName As String, _
   ByVal OutputPathBuffer As String) As Boolean

Private Declare Function GetLogicalDriveStrings Lib "kernel32" _
   Alias "GetLogicalDriveStringsA" _
  (ByVal nBufferLength As Long, _
   ByVal lpBuffer As String) As Long

Private Declare Function GetDriveType Lib "kernel32" _
   Alias "GetDriveTypeA" _
  (ByVal nDrive As String) As Long


Private Sub Form_Load()

   With Combo1
      .AddItem "*.*"
      .AddItem "*.dll"
      .AddItem "*.exe"
      .AddItem "*.ini"
      .AddItem "*.ocx"
      .AddItem "*.vxd"
      .ListIndex = 0
   End With
   
End Sub

Private Sub Command1_Click()

   Dim FP As FILE_PARAMS
   
   Call DisplayInit
   
   With FP
      .sFileRoot = Text1.Text
      .sFileNameExt = Combo1.Text
      .bRecurse = Check1.Value = 1
      .bList = Check2.Value = 0
   End With
   
   Call SearchForFiles(FP)
   Call DisplayResults(FP)
   
End Sub

Private Sub Command2_Click()

   Dim FP As FILE_PARAMS
   
   Call DisplayInit
   
   With FP
      .sFileRoot = Text1.Text
      .sFileNameExt = "*.*"
      .bRecurse = Check1.Value = 1
      .bList = Check2.Value = 0
   End With
   
   Call SearchForFolders(FP)
   Call DisplayResults(FP)
   
End Sub


Private Sub Command3_Click()

   Dim FP As FILE_PARAMS
   
   Call DisplayInit
   
   With FP
      .sFileRoot = "c:\"   
      .sFileNameExt = "wordpad.exe" 
   End With
   
   Call SearchPathForFile(FP)
   Call DisplayResults(FP)

End Sub


Private Sub Command4_Click()

   Dim FP As FILE_PARAMS
   
   Call DisplayInit
   
   With FP
      .sFileRoot = "c:\"
      .sFileNameExt = "vb6.exe"  
   End With
      
   Call SearchSystemForFile(FP)
   Call DisplayResults(FP)
   
End Sub


Private Sub DisplayInit()

  'common routine to initialize display
   Text2.Text = "Working ..."
   Text3.Text = ""
   Text2.Refresh
   Text3.Refresh
   
   List1.Clear
   List1.Visible = False
   
End Sub


Private Sub DisplayResults(FP As FILE_PARAMS)

  'a common routine to display search results

  'this defaults to show the size and count
  'containing in the FP type members, but if
  'FP.sResult is filled (from the Drive and
  'System search methods), that is shown instead.
  
   Text2.Text = Format$(FP.nFileCount, "###,###,###,##0") & _
                   & " found (" & FP.sFileNameExt & ")"
                   
   Text3.Text = Format$(FP.nFileSize, "###,###,###,###,###,###,##0") & " bytes"
                                    
   If Len(FP.sResult) > 0 Then
   
      Text2.Text = "found:    " & FP.bFound
      Text3.Text = "location: " & FP.sResult
   
   End If

   List1.Visible = True

End Sub


Private Function QualifyPath(sPath As String) As String

  'assures that a passed path ends in a slash
  
   If Right$(sPath, 1) <> "\" Then
      QualifyPath = sPath & "\"
   Else
      QualifyPath = sPath
   End If
      
End Function


Function StripItem(startStrg As String) As String

  'Take a string separated by Chr(0)'s, 
  'and split off 1 item, and shorten the 
  'string so that the next item is ready 
  'for removal.
   Dim pos As Integer
   
   pos = InStr(startStrg, Chr$(0))
   
   If pos Then
      StripItem = Mid(startStrg, 1, pos - 1)
      startStrg = Mid(startStrg, pos + 1, Len(startStrg))
   End If
   
End Function


Private Function TrimNull(startstr As String) As String

  'returns the string up to the first
  'null, if present, or the passed string
   Dim pos As Integer
   
   pos = InStr(startstr, Chr$(0))
   
   If pos Then
      TrimNull = Left$(startstr, pos - 1)
      Exit Function
   End If
  
   TrimNull = startstr
  
End Function


Private Function GetFileInformation(FP As FILE_PARAMS) As Long

  'local working variables
   Dim WFD As WIN32_FIND_DATA
   Dim hFile As Long
   Dim nSize As Long
   Dim sPath As String
   Dim sRoot As String
   Dim sTmp As String
      
  'FP.sFileRoot (assigned to sRoot) contains
  'the path to search.
  '
  'FP.sFileNameExt (assigned to sPath) contains
  'the full path and filespec.
   sRoot = QualifyPath(FP.sFileRoot)
   sPath = sRoot & FP.sFileNameExt
   
  'obtain handle to the first filespec match
   hFile = FindFirstFile(sPath, WFD)
   
  'if valid ...
   If hFile <> INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE Then

      Do
      
        'remove trailing nulls
         sTmp = TrimNull(WFD.cFileName)
         
        'Even though this routine uses filespecs,
        '*.* is still valid and will cause the search
        'to return folders as well as files, so a
        'check against folders is still required.
         If Not (WFD.dwFileAttributes And FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY) _
            = FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY Then
      
           'file found, so increase the file count
            FP.nFileCount = FP.nFileCount + 1
            
           'retrieve the size and assign to nSize to
           'be returned at the end of this function call
            nSize = nSize + (WFD.nFileSizeHigh * (MAXDWORD + 1)) + WFD.nFileSizeLow
            
           'add to the list if the flag indicates
            If FP.bList Then List1.AddItem sRoot & sTmp
         
         End If
         
      Loop While FindNextFile(hFile, WFD)
      
      
     'close the handle
      hFile = FindClose(hFile)
   
   End If
   
  'return the size of files found
   GetFileInformation = nSize

End Function


Private Function SearchPathForFile(FP As FILE_PARAMS) As Boolean
  
   Dim sResult As String
    
  'pad a return string and search the passed drive
   sResult = Space(MAX_PATH)

  'SearchTreeForFile returns True (1) if found,
  'or False otherwise. If True, sResult holds
  'the full path.
   FP.bFound = SearchTreeForFile(FP.sFileRoot, FP.sFileNameExt, sResult)
       
  'if found, strip the trailing nulls and exit
      If FP.bFound Then
      FP.sResult = LCase$(TrimNull(sResult))
   End If
    
   SearchPathForFile = FP.bFound
    
End Function


Private Function SearchSystemForFile(FP As FILE_PARAMS) As Boolean

   Dim nSize As Long
   Dim sBuffer As String
   Dim currDrive As String
   Dim sResult As String
       
  'retrieve the available drives on the system
   sBuffer = Space$(64)
   nSize = GetLogicalDriveStrings(Len(sBuffer), sBuffer)
   
  'nSize returns the size of the drive string
   If nSize Then
   
     'strip off trailing nulls
      sBuffer = Left$(sBuffer, nSize)
     
     'search each fixed disk drive for the file
      Do Until sBuffer = ""

        'strip off one drive item from sBuffer
         FP.sFileRoot = StripItem(sBuffer)

        'just search the local file system
         If GetDriveType(FP.sFileRoot) = DRIVE_FIXED Then
         
           'this may take a while, so update the
           'display when the search path changes
            Text2.Text = "Working ... searching drive " & FP.sFileRoot
            Text2.Refresh
            
           'pad a return string and search the passed drive
            sResult = Space(MAX_PATH)
      
            FP.bFound = SearchTreeForFile(FP.sFileRoot, FP.sFileNameExt, sResult)
            
           'if found, strip the trailing nulls and exit
            If FP.bFound Then
               FP.sResult = LCase$(TrimNull(sResult))
               Exit Do
            End If
         
         End If
      
      Loop
      
   End If
      
   SearchSystemForFile = FP.bFound

End Function


Private Function SearchForFiles(FP As FILE_PARAMS) As Double

  'local working variables
   Dim WFD As WIN32_FIND_DATA
   Dim hFile As Long
   Dim nSize As Long
   Dim sPath As String
   Dim sRoot As String
   Dim sTmp As String
      
   sRoot = QualifyPath(FP.sFileRoot)
   sPath = sRoot & "*.*"
   
  'obtain handle to the first match
   hFile = FindFirstFile(sPath, WFD)
   
  'if valid ...
   If hFile <> INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE Then
   
     'This is where the method obtains the file
     'list and data for the folder passed.
     '
     'GetFileInformation function returns the size,
     'in bytes, of the files found matching the
     'filespec in the passed folder, so it is
     'assigned to nSize. It is not directly assigned
     'to FP.nFileSize because nSize is incremented
     'below if a recursive search was specified.
      nSize = GetFileInformation(FP)
      FP.nFileSize = nSize

      Do
      
        'if the returned item is a folder...
         If (WFD.dwFileAttributes And FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY) Then
            
           '..and the Recurse flag was specified
            If FP.bRecurse Then
            
              'remove trailing nulls
               sTmp = TrimNull(WFD.cFileName)
               
              'and if the folder is not the default
              'self and parent folders...
               If sTmp <> "." And sTmp <> ".." Then
               
                 '..then the item is a real folder, which
                 'may contain other sub folders, so assign
                 'the new folder name to FP.sFileRoot and
                 'recursively call this function again with
                 'the ammended information.
                 '
                 'Since nSize is a local variable, whose value
                 'is both set above as well as returned as the
                 'function call value, the nSize needs to be
                 'added to previous calls in order to maintain accuracy.
                 '
                 'However, because the nFileSize member of
                 'FILE_PARAMS is passed back and forth through
                 'the calls, nSize is simply assigned to it
                 'after the recursive call finishes.
                  FP.sFileRoot = sRoot & sTmp
                  nSize = nSize + SearchForFiles(FP)
                  FP.nFileSize = nSize
                  
               End If
               
            End If
            
         End If
         
     'continue looping until FindNextFile returns
     '0 (no more matches)
      Loop While FindNextFile(hFile, WFD)
      
     'close the find handle
      hFile = FindClose(hFile)
   
   End If
   
  'because this routine is recursive, return
  'the size of matching files
   SearchForFiles = nSize
   
End Function


Private Function SearchForFolders(FP As FILE_PARAMS) As Long

   Dim WFD As WIN32_FIND_DATA
   Dim hFile As Long
   Dim sRoot As String
   Dim sPath As String
   Dim sTmp As String
   Dim nCount As Long
   
   sRoot = QualifyPath(FP.sFileRoot)
   sPath = sRoot & FP.sFileNameExt
   
  'obtain handle to the first match
   hFile = FindFirstFile(sPath, WFD)
   
  'if valid ...
   If hFile <> INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE Then
         
      Do
         
        'We only want folders in this method.
         If (WFD.dwFileAttributes And FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY) Then
         
           'remove trailing nulls
            sTmp = TrimNull(WFD.cFileName)
         
           'and if not the default system folders
            If sTmp <> "." And sTmp <> ".." Then
            
              'count it and add to the list if the flag indicates
               nCount = nCount + 1
               If FP.bList Then List1.AddItem sRoot & sTmp
            
              'if a recursive search was selected, call
              'this method again with a modified root
               If FP.bRecurse Then
               
                  FP.sFileRoot = sRoot & sTmp
                  nCount = nCount + SearchForFolders(FP)
                  
               End If
               
              'this is outside the recurse code in case
              'a single path-search was specified
               FP.nFileCount = nCount
               
            End If
         End If
         
      Loop While FindNextFile(hFile, WFD)
      
     'close the handle
      hFile = FindClose(hFile)
   
   End If

  'since folders are 0-length, return the count instead
   SearchForFolders = nCount
   
End Function
 Comments
Before running, assure that any hard-coded paths in the Command button events reflect accurate paths on your system.

Since this example uses the listbox to return the results, on systems containing many files you may eventually hit the listbox item limit of 32k items. While there is no practical or reliable way to extend the number of items a listbox can contain (without resorting to an owner-drawn control), you can increase the number of files read (if exceeding the size of a Long), by declaring the appropriate variables as Currency instead.

Note: While it may be convenient to utilize VB's built-in constants in place of the FILE_ATTRIBUTE_* API values, care must be taken. There is a difference between related constant values that may cause unexpected performance at some point. For example, the constant 'vbNormal' is defined as having a value of 0, whereas the API FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL has a value of &H80 (decimal 128).


 
 

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