Alright... Here is the break down.
This block of code, declares a string variable (File2Find) which will contain the name of the file we are looking to find on the system. Then, we declare a string array (filelist), but we don't mention how big to make it (since we have no idea how big we need it to be just yet). This allows us to change how big or small the array is at any time. The very next line does just that, redim filelist(0) sets the filelist array to have 1 element (arrays start at 0, not 1... if I put a 1 in there, there would be two items, zero and one).
Dim File2Find As String
Dim FileList() As String
ReDim FileList(0)
These next three lines of code are fairly simple. I declare a variant type variable (called wsh). I then force wsh to become an object (a WScript.Shell object). Which creates an instance of "WScript.Shell." This gives me access to files and folders, and the ability to run commands/programs from within my app. Then, we set the File2Find string variable, to "somefile.txt". This can be any file that we are looking for.
Dim wsh
Set wsh = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
File2Find = "somefile.txt"
Next, we open a file for output (for writing). This is a batch file, however..... which is sort of like a DOS Script file. We write 3 lines to this batch file... the first line is fairly irrelevant, but is sort of a tradition now for batch file writers. Basically, it stops the batch file from echoing every command to the screen. Since we end up hiding that window anyway, this line is not needed, but it's good form (I'm talking about @echo off). The next line writes the dos command cd \ to the batch file. That would take the batch file to the root directory of the C: Drive. Then, we do
Print #1, "dir /a/s/b " & File2Find & " >c:\found.dat". What this does, is it searches all directories and sub-directories (and sub-sub directories, etc) showing 1 item per line, and without any unneeded garbage information... only the path and file name. The >c:\found.dat is called "command line redirection". What that means is, the output from the dir command will not actually go to the screen at all. Instead, it will be put into a file called "found.dat". Then we close the file, which saves it. At this point, the batch file has not run yet.... it is simply a file on the C: drive. With the lines in it...
Open "c:\quickrun.bat" For Output As #1
Print #1, "@echo off"
Print #1, "cd \"
Print #1, "dir /a/s/b " & File2Find & " >c:\found.dat"
Close #1
This next line, actually runs the batch file. So first, it turns off echo, then it changes to c:\, then it basically requests a list of every file on the computer, one entry per line. Then it puts that information into the file "c:\found.dat". wsh.run actually runs the batch file. The 0, means don't show the DOS prompt window, just do this hidden. The 1, means wait (do not continue processing my code) until the batch file has finished running (and hence, finished getting a list of every file and folder on the C: drive that matches our file2find So, if we are looking file mydoc.doc, then it would return every document found with the name mydoc.doc... regardless of where it is).
wsh.run "c:\quickrun.bat", 0, 1
This chunk of the program, basically makes sure that the batch file worked (by checking if the file that the batch file makes exists... if it does not, then something is wrong with the batch file... we should pretty much always have this file here.)
If Dir("c:\found.dat", vbNormal) = "" Then
MsgBox "hmmm... something isn't right"
Exit Sub
End If
Since we know the file was found (see above) we open the file so that we can read it's contents (input). Then we loop through the entire file (until we reach end of file (EOF). We read in each line of the file, and we check to make sure that the line is NOT blank or just the enter key. Then we check the size of the FileList Array (the variable we use to contain a list of all the found copies of the searched for file). If the size of the FileList array is 0, then this is the first line of the file, we don't need to change the size of the array. Just assign it (after the else). If it
is greater than 0, then we need to make sure to resize the array for each new line we read in, but we can't lose the data already put into the array. That's what This code
ReDim Preserve FileList(UBound(FileList()) + 1) does. Next, we assign the newly created array item to the line of the file we just read in (which is actually a path to the file you were searching for.).
Open "c:\found.dat" For Input As #1
Do Until EOF(1)
Line Input #1, chk
If chk <> vbNullString And chk <> vbNewLine Then
If UBound(FileList()) > 0 Then
ReDim Preserve FileList(UBound(FileList()) + 1)
FileList(UBound(FileList())) = chk
Else
FileList(0) = chk
End If
End If
Loop
Close #1
These two lines are used to clean up our mess.... we made a batch file, and need to delete it. The batch file made some kind file (a file that contains the redirected output of our dir command... essentially, a list of file names that match our search). Since we made a mess by adding these files to the system, the right thing to do is to delete them. If we try to delete them, however, and the file is not there... the program acts stupid. That's why we test to see if the file is there first, and then if it is, we delete it (with kill).
If Dir("c:\quickrun.bat", vbNormal) <> "" Then Kill "c:\quickrun.bat"
If Dir("c:\found.dat", vbNormal) <> "" Then Kill "c:\found.dat"
Then, we basically loop through all of the found filenames, and make sure they aren't blank lines (again). Then we simply display the path and filename to the searched item in a msgbox.
For Each xFile In FileList()
If xFile <> vbNullString Then
MsgBox xFile
End If
Next xFile
And that about wraps it up.
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