What is Excel VBA Application.GetOpenFileName?
VBA GetOpenFilename is a method in Excel that allows you to display the standard Windows “Open File” dialog box to the user. This dialog box enables users to browse their computer’s file system and select one or more files. Once file/files are selected, this method returns the file path(s) as a string or an array of strings, depending on whether the MultiSelect argument is used.
In the example below, we will understand the use of “Application.GetOpenFilename” method.
It begins by declaring a variable called FilePath of the Variant data type. The VBA code then calls the VBA GetOpenFilename method, which opens the standard Windows “Open File” dialog box, allowing the user to choose any file type since the filter is set to “All Files (.).”
If the user selects a file and doesn’t cancel the operation, the code displays a message box with the selected file’s path.
However, if the user cancels the operation or doesn’t select a file, it shows a different message box indicating that no file was selected or that the operation was canceled.
Table of contents
Key Takeaways
- The VBA GetOpenFilename method in Excel VBA is used to display the standard Windows “Open File” dialog box, allowing users to select one or more files.
- When using the VBA GetOpenFilename method, if the user clicks the ‘Cancel’ button in the ‘Open File’ dialog box, the method typically returns the string ‘False,’ indicating a VBA GetOpenFilename cancel action.
- When utilizing the VBA GetOpenFilename method, you can specify a default path to guide users to a particular location when the ‘Open File’ dialog box is displayed, ensuring that the VBA GetOpenFilename default path is set according to your requirements.
- VBA GetOpenFilename can be configured to allow users to select multiple files by setting the VBA GetOpenFilename MultiSelect argument to True. In this case, the result is an array of selected file paths.
How to Use GetOpenFileName in Excel VBA?
To use VBA GetOpenFilename in Excel, follow these steps:
- In the Excel workbook, press ALT + F11 to open the Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) editor.
- Inside the VBA editor, go to Insert → Module to insert a new module where you can write your VBA code.
- Before using VBA GetOpenFilename, declare a variable to store the selected file’s path.
You can use the Dim statement for this. For example:
Dim FilePath As Variant - Next, use the Application.GetOpenFilename method to display the “Open File” dialog box.
You can specify file filters and other options. Here’s an example:
FilePath = Application.GetOpenFilename(“Text Files (*.txt), *.txt”)
In this example, the code displays the dialog box with a filter for text files (*.txt) and stores the selected file’s path in the FilePath variable. - After calling GetOpenFilename, it’s essential to check if the user actually selected a file.
You can use an If statement for this purpose. For example:
If FilePath <> “False” Then
This line checks if the value in the FilePath variable is not equal to the string “False.” If it’s not “False,” it means a file was selected. - Inside the If block, you can write code to process the selected file.
For example, you can display a message box with the file path:
MsgBox “Selected File: ” & FilePath - It’s also important to handle cases where the user cancels the file selection or doesn’t select a file.
This can be done using an Else block:
Else
MsgBox “No file selected or operation canceled.”
End If - Close the VBA Editor and return to your Excel workbook.
To run the VBA code, press Alt + F8 to open the “Macro” dialog box, select the macro you created (e.g., “OpenFile”), and click the “Run” button.
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Examples
Example #1 – Multi-File Selection
This example allows the user to select multiple text files using the VBA GetOpenFileName MultiSelect argument.
- Step 1: In the new module, we first start by defining a new subroutine named “OpenMultipleFiles.”
- Step 2: Here, we declare a variable named FilePaths of the Variant data type to store the selected file paths (which can be an array of strings).
- Step 3: In this line, we use “Open File” Dialog Box with Multi-Select Enabled. This line displays the “Open File” dialog box with a filter for text files (*.txt) and multi-select enabled.
The selected file paths are stored in the FilePaths variable, which can be an array of strings.
- Step 4: Here, we use an If statement to check if multiple files were selected (i.e., FilePaths is an array).
- Step 5: If multiple files were selected, this line displays a message box showing the selected file paths. Join is used to combine the array elements into a single string with line breaks.
- Step 6: If only one file was selected (not an array), this line checks if it’s not “False” (i.e., the user didn’t cancel).
- Step 7: If a single file was selected, this line displays a message box with the MsgBox function showing the selected file path.
- Step 8: If no file was selected or the user canceled the operation, this section of code displays a message box indicating that no file was selected or the operation was canceled.
- Step 9: Now, save the macro and run the code. Once the code is executed, it will open a window displaying the “Open File” dialog box. This dialog box allows you to select one or more text files.
After selecting files and confirming the selection, the code captures the file paths. If multiple files are chosen, their paths will be presented in a message box, separated by line breaks.
In the event that no files are chosen or the operation is canceled, the code prompts a message box with the text “No file selected or operation canceled.”
Here is the full code:
Sub OpenMultipleFiles()
Dim FilePaths As Variant
FilePaths = Application.GetOpenFilename(“Text Files (*.txt), *.txt”, , “Select multiple files”, , True)
If IsArray(FilePaths) Then
MsgBox “Selected Files: ” & Join(FilePaths, vbCrLf)
ElseIf FilePaths <> “False” Then
MsgBox “Selected File: ” & FilePaths
Else
MsgBox “No file selected or operation canceled.”
End If
End Sub
Example #2 – Custom File Filter
In this example, we will see how to filter for Excel files only, making it easy to open Excel workbooks using the VBA GetOpenFilename filefilter method.
- Step 1: In the new module, start by creating a new subroutine named “OpenExcelFile.”
- Step 2: Here, we declare a variable named FilePath of the Variant VBA data type to store the selected file path.
- Step 3: In this line, we display the “Open File” Dialog Box with Custom Filter for Excel files (*.xls and *.xlsx).
Then the selected file path is stored in the FilePath variable.
- Step 4: In this line, we employ an “If” statement to verify whether a file has been chosen. In cases where the user cancels the dialog, the VBA GetOpenFilename method returns the string “False.”
- Step 5: Should a file have been chosen, this line of code proceeds to initiate the opening of the selected Excel file using the Workbooks.Open method.
- Step 6: In the event that either no file was chosen, or the user canceled the operation, this segment of the code will trigger the display of a message box, notifying the absence of file selection or the cancellation of the operation.
- Step 7: Now, save the macro and click on run.
When you run the “OpenExcelFile” code, it opens the “Open File” dialog box, allowing you to select an Excel file (*.xls or *.xlsx).
If a file is chosen and not canceled, the selected file is opened in a new Excel workbook.
If no file is selected or the operation is canceled, a message box appears with the text “No file selected or operation canceled.”
Here is the full code:
Sub OpenExcelFile()
Dim FilePath As Variant
FilePath = Application.GetOpenFilename(“Excel Files (.xls;.xlsx), .xls;.xlsx”)
If FilePath <> “False” Then
Workbooks.Open FilePath
Else
MsgBox “No file selected or operation canceled.”
End If
End Sub
Important Things to Note
- Ensure that you include proper error handling in VBA for situations where the user cancels the file selection.
- Use descriptive file filters to help users select the right files easily.
- The return value of VBA GetOpenFilename is a string or an array of strings (if MultiSelect is True) containing the selected file paths.
- You can specify a default file path by providing it as the second argument to VBA GetOpenFilename.
- To cancel the file selection, the user can click the “Cancel” button in the dialog box. In this case, VBA GetOpenFilename returns “False.”
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The return value of GetOpenFilename in VBA is a string or an array of strings (if MultiSelect is enabled) containing the selected file paths. If the user cancels the selection, it returns the string “False.”
There are several reasons why VBA GetOpenFilename may not work correctly:
• Incorrect syntax or arguments in the function call
• File path issues, such as invalid file paths or inaccessible files.
• Errors in your VBA code surrounding the use of GetOpenFilename
• Double-check your code, ensure proper error handling, and confirm that your file paths and filters are correctly specified.
Both methods allow file selection in VBA, but there are differences:
• VBA GetOpenFilename displays a basic “Open File” dialog box while Application.FileDialog provides more extensive options for custom dialogs.
• Application.FileDialog is more versatile and customizable for complex file selection tasks.
• VBA GetOpenFilename is simpler and easier to use for basic file selection needs.
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