The sample code described in this section provides a real-world example that demonstrates many of the features available in the FileSystemObject object model. This code shows how all the features of the object model work together, and how to use those features effectively in your own code.

How to Use the Code

Notice that since this code is fairly generic, some additional code and a little tweaking are needed to make this code actually run on your machine. These changes are necessary because of the different ways input and output to the user is handled between Active Server Pages and the Windows Scripting Host.

To run this code on an Active Server Page, use the following steps:

Create a standard web page with an .asp extension.

Copy the following sample code into that file between the <BODY>...</BODY> tags.

Enclose all the code within <%...%> tags.

Move the Option Explicit statement from its current position in the code to the very top of your HTML page, positioning it even before the opening <HTML> tag.

Place <%...%> tags around the Option Explicit statement to ensure that it's run on the server side.

Add the following code to the end of the sample code:

Visual Basic Script CopyCode imageCopy Code
Sub Print(x)
   Response.Write "<PRE>&ltFONT FACE=""Courier New"" SIZE=""1"">"
   Response.Write x
   Response.Write "</FONT></PRE>"
End Sub
Main

The previous code adds a print procedure that will run on the server side, but display results on the client side. To run this code on the Windows Scripting Host, add the following code to the end of the sample code:

Visual Basic Script CopyCode imageCopy Code
Sub Print(x)
   WScript.Echo x
End Sub
Main

The code is contained in the following section:

Visual Basic Script CopyCode imageCopy Code
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' FileSystemObject Sample Code
' Copyright 1998 Microsoft Corporation.   All Rights Reserved. 
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Option Explicit
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' Regarding code quality:
' 1) The following code does a lot of string manipulation by 
'    concatenating short strings together with the "&" operator. 
'    Since string concatenation is expensive, this is a very 
'    inefficient way to write code. However, it is a very 
'    maintainable way to write code, and is used here because this 
'    program performs extensive disk operations, and because the 
'    disk is much slower than the memory operations required to 
'    concatenate the strings. Keep in mind that this is demonstration 
'    code, not production code.
'
' 2) "Option Explicit" is used, because declared variable access is 
'    slightly faster than undeclared variable access. It also prevents 
'    bugs from creeping into your code, such as when you misspell 
'    DriveTypeCDROM as DriveTypeCDORM.
'
' 3) Error handling is absent from this code, to make the code more 
'    readable. Although precautions have been taken to ensure that the 
'    code will not error in common cases, file systems can be 
'    unpredictable. In production code, use On Error Resume Next and 
'    the Err object to trap possible errors.
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''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' Some handy global variables
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Dim TabStop
Dim NewLine
Const TestDrive = "C"
Const TestFilePath = "C:\Test"
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' Constants returned by Drive.DriveType
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Const DriveTypeRemovable = 1
Const DriveTypeFixed = 2
Const DriveTypeNetwork = 3
Const DriveTypeCDROM = 4
Const DriveTypeRAMDisk = 5
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' Constants returned by File.Attributes
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Const FileAttrNormal   = 0
Const FileAttrReadOnly = 1
Const FileAttrHidden = 2
Const FileAttrSystem = 4
Const FileAttrVolume = 8
Const FileAttrDirectory = 16
Const FileAttrArchive = 32 
Const FileAttrAlias = 1024
Const FileAttrCompressed = 2048
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' Constants for opening files
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Const OpenFileForReading = 1 
Const OpenFileForWriting = 2 
Const OpenFileForAppending = 8 
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' ShowDriveType
' Purpose: 
'    Generates a string describing the drive type of a given Drive object.
' Demonstrates the following 
'  - Drive.DriveType
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Function ShowDriveType(Drive)
   Dim S
   
   Select Case Drive.DriveType
   Case DriveTypeRemovable
      S = "Removable"
   Case DriveTypeFixed
      S = "Fixed"
   Case DriveTypeNetwork
      S = "Network"
   Case DriveTypeCDROM
      S = "CD-ROM"
   Case DriveTypeRAMDisk
      S = "RAM Disk"
   Case Else
      S = "Unknown"
   End Select
   ShowDriveType = S
End Function
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' ShowFileAttr
' Purpose: 
'    Generates a string describing the attributes of a file or folder.
' Demonstrates the following 
'  - File.Attributes
'  - Folder.Attributes
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Function ShowFileAttr(File) ' File can be a file or folder
   Dim S
   Dim Attr
   
   Attr = File.Attributes
   If Attr = 0 Then
      ShowFileAttr = "Normal"
      Exit Function
   End If
   If Attr And FileAttrDirectory Then S = S & "Directory "
   If Attr And FileAttrReadOnly Then S = S & "Read-Only "
   If Attr And FileAttrHidden Then S = S & "Hidden "
   If Attr And FileAttrSystem Then S = S & "System "
   If Attr And FileAttrVolume Then S = S & "Volume "
   If Attr And FileAttrArchive Then S = S & "Archive "
   If Attr And FileAttrAlias Then S = S & "Alias "
   If Attr And FileAttrCompressed Then S = S & "Compressed "
   ShowFileAttr = S
End Function
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' GenerateDriveInformation
' Purpose: 
'    Generates a string describing the current state of the 
'    available drives.
' Demonstrates the following 
'  - FileSystemObject.Drives 
'  - Iterating the Drives collection
'  - Drives.Count
'  - Drive.AvailableSpace
'  - Drive.DriveLetter
'  - Drive.DriveType
'  - Drive.FileSystem
'  - Drive.FreeSpace
'  - Drive.IsReady
'  - Drive.Path
'  - Drive.SerialNumber
'  - Drive.ShareName
'  - Drive.TotalSize
'  - Drive.VolumeName
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Function GenerateDriveInformation(FSO)
   Dim Drives
   Dim Drive
   Dim S
   Set Drives = FSO.Drives
   S = "Number of drives:" & TabStop & Drives.Count & NewLine & NewLine
   ' Construct 1st line of report.
   S = S & String(2, TabStop) & "Drive" 
   S = S & String(3, TabStop) & "File" 
   S = S & TabStop & "Total"
   S = S & TabStop & "Free"
   S = S & TabStop & "Available" 
   S = S & TabStop & "Serial" & NewLine
   ' Construct 2nd line of report.
   S = S & "Letter"
   S = S & TabStop & "Path"
   S = S & TabStop & "Type"
   S = S & TabStop & "Ready?"
   S = S & TabStop & "Name"
   S = S & TabStop & "System"
   S = S & TabStop & "Space"
   S = S & TabStop & "Space"
   S = S & TabStop & "Space"
   S = S & TabStop & "Number" & NewLine   
   ' Separator line.
   S = S & String(105, "-") & NewLine
   For Each Drive In Drives
      S = S & Drive.DriveLetter
      S = S & TabStop & Drive.Path
      S = S & TabStop & ShowDriveType(Drive)
      S = S & TabStop & Drive.IsReady
      If Drive.IsReady Then
         If DriveTypeNetwork = Drive.DriveType Then
            S = S & TabStop & Drive.ShareName 
         Else
            S = S & TabStop & Drive.VolumeName 
         End If
         S = S & TabStop & Drive.FileSystem
         S = S & TabStop & Drive.TotalSize
         S = S & TabStop & Drive.FreeSpace
         S = S & TabStop & Drive.AvailableSpace
         S = S & TabStop & Hex(Drive.SerialNumber)
      End If
      S = S & NewLine
   Next
   GenerateDriveInformation = S
End Function
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' GenerateFileInformation
' Purpose: 
'    Generates a string describing the current state of a file.
' Demonstrates the following 
'  - File.Path
'  - File.Name
'  - File.Type
'  - File.DateCreated
'  - File.DateLastAccessed
'  - File.DateLastModified
'  - File.Size
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Function GenerateFileInformation(File)
   Dim S
   S = NewLine & "Path:" & TabStop & File.Path
   S = S & NewLine & "Name:" & TabStop & File.Name
   S = S & NewLine & "Type:" & TabStop & File.Type
   S = S & NewLine & "Attribs:" & TabStop & ShowFileAttr(File)
   S = S & NewLine & "Created:" & TabStop & File.DateCreated
   S = S & NewLine & "Accessed:" & TabStop & File.DateLastAccessed
   S = S & NewLine & "Modified:" & TabStop & File.DateLastModified
   S = S & NewLine & "Size" & TabStop & File.Size & NewLine
   GenerateFileInformation = S
End Function
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' GenerateFolderInformation
' Purpose: 
'    Generates a string describing the current state of a folder.
' Demonstrates the following 
'  - Folder.Path
'  - Folder.Name
'  - Folder.DateCreated
'  - Folder.DateLastAccessed
'  - Folder.DateLastModified
'  - Folder.Size
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Function GenerateFolderInformation(Folder)
   Dim S
   S = "Path:" & TabStop & Folder.Path
   S = S & NewLine & "Name:" & TabStop & Folder.Name
   S = S & NewLine & "Attribs:" & TabStop & ShowFileAttr(Folder)
   S = S & NewLine & "Created:" & TabStop & Folder.DateCreated
   S = S & NewLine & "Accessed:" & TabStop & Folder.DateLastAccessed
   S = S & NewLine & "Modified:" & TabStop & Folder.DateLastModified
   S = S & NewLine & "Size:" & TabStop & Folder.Size & NewLine
   GenerateFolderInformation = S
End Function
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' GenerateAllFolderInformation
' Purpose: 
'    Generates a string describing the current state of a
'    folder and all files and subfolders.
' Demonstrates the following 
'  - Folder.Path
'  - Folder.SubFolders
'  - Folders.Count
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Function GenerateAllFolderInformation(Folder)
   Dim S
   Dim SubFolders
   Dim SubFolder
   Dim Files
   Dim File
   S = "Folder:" & TabStop & Folder.Path & NewLine & NewLine
   Set Files = Folder.Files
   If 1 = Files.Count Then
      S = S & "There is 1 file" & NewLine
   Else
      S = S & "There are " & Files.Count & " files" & NewLine
   End If
   If Files.Count <> 0 Then
      For Each File In Files
         S = S & GenerateFileInformation(File)
      Next
   End If
   Set SubFolders = Folder.SubFolders
   If 1 = SubFolders.Count Then
      S = S & NewLine & "There is 1 sub folder" & NewLine & NewLine
   Else
      S = S & NewLine & "There are " & SubFolders.Count & " sub folders" _
      NewLine & NewLine
   End If
   If SubFolders.Count <> 0 Then
      For Each SubFolder In SubFolders
         S = S & GenerateFolderInformation(SubFolder)
      Next
      S = S & NewLine
      For Each SubFolder In SubFolders
         S = S & GenerateAllFolderInformation(SubFolder)
      Next
   End If
   GenerateAllFolderInformation = S
End Function
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' GenerateTestInformation
' Purpose: 
'    Generates a string describing the current state of the C:\Test
'    folder and all files and subfolders.
' Demonstrates the following 
'  - FileSystemObject.DriveExists
'  - FileSystemObject.FolderExists
'  - FileSystemObject.GetFolder
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Function GenerateTestInformation(FSO)
   Dim TestFolder
   Dim S
   If Not FSO.DriveExists(TestDrive) Then Exit Function
   If Not FSO.FolderExists(TestFilePath) Then Exit Function
   Set TestFolder = FSO.GetFolder(TestFilePath)
   GenerateTestInformation = GenerateAllFolderInformation(TestFolder) 
End Function
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' DeleteTestDirectory
' Purpose: 
'    Cleans up the test directory.
' Demonstrates the following 
'  - FileSystemObject.GetFolder
'  - FileSystemObject.DeleteFile
'  - FileSystemObject.DeleteFolder
'  - Folder.Delete
'  - File.Delete
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Sub DeleteTestDirectory(FSO)
   Dim TestFolder
   Dim SubFolder
   Dim File
   <A NAME="driveinfo"></A>
   ' Two ways to delete a file:
   FSO.DeleteFile(TestFilePath & "\Beatles\OctopusGarden.txt")
   Set File = FSO.GetFile(TestFilePath & "\Beatles\BathroomWindow.txt")
   File.Delete   
   ' Two ways to delete a folder:
   FSO.DeleteFolder(TestFilePath & "\Beatles")
   FSO.DeleteFile(TestFilePath & "\ReadMe.txt")
   Set TestFolder = FSO.GetFolder(TestFilePath)
   TestFolder.Delete
End Sub
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' CreateLyrics
' Purpose: 
'    Builds a couple of text files in a folder.
' Demonstrates the following 
'  - FileSystemObject.CreateTextFile
'  - TextStream.WriteLine
'  - TextStream.Write
'  - TextStream.WriteBlankLines
'  - TextStream.Close
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Sub CreateLyrics(Folder)
   Dim TextStream
   <A NAME="deletefile"></A>
   Set TextStream = Folder.CreateTextFile("OctopusGarden.txt")
   <A NAME="createtextfilewritetofile"></A>
   ' Note that this does not add a line feed to the file.
   TextStream.Write("Octopus' Garden ") 
   TextStream.WriteLine("(by Ringo Starr)")
   TextStream.WriteBlankLines(1)
   TextStream.WriteLine("I'd like to be under the sea in an octopus' garden in the shade,")
   TextStream.WriteLine("He'd let us in, knows where we've been -- in his octopus' garden in the shade.")
   TextStream.WriteBlankLines(2)
   
   TextStream.Close
   Set TextStream = Folder.CreateTextFile("BathroomWindow.txt")
   TextStream.WriteLine("She Came In Through The Bathroom Window (by Lennon/McCartney)")
   TextStream.WriteLine("")
   TextStream.WriteLine("She came in through the bathroom window protected by a silver spoon")
   TextStream.WriteLine("But now she sucks her thumb and wanders by the banks of her own lagoon")
   TextStream.WriteBlankLines(2)
   TextStream.Close
End Sub
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' GetLyrics
' Purpose: 
'    Displays the contents of the lyrics files.
' Demonstrates the following 
'  - FileSystemObject.OpenTextFile
'  - FileSystemObject.GetFile
'  - TextStream.ReadAll
'  - TextStream.Close
'  - File.OpenAsTextStream
'  - TextStream.AtEndOfStream
'  - TextStream.ReadLine
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Function GetLyrics(FSO)
   Dim TextStream
   Dim S
   Dim File
   ' There are several ways to open a text file, and several 
   ' ways to read the data out of a file. Here's two ways 
   ' to do each:
   Set TextStream = FSO.OpenTextFile(TestFilePath & "\Beatles\OctopusGarden.txt", OpenFileForReading)
   <A NAME="closereadfromfile"></A>
   S = TextStream.ReadAll & NewLine & NewLine
   TextStream.Close
   Set File = FSO.GetFile(TestFilePath & "\Beatles\BathroomWindow.txt")
   Set TextStream = File.OpenAsTextStream(OpenFileForReading)
   Do    While Not TextStream.AtEndOfStream
      S = S & TextStream.ReadLine & NewLine
   Loop
   TextStream.Close
   GetLyrics = S
   
End Function
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' BuildTestDirectory
' Purpose: 
'    Builds a directory hierarchy to demonstrate the FileSystemObject.
'    We'll build a hierarchy in this order:
'       C:\Test
'       C:\Test\ReadMe.txt
'       C:\Test\Beatles
'       C:\Test\Beatles\OctopusGarden.txt
'       C:\Test\Beatles\BathroomWindow.txt
' Demonstrates the following 
'  - FileSystemObject.DriveExists
'  - FileSystemObject.FolderExists
'  - FileSystemObject.CreateFolder
'  - FileSystemObject.CreateTextFile
'  - Folders.Add
'  - Folder.CreateTextFile
'  - TextStream.WriteLine
'  - TextStream.Close
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Function BuildTestDirectory(FSO)
   Dim TestFolder
   Dim SubFolders
   Dim SubFolder
   Dim TextStream
   ' Bail out if (a) the drive does not exist, or if (b) the directory is being built 
   ' already exists.
   If Not FSO.DriveExists(TestDrive) Then
      BuildTestDirectory = False
      Exit Function
   End If
   If FSO.FolderExists(TestFilePath) Then
      BuildTestDirectory = False
      Exit Function
   End If
   Set TestFolder = FSO.CreateFolder(TestFilePath)
   Set TextStream = FSO.CreateTextFile(TestFilePath & "\ReadMe.txt")
   TextStream.WriteLine("My song lyrics collection")
   TextStream.Close
   Set SubFolders = TestFolder.SubFolders
   Set SubFolder = SubFolders.Add("Beatles")
   CreateLyrics SubFolder   
   BuildTestDirectory = True
End Function
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' The main routine
' First, it creates a test directory, along with some subfolders 
' and files. Then, it dumps some information about the available 
' disk drives and about the test directory, and then cleans 
' everything up again.
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Sub Main
   Dim FSO
   ' Set up global data.
   TabStop = Chr(9)
   NewLine = Chr(10)
   <A NAME="folderinfo"></A>
   Set FSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
   If Not BuildTestDirectory(FSO) Then 
      Print "Test directory already exists or cannot be created.   Cannot continue."
      Exit Sub
   End If
   Print GenerateDriveInformation(FSO) & NewLine & NewLine
   Print GenerateTestInformation(FSO) & NewLine & NewLine
   Print GetLyrics(FSO) & NewLine & NewLine
   DeleteTestDirectory(FSO)
End Sub