How to extract file name from path?

How to Extract File Name from Path: A Simple Guide for VBA Users 📁🔎

Are you struggling to extract the file name from a given path in VBA? Don't worry, we've got you covered! In this guide, we'll address the common issue of extracting a file name from a path and provide you with easy solutions. Let's dive in!

The Problem: Extracting the File Name from a Path in VBA

Consider the following example: you have a path, C:\Documents\myfile.pdf, and you want to extract just the file name, myfile.pdf, using VBA. So, how do we do it? Let's find out!

Solution 1: Using the InStrRev Function

The InStrRev function in VBA allows us to find the position of a substring starting from the end of a given string. We can leverage this function to extract the file name from a path. Here's an example code snippet:

Dim fullPath As String
Dim fileName As String

fullPath = "C:\Documents\myfile.pdf"
fileName = Right(fullPath, Len(fullPath) - InStrRev(fullPath, "\"))

MsgBox fileName

In the above code, we first assign the full path to the fullPath variable. Then, using the InStrRev function, we locate the position of the last occurrence of the "" character (the path separator) within the fullPath string. Finally, we extract the file name using the Right function and assign it to the fileName variable.

Solution 2: Utilizing the FileSystemObject from the Microsoft Scripting Runtime Library

Another easy way to extract the file name from a path in VBA is by utilizing the FileSystemObject from the Microsoft Scripting Runtime Library. Let's take a look at the code example:

Dim fullPath As String
Dim fileName As String
Dim fso As Object

fullPath = "C:\Documents\myfile.pdf"
Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
fileName = fso.GetFileName(fullPath)

MsgBox fileName

In this solution, we first assign the full path to the fullPath variable. Then, we create a FileSystemObject instance using the CreateObject function. Finally, we extract the file name using the GetFileName method of the FileSystemObject.

Engage with Us!

We hope this guide has helped you extract file names from paths in VBA! Implementing these solutions will save you valuable time and effort. Do you have any other VBA-related questions or problems? Feel free to share them in the comments below! Let's learn and grow together. 🤝

Conclusion

Extracting file names from paths in VBA can be a common challenge, but it doesn't have to be difficult. In this guide, we provided two easy solutions using the InStrRev function and the FileSystemObject from the Microsoft Scripting Runtime Library. We encourage you to try out these solutions and engage with us in the comments. Happy VBA coding! 👩‍💻👨‍💻