💥 A great bunch of functions about Files and Folders

⚠️ What is it about?

If you work with VBA and Access you know the drill: reading and writing files, creating, copying, moving folders, checking whether something exists or is writable - over and over again. This module bundles all of these tasks into clearly named, uniform functions that combine elegantly.

🤴🏼 What makes them special?

A consistent naming and return scheme (File* / Folder* / Path*), pure late-binding (no references required, 32- and 64-bit ready), silent error behaviour (functions return a defined fail value instead of dialogs) and UTF-8-aware reading and writing. Every function is commented and validates its input.

💡 Return & error convention

Actions (Create/Write/Delete/Copy/Move) return Boolean (fail = False). String queries return "" on error, number queries -1, list queries an empty array. Errors are silent by default; call FilesFolderVerbose True to route real errors through the central ErrBox.

📜 The full function catalogue

🔵 Group A - Path parsing (pure string, no disk access)

✅  FileName  -  File name including the extension, e.g. "report.txt".
 FileName(sPath) → String

✅  FileBaseName  -  File name without the extension, e.g. "report".
 FileBaseName(sPath) → String

✅  FileSuffix  -   Extension in lower case, without the dot, e.g. "txt".
 FileSuffix(sPath) → String

✅  FileFolder  -   Parent folder, without a trailing backslash.
 FileFolder(sPath) → String

✅  FileExtChange  -  Swap the extension, e.g. report.txt becomes report.pdf.
 FileExtChange(sPath, sNewExt) → String

✅  PathCombine  -  Join a folder and a name with exactly one backslash.
 PathCombine(sFolder, sName) → String

✅  PathDrive  -   Drive ("C:") or UNC root (\\server\share).
 PathDrive(sPath) → String

✅  PathIsAbsolute  -  Is the path absolute (drive or UNC)?
 PathIsAbsolute(sPath) → Boolean

✅  PathNormalize  -   Cleans separators, duplicate backslashes and resolves . and ..
 PathNormalize(sPath) → String

​

🔵 Group B - File operations (disk access)

✅  FileExists  -   Tests whether a file exists.
 FileExists(sPath) → Boolean

✅  FileCreate  -   Creates an empty file.
 FileCreate(sPath, [bolOverwrite=False]) → Boolean

✅  FileRead  -   Reads the whole content of a text file.
 FileRead(sPath, [sCharset="UTF-8"]) → String

✅  FileReadLines  -   Reads the file into an array of individual lines.
 FileReadLines(sPath, [sCharset="UTF-8"]) → Variant

✅  FileWrite  -   Writes text (UTF-8 with BOM).
 FileWrite(sPath, sContent, [bolOverwrite=True], [sCharset="UTF-8"]) → Boolean

✅  FileWriteUtf8  -   Writes UTF-8 with optional BOM (default no BOM) - ideal for clean HTML.
 FileWriteUtf8(sPath, sContent, [bolBom=False], [bolOverwrite=True]) → Boolean

✅  FileWriteLines  -   Writes an array line by line (counterpart of FileReadLines).
 FileWriteLines(sPath, vLines, [bolOverwrite=True], [sCharset="UTF-8"]) → Boolean

✅  FileAppend  -   Appends text to a file in an encoding-safe way.
 FileAppend(sPath, sContent, [sCharset="UTF-8"]) → Boolean

✅  FileDelete  -   Deletes a file permanently (bypassing the Recycle Bin).
 FileDelete(sPath) → Boolean

✅  FileCopy  -   Copies a file.
 FileCopy(sSource, sDest, [bolOverwrite=False]) → Boolean

✅  FileMove  -   Moves or renames a file.
 FileMove(sSource, sDest) → Boolean

✅  FileSize  -  Size in bytes (over 2 GB returns -1).
 FileSize(sPath) → Long

✅  FileDateModified  -  The last-modified date.
 FileDateModified(sPath) → Date

✅  FileCanRead  -  Real read test (briefly opens the file for reading).
 FileCanRead(sPath) → Boolean

✅  FileCanWrite  -  Real write test (opens with write access without changing the content).
 FileCanWrite(sPath) → Boolean

✅  FileSetReadOnly  -  Sets or clears the read-only attribute.
 FileSetReadOnly(sPath, bolReadOnly) → Boolean

✅  FileBackup  -   Creates a timestamped backup copy and returns its path.
 FileBackup(sPath) → String

✅  FileTrash  -   Sends a file to the Recycle Bin without a prompt (SHFileOperation).
 FileTrash(sPath) → Boolean

✅  FileIsLocked  -  Is the file locked by another process?
 FileIsLocked(sPath) → Boolean

✅  FileWait  -   Waits until the file exists and is unlocked (with a timeout).
 FileWait(sPath, [lngTimeoutMs=5000], [bolUntilUnlocked=True]) → Boolean

✅  FileTouch  -   Creates the file or just refreshes its modified date (content-preserving).
 FileTouch(sPath) → Boolean

✅  FileLineCount  -   Counts the lines of a text file.
 FileLineCount(sPath) → Long

✅  FilesEqual  -   Compares two files (size, then byte by byte).
 FilesEqual(sPathA, sPathB) → Boolean

✅  FileReplaceInText  -   Replaces text inside a file (read, replace, write).
 FileReplaceInText(sPath, sOld, sNew) → Boolean

✅  FileSizeFormat  -   Formats a byte count in a human-readable way, e.g. "1.4 MB".
 FileSizeFormat(dblBytes, [iDecimals=1]) → String

✅  LogWrite  -   Appends a log line: timestamp + level + message - either as aligned text or (bolCsv=True) as CSV with a semicolon.
 LogWrite(sPath, sMessage, [eLevel=logINFO], [bolCsv=False]) → Boolean

✅ FolderTree - Folders/subfolders/files as a tree with connecting lines (Explorer style). Output as a string, to the
    Immediate window (treeDebug) or to a file (treeFile). Folders before files, alphabetical; junctions are not followed.
 FolderTree(sPath, [eTarget=treeString], [sFile], [bolFilesToo=True], [bolFileSize=False], [bolAscii=False], 
 [bolSummary=False], [lngMaxDepth=0]) → String

​

🔵 Group C - Folder operations (disk access)

✅  FolderExists  -   Tests whether a folder exists.
 FolderExists(sPath) → Boolean

✅  FolderCreate  -   Creates a folder including any missing parent folders (recursive).
 FolderCreate(sPath) → Boolean

✅  FolderRead  -  List of files (optionally recursive), as full paths.
 FolderRead(sPath, [sPattern="*"], [bolSubfolders=False]) → Variant

✅  FolderSubfolders  -  List of the direct subfolders.
 FolderSubfolders(sPath) → Variant

✅  FolderCount  -   Number of files in the top level.
 FolderCount(sPath, [sPattern="*"]) → Long

✅  FolderSubfolderCount  -   Number of direct subfolders.
 FolderSubfolderCount(sPath) → Long

✅  FolderDelete  -   Deletes a folder permanently (without Recursive only if it is empty).
 FolderDelete(sPath, [bolRecursive=False]) → Boolean

✅  FolderTrash  -   Sends a folder and its content to the Recycle Bin without a prompt.
 FolderTrash(sPath) → Boolean

✅  FolderEmpty  -   Deletes the whole content but keeps the folder itself.
 FolderEmpty(sPath) → Boolean

✅  FolderSize  -   Total size in bytes including subfolders.
 FolderSize(sPath) → Long

✅  FolderDateModified  -  The folder's last-modified date.
 FolderDateModified(sPath) → Date

✅  FolderCanRead  -  Real read test (enumerates the folder).
 FolderCanRead(sPath) → Boolean

✅  FolderCanWrite  -  Real write test (creates a probe file and deletes it again).
 FolderCanWrite(sPath) → Boolean

✅  FolderCopy  -   Copies a folder including its content.
 FolderCopy(sSource, sDest, [bolOverwrite=False]) → Boolean

✅  FolderMove  -   Moves or renames a folder.
 FolderMove(sSource, sDest) → Boolean

✅  FolderNewestFile  -   Returns the most recently modified file of a folder.
 FolderNewestFile(sPath, [sPattern="*"]) → String

✅  FolderZip  -   Compresses the folder content into a .zip file (Windows shell).
 FolderZip(sFolder, sZip, [bolOverwrite=False]) → Boolean

✅  FolderUnzip  -   Extracts a .zip file into a folder.
 FolderUnzip(sZip, sFolder, [bolOverwrite=False]) → Boolean

​

🔵 Group D - File AND folder combined

✅  PathExists  -  Does the path exist as a file OR a folder?
 PathExists(sPath) → Boolean

✅  PathType  -   Returns "File", "Folder" or "".
 PathType(sPath) → String

✅  PathCopy  -   Copies a file or a folder (depending on type).
 PathCopy(sSource, sDest, [bolOverwrite=False]) → Boolean

✅  PathMove  -   Moves a file or a folder.
 PathMove(sSource, sDest) → Boolean

✅  PathRename  -   Renames a file or folder (stays in the same parent).
 PathRename(sPath, sNewName) → Boolean

✅  PathTemp  -   Returns a unique, not-yet-existing path inside the TEMP folder.
 PathTemp([sSuffix=".tmp"]) → String

​

🔵 Group E - System integration (open in Explorer / default app)

✅  FileOpen  -   Opens a file with its associated default application.
 FileOpen(sPath) → Boolean

✅  FolderOpen  -   Opens a folder in Windows Explorer.
 FolderOpen(sPath) → Boolean

✅  FileShowInFolder  -   Opens Explorer with the file preselected.
 FileShowInFolder(sPath) → Boolean

​

🔵 Group F - Drives, special folders & dialogs

✅  DriveExists  -   Tests whether a drive exists.
 DriveExists(sDrive) → Boolean

✅  DriveFreeSpace  -  Free space in bytes (Double for large values).
 DriveFreeSpace(sDrive) → Double

✅  SpecialFolder  -   Returns a well-known folder by string name (Temp, Desktop, Documents, App ...).
 SpecialFolder(sName) → String

✅  SystemFolder  -   Returns a well-known folder by the eSystemFolder enum - type-safe and more extensive.
 SystemFolder(eFolder) → String

✅  FilePicker  -   Shows a file-open dialog and returns the chosen file.
 FilePicker([sFilter], [sTitle], [sInitialFolder]) → String

✅  FileSaveDialog  -   Shows the Windows Save-As dialog (Win32 GetSaveFileName) and returns the target path - does not create the file.
 FileSaveDialog([sFilter], [sTitle], [sInitialFolder], [sDefaultName], [sDefaultExt]) → String

✅  FolderPicker  -   Shows a folder-picker dialog and returns the chosen folder.
 FolderPicker([sTitle], [sInitialFolder]) → String

​

🔵 Configuration & central message

✅  FilesFolderVerbose  -   Switches between silent mode (default) and verbose mode (errors via ErrBox).
 FilesFolderVerbose(bolOn)

✅  ErrBox  -   Central error message, used internally in verbose mode.
 ErrBox(errNo, errDesc, [errMod], [errProc], [errInfo])

⌨️ Enumerations (Enums)

eSystemFolder

Well-known system folders for SystemFolder(). User profile: sfProfile, sfDesktop, sfDocuments, sfDownloads, sfPictures, sfMusic, sfVideos, sfFavorites, sfRecent, sfSendTo. Application data: sfAppData, sfLocalAppData, sfProgramData. Start menu/shared: sfStartMenu, sfPrograms, sfStartup, sfCommonStartMenu, sfCommonDesktop, sfPublic. System: sfWindows, sfSystem, sfProgramFiles, sfProgramFilesX86, sfFonts, sfTemp, sfRecycleBin. Application: sfApp (folder of the running Access database).

eLogLevel

Severity for LogWrite(): logINFO, logWARN, logFAIL, logSUCCESS, logDONE. Text format: "2026-07-15 14:30:00  [INFO   ]   message" (level padded to 7 chars). CSV: "2026-07-15 14:30:00;INFO;message".

🎁 Deployment & integration

Just import the module modHelper_FilesFolder - done. No references, no setup. In exactly two places the module uses a Win32 API (made 32- and 64-bit safe through conditional compilation #If VBA7, no reference): SHFileOperation for the Recycle Bin (FileTrash / FolderTrash) and GetSaveFileName for the Save-As dialog (FileSaveDialog). The central ErrBox message routine ships inside the module.

🔖 Quick test: RunTests (Immediate window)

The module modHelper_FilesFolder_TESTING is a pure development aid. The RunTests procedure asks for a base path via InputBox (default C:\), builds a test tree underneath (TEST, subfolders, sample files) and then calls every function of the module, section by section. After each step the result is written to the Immediate window (Ctrl+G) as "label -> result"; expected negative results are marked with "expected:". At the end it offers optional Explorer demos and cleans up the test tree after a prompt. Purpose: a quick functional test and a living set of examples. Important: this module is NOT required for operational use and does not need to be shipped.

💻 The test form frmFilesFolder_TESTING

Besides RunTests there is the interactive test form frmFilesFolder_TESTING. It lists every function in a combobox (value list, filled on load). On open the form automatically creates a sandbox test folder under %TEMP%\modHelper_FilesFolder_TEST (with sample files demo.txt, lines.txt and a subfolder SUB) and deletes it again on close; a button re-creates it on demand. When you pick a function the form shows its full description (purpose, parameters, return, signature, notes) at the top and runs a safe demo inside the test folder below - the result appears in the output box. The 'Run' field lets you type and execute your own call; for data-changing functions (Delete, Trash, Move, Rename, Empty) a safety prompt appears first. The 'Show VBE' button jumps straight to the source code of the selected function. Important: every call made by the form works only inside the sandbox test folder under %TEMP%, never on real data or on C:\.

💡 What you really need in production

For production you only need ONE single module: modHelper_FilesFolder (the file modHelper_FilesFolder.bas). It contains every function plus the central ErrBox and works via late-binding - no references, no setup, 32- and 64-bit ready. NOT needed (pure development aids that do not have to be shipped): the module modHelper_FilesFolder_TESTING (RunTests and the demo engine), the class clsFilesFolder (output buffer for the form) and the form frmFilesFolder_TESTING. These three are only for trying out, testing and documenting. In short: in production modHelper_FilesFolder is all you need.

💥 Conclusion

With these functions your file and folder handling in Access becomes faster, more uniform and more robust - less boilerplate, fewer sources of error, more readability

🧪 Give it a try

The sample database contains the module and the form, ready to be imported. Give it a go – and if it saves you time, I’d be grateful for a small donation via the PayPal link. I look forward to your feedback.