File Object constants (2002 SP3)

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According to the help, there are various defined constants for File Objects, but when I tried to use them I kept getting told that I was incorrectly calling the function. I eventually traced it to the fact that the constants did not seem to have any values.

For example

in Set ts = fs.OpenTextFile(temp_file, ForReading, False)

ForReading has no value.

Isthere something special that I am supposed to do to ensure that these constants (ForReading, ForAppending, TristateUseDefault, TristateTrue, TristateFalse), get populated?

TIA

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Hi Paul,
Have you set a reference to the relevant scripting library (e.g the Scripting Runtime)? If not, then you cannot use these constants as they are not defined in other libraries.
Hope that helps.

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Thanks, that’s the sort of information I was looking for.

But if I didn’t have the reference (which I didn’t) how come the objects and methods worked?

And where should I have looked to tell me that I needed to include this reference?

TIA

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If you declared the objects as Object and created them using CreateObject (late binding) then it will work without the reference. If you tried to use Dim fs as FileSystemObject that should not have worked. I would also imagine you did not get the Intellisense help for properties and methods? If you look up Late vs Early binding in a good VBA book, it will explain the differences. In this case, you could have carried on the way you were but you would have to substitute the constant names for actual values – e.g. -2 instead of TriStateMixed.
Hope that helps.

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Thanks Rory, that’s exactly what I needed to know.

Pity the help doesn’t mention this.

I’m deeply in your debt.

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Thanks Rory, that’s exactly what I needed to know.

Pity the help doesn’t mention this.

I’m deeply in your debt.

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What is the value of TriStateFalse?

I am getting a compile error now after I changed a reference. I cannot remember the reference. Help.

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Based on Googling tristatefalse value and just glancing at the page of hits, I’d say it’s 0.

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Thanks for that, I had already found out from one of Rory’s posts.

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If you declared the objects as Object and created them using CreateObject (late binding) then it will work without the reference. If you tried to use Dim fs as FileSystemObject that should not have worked. I would also imagine you did not get the Intellisense help for properties and methods? If you look up Late vs Early binding in a good VBA book, it will explain the differences. In this case, you could have carried on the way you were but you would have to substitute the constant names for actual values – e.g. -2 instead of TriStateMixed.
Hope that helps.

Reply | Quote

Thanks, that’s the sort of information I was looking for.

But if I didn’t have the reference (which I didn’t) how come the objects and methods worked?

And where should I have looked to tell me that I needed to include this reference?

TIA

Reply | Quote

Hi Paul,
Have you set a reference to the relevant scripting library (e.g the Scripting Runtime)? If not, then you cannot use these constants as they are not defined in other libraries.
Hope that helps.

Reply | Quote