VB & VBA in a Nutshell: The Language

FileSystemObject.DeleteFile Method (VB6)

Named Arguments

Yes

Syntax

oFileSysObj.DeleteFile FileSpec [, Force]

oFileSysObj

Use: Required

Data Type: FileSystemObject object

Any object variable returning a FileSystemObject object.

FileSpec

Use: Required

Data Type: String

The name and path of the file or files to delete.

Force

Use: Optional

Data Type: Boolean

If set to True, the read-only flag on a file is ignored and the file deleted.

Description

Permanently removes a given file or files.

Rules at a Glance

• FileSpec can contain wildcard characters as the final path component.

• FileSpec can be a relative or absolute path.

• If any of the files specified for deletion are open, the method fails with a Permission Denied error.

• The default setting for Force is False.

• If the specified file or files can't be found, the method fails.

• If only a filename is used in FileSpec, the application's current drive and directory is assumed.

Programming Tips and Gotchas

• If an error occurs while deleting more than one file, the DeleteFile method exits immediately, thereby leaving the rest of the files undeleted. There is also no roll-back facility to undo deletions prior to the error.

• If the user has adequate rights, the source or destination can be a network path or share name. For example:

  DeleteFile "\\NTSERV1\RootTest\myFile.doc"

• DeleteFile permanently deletes files; it doesn't move them to the Recycle Bin.

See Also

Kill Statement