VBScript in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition

Name

File System Object Model

Library to Reference

Microsoft Scripting Runtime (SCRRUN.DLL )

Description

The FileSystemObject is a boon for all developers using any variety of Visual Basic (VBScript, VBA, and VB). It simplifies the task of dealing with any type of file input and output and for dealing with the system file structure itself. Rather than resorting to complex calls to the Win32 API (or, in the case of VBScript, not being able to access the filesystem altogether), this object allows the developer to easily handle files and navigate the underlying directory structures. This is especially useful for those developers or administrators who are creating scripts that are used for system administration or maintenance.

The File System object model is available to both VB and VBA developers, but it is only intrinsically part of the VBScript scripting language. The File System object model allows you to interrogate, create, delete, and manipulate folders and text files.

To access the File System object model, you must first create an instance of the FileSystemObject object, the only externally createable object in the model. From there, you can navigate through the object model, as shown in the object hierarchy diagram in Figure 10-1. The FileSystemObject object can be instantiated with a code fragment like the following:

Dim oFS
Set oFS = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

Figure 10-1. The ...