ACC: How to Retrieve Path or File Name from the Name Property

• Microsoft Access versions 7.0, 97
• Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications version 5.0

SUMMARY

The Database object provided by Microsoft Data Access Objects (DAO) contains a Name property. However, this property returns the full path and the file name of the database. In order to retrieve either the path or the file name separately, you must parse the string returned by the Name property by searching for slash characters ("/").

MORE INFORMATION

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1. Start Microsoft Access and open any database.

2. Open a new module and type the following procedure:

         Function RetrievePathFile(Optional vComponent As Variant)
   

            ' This function takes an optional argument that specifies
            ' whether you want to return the directory portion of
            ' the path or the file portion of the path.
            ' Usage: If you want to return only the name of the file
            ' without the path, use the syntax:
            '    RetrievePathFile("FName")
            ' If you supply a different argument or no argument at all
            ' the function returns only the folder in which the file is
            ' located.
            Dim strCurDBName As String
            Dim i As Integer  ' loop counter.
            strCurDBName = CurrentDb.Name
            ' Loop backward through string to find last "\"
            For i = Len(strCurDBName) To 1 Step -1
               If Mid(strCurDBName, i, 1) = "\" Then
                  If IsMissing(vComponent) Then
                     RetrievePathFile = Mid(strCurDBName, 1, i - 1)
                  ElseIf vComponent = "FName" Then
                     RetrievePathFile = Mid(strCurDBName, i + 1)
                  Else
                     RetrievePathFile = Mid(strCurDBName, 1, i - 1)
                  End If
               Exit For
               End If
            Next i
         End Function
   
   

3. On the Debug menu, click Compile And Save All Modules.

4. Press CRTL+G to open the Debug window.

5. Type the following line in the Debug window, and then press ENTER:

         ?RetrievePathFile("FName")
   

   The function returns the name of the current database without the complete path.

6. Type the following line in the Debug window, and then press ENTER:

         ?RetrievePathFile()
   

   The function returns the path of the folder in which the current database is located.

REFERENCES

For more information about getting help with Visual Basic for Applications, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q163435
   TITLE     : VBA: Programming Resources for Visual Basic for
               Applications