Excellent functions for saving(SetInitEntry) and retrieving(GetInitEntry) data in ini files. Includes routines for a RecentFile menu (GetRecentFiles, AddRecentFile, RemoveRecentFile) which automatically fill and update your menu.
Original Author: Rocky Clark (Kath-Rock Software)
Assumptions
Copy the code and Paste it into a new Module and name the module something like basInitEntry(InitEntry.bas). Read the comments in the GetRecentFiles() function for help on how to use the RecentFiles functions.
API Declarations
Uses GetPrivateProfileString and WritePrivateProfileString API functions.
Code
'sDefInitFileName is setup as (AppPathAppEXEName.Ini)
'and is used as the Default Initialization Filename
Private sDefInitFileName As String
Declare Function GetPrivateProfileString Lib "kernel32" Alias "GetPrivateProfileStringA" (ByVal lpApplicationName As String, ByVal lpKeyName As Any, ByVal lpDefault As String, ByVal lpReturnedString As String, ByVal nSize As Long, ByVal lpFileName As String) As Long
Declare Function WritePrivateProfileString Lib "kernel32" Alias "WritePrivateProfileStringA" (ByVal lpApplicationName As String, ByVal lpKeyName As Any, ByVal lpString As Any, ByVal lpFileName As String) As Long
Public Sub AddRecentFile(ByVal sNewFileName As String, mnuRecent As Variant, Optional ByVal iMaxEntries As Integer = 8, Optional ByVal iMaxFileNameLen As Integer = 60)
Dim lRet As Long
Dim iArrayCnt As Integer
Dim iFileCnt As Integer
Dim sFilename As String
Dim saFiles() As String
ReDim saFiles(iMaxEntries)
'Add New File at First Position
saFiles(0) = sNewFileName
'Get all Files in Init File
iFileCnt = 1
sFilename = GetInitEntry("Recent Files", "File " & CStr(iFileCnt), "")
While Len(sFilename) > 0 And iArrayCnt < iMaxEntries
'Don't get New File Again
If LCase$(sFilename) <> LCase$(sNewFileName) Then
iArrayCnt = iArrayCnt + 1
saFiles(iArrayCnt) = sFilename
End If
iFileCnt = iFileCnt + 1
sFilename = GetInitEntry("Recent Files", "File " & CStr(iFileCnt), "")
Wend
'Release Excess Memory
ReDim Preserve saFiles(iArrayCnt)
'Clean up the Init File (Deletes the Entire "Recent Files" Section)
lRet = SetInitEntry("Recent Files")
'Put Files Back Into Init File in Their New Order
For iFileCnt = 0 To iArrayCnt
lRet = SetInitEntry("Recent Files", "File " & CStr(iFileCnt + 1), saFiles(iFileCnt))
Next iFileCnt
'Retrieve Ordered Files Back Into Menu
Call GetRecentFiles(mnuRecent, iMaxEntries, iMaxFileNameLen)
'Checkmark First Recent File
mnuRecent(0).Checked = (mnuRecent(0).Caption <> "(Empty)")
End Sub
Public Sub GetRecentFiles(mnuRecent As Variant, Optional ByVal iMaxEntries As Integer = 8, Optional ByVal iMaxFileNameLen As Integer = 60)
'mnuRecent Must Be a Menu Array. At Design Time, create
'the first mnuRecent(0) with the Caption set to "(Empty)"
'and Disable it.
Dim iIdx As Integer
Dim iFileCnt As Integer
Dim iFullCnt As Integer
Dim iMenuCnt As Integer
Dim sFilename As String
On Error GoTo LocalError
'Get the Menu Count
iMenuCnt = mnuRecent.UBound
'Unload all but first Menu
For iIdx = 1 To iMenuCnt
Unload mnuRecent(iIdx)
Next iIdx
mnuRecent(0).Checked = False
mnuRecent(0).Tag = ""
mnuRecent(0).Enabled = False
mnuRecent(0).Caption = "(Empty)"
'Get First Entry In InitFile
sFilename = GetInitEntry("Recent Files", "File " & CStr(iFullCnt + 1), "")
While Len(sFilename) > 0 And iFileCnt <= iMaxEntries
If Exists(sFilename) Then
'Load Menu Item if Not First Item
If iFileCnt > 0 Then
Load mnuRecent(iFileCnt)
End If
'Create Menu Caption
'ex. "&1 C:DirNameDirNameFileName"
mnuRecent(iFileCnt).Caption = "&" & CStr(iFileCnt + 1) & " " & _
ShortenFileName(sFilename, iMaxFileNameLen)
'Menu.Tag Contains Actual Filename.
'Menu.Caption May Contain A Shortened Version Of It.
mnuRecent(iFileCnt).Tag = sFilename
mnuRecent(iFileCnt).Enabled = True
mnuRecent(iFileCnt).Visible = True
iFileCnt = iFileCnt + 1
End If
iFullCnt = iFullCnt + 1
'Get Next Entry
sFilename = GetInitEntry("Recent Files", "File " & CStr(iFullCnt + 1), "")
'Loops If Next Entry Is Valid
Wend
NormalExit:
Exit Sub
LocalError:
MsgBox Err.Description, vbExclamation, App.EXEName
Resume NormalExit
End Sub
Private Function Exists(ByVal sFilename As String) As Boolean
If Len(Trim$(sFilename)) > 0 Then
On Error Resume Next
sFilename = Dir$(sFilename)
Exists = Err.Number = 0 And Len(sFilename) > 0
Else
Exists = False
End If
End Function
Public Sub RemoveRecentFile(ByVal sRemoveFileName As String, mnuRecent As Variant, Optional ByVal iMaxEntries As Integer = 8, Optional ByVal iMaxFileNameLen As Integer = 60)
Dim lRet As Long
Dim iArrayCnt As Integer
Dim iFileCnt As Integer
Dim sFilename As String
Dim saFiles() As String
ReDim saFiles(iMaxEntries)
'Get all Files in Init File
iFileCnt = 1
sFilename = GetInitEntry("Recent Files", "File " & CStr(iFileCnt), "")
While Len(sFilename) > 0 And iArrayCnt < iMaxEntries
'Don't get the File to be removed
If LCase$(sFilename) <> LCase$(sRemoveFileName) Then
saFiles(iArrayCnt) = sFilename
iArrayCnt = iArrayCnt + 1
End If
iFileCnt = iFileCnt + 1
sFilename = GetInitEntry("Recent Files", "File " & CStr(iFileCnt), "")
Wend
'Release Excess Memory
ReDim Preserve saFiles(iArrayCnt - 1)
'Clean up the Init File (Deletes the Entire "Recent Files" Section)
lRet = SetInitEntry("Recent Files")
'Put Files Back Into Init File Without the Removed File
For iFileCnt = 0 To iArrayCnt - 1
lRet = SetInitEntry("Recent Files", "File " & CStr(iFileCnt + 1), saFiles(iFileCnt))
Next iFileCnt
'Retrieve Ordered Files Back Into Menu
Call GetRecentFiles(mnuRecent, iMaxEntries, iMaxFileNameLen)
End Sub
Public Function ShortenFileName(ByVal sFilename As String, ByVal intMaxLen As Integer) As String
Dim iLen As Integer
Dim iSlashPos As Integer
On Error GoTo LocalError
'If Filename Is Longer Than MaxLen
If Len(sFilename) > intMaxLen Then
'Make Room For "..."
iLen = intMaxLen - 3
'Find First ""
iSlashPos = InStr(sFilename, "")
'Loop Until Filename is Shorter Than MaxLen
While (iSlashPos > 0) And (Len(sFilename) > iLen)
sFilename = Mid$(sFilename, iSlashPos)
'Find Next ""
iSlashPos = InStr(2, sFilename, "")
Wend
'If No "" Was Found (FailSafe - This Should Not Happen)
If Len(sFilename) > iLen Then
'"Very Long FileName" = "...ong Filename"
sFilename = "..." & Mid$(sFilename, Len(sFilename) - iLen + 1)
Else
'"C:Dir1Dir2Dir3File" = "...Dir2Dir3File"
sFilename = "..." & sFilename
End If
End If
'Set Return Filename
ShortenFileName = sFilename
NormalExit:
Exit Function
LocalError:
MsgBox Err.Description, vbExclamation, App.EXEName
Resume NormalExit
End Function
Public Function GetInitEntry(ByVal sSection As String, ByVal sKeyName As String, Optional ByVal sDefault As String = "", Optional ByVal sInitFileName As String = "") As String
'This Function Reads In a String From The Init File.
'Returns Value From Init File or sDefault If No Value Exists.
'sDefault Defaults to an Empty String ("").
'Creates and Uses sDefInitFileName (AppPathAppEXEName.Ini)
'if sInitFileName Parameter Is Not Passed In.
Dim sBuffer As String
Dim sInitFile As String
'If Init Filename NOT Passed In
If Len(sInitFileName) = 0 Then
'If Static Init FileName NOT Already Created
If Len(sDefInitFileName) = 0 Then
'Create Static Init FileName
sDefInitFileName = App.Path
If Right$(sDefInitFileName, 1) <> "" Then
sDefInitFileName = sDefInitFileName & ""
End If
sDefInitFileName = sDefInitFileName & App.EXEName & ".ini"
End If
sInitFile = sDefInitFileName
Else 'If Init Filename Passed In
sInitFile = sInitFileName
End If
sBuffer = String$(2048, " ")
GetInitEntry = Left$(sBuffer, GetPrivateProfileString(sSection, ByVal sKeyName, sDefault, sBuffer, Len(sBuffer), sInitFile))
End Function
Public Function SetInitEntry(ByVal sSection As String, Optional ByVal sKeyName As String, Optional ByVal sValue As String, Optional ByVal sInitFileName As String = "") As Long
'This Function Writes a String To The Init File.
'Returns WritePrivateProfileString Success or Error.
'Creates and Uses sDefInitFileName (AppPathAppEXEName.Ini)
'if sInitFileName Parameter Is Not Passed In.
'***** CAUTION *****
'If sValue is Null then sKeyName is deleted from the Init File.
'If sKeyName is Null then sSection is deleted from the Init File.
Dim sInitFile As String
'If Init Filename NOT Passed In
If Len(sInitFileName) = 0 Then
'If Static Init FileName NOT Already Created
If Len(sDefInitFileName) = 0 Then
'Create Static Init FileName
sDefInitFileName = App.Path
If Right$(sDefInitFileName, 1) <> "" Then
sDefInitFileName = sDefInitFileName & ""
End If
sDefInitFileName = sDefInitFileName & App.EXEName & ".ini"
End If
sInitFile = sDefInitFileName
Else 'If Init Filename Passed In
sInitFile = sInitFileName
End If
If Len(sKeyName) > 0 And Len(sValue) > 0 Then
SetInitEntry = WritePrivateProfileString(sSection, ByVal sKeyName, ByVal sValue, sInitFile)
ElseIf Len(sKeyName) > 0 Then
SetInitEntry = WritePrivateProfileString(sSection, ByVal sKeyName, vbNullString, sInitFile)
Else
SetInitEntry = WritePrivateProfileString(sSection, vbNullString, vbNullString, sInitFile)
End If
End Function