How to know if a pdf file does not exist

[Rick Beach]

Below is the code I use to open a pdf file.

1.)Dim stAppName As String
2.)    Dim varFile As String
3.)    Dim varFile2 As String
4.)    
5.)If Right(Me.JobPlanFolder, 5) = "\.pdf" Then
6.)
7.)MsgBox "There is no Job Plan associated with this record."
8.)
9.)Else
10.)
11.)varFile = Me.JobPlanFolder
12.)
13.)stAppName = "C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Reader 10.0\Reader\AcroRd32.exe " & varFile
14.)    
15.)Call Shell(stAppName, 1)
16.)    
17.)varFile2 = Me.JobPlanFolder2
18.)    
19.)stAppName2 = "C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Reader 10.0\Reader\AcroRd32.exe " & varFile2
20.)
21.)    Call Shell(stAppName2, 1)
22.)End If

This works correctly but I need a little assistance. If the first file does not exist, I do not want to see the file not found error message and search for the second file. If the file does exist, I do not want to search for the second file.

[Rabbit]

Please use code tags when posting code.

If you don't want to see the error message, then take out the error message. To search for the second file, do the same thing that you do to search for the first file.

[Rick Beach]

The msgbox you are referring to is if there is no pdf file name. This message box I need. The two files being opened after the else statement is where I need assistance. I need to see if the Me.JobPlanFolde r (This contains the file path and file name) exists before running the "Call Shell(stAppName , 1)". If the Me.JobPlanFolde r does not exist I need to run the "Call Shell(stAppName 2, 1)".

[Rabbit]

Create a FileSystemObjec t. That object has a function called FileExists("pat h to file").

[Mihail]

Public Function FileExist(FilePath As String) As Boolean
    FileExist = (Dir(FilePath) <> "")
End Function

[NeoPa]

That's a good answer Mihail, but I'd make a few minor amendments to handle file properties such as Read Only; System; Hidden; etc :

'Exist() returns true if strFile exists.  By default ignores folders, but handles if required.
Public Function Exist(strFile As String, _
                      Optional intAttrib As Integer = vbReadOnly Or _
                                                      vbHidden Or _
                                                      vbSystem) As Boolean
    Exist = (Dir(PathName:=strFile, Attributes:=intAttrib) <> "")
End Function

@Rick
Please see Before Posting (VBA or SQL) Code to avoid this sort of mess in future.

[Hennepin]

The code will work correctly until you have a differnt version of Adobe reader or it is not installed in the default place.
Using your method of opening a pdf.
You could check the return on shell and suppress the error message from shell

Dim varFile As String
Dim varFile2 As String
Dim retval
On Error Resume Next ' prevent error message from Shell
If Right(Me.JobPlanFolder, 5) = "\.pdf" Then
    MsgBox "There is no Job Plan associated with this record."
Else
    varFile = Me.JobPlanFolder
    stAppName = "C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Reader 10.0\Reader\AcroRd32.exe " & varFile
    retval = Shell(stAppName, 1) ' returns number greater than 0 if succeeds
    If retval <> 0 Then
        varFile2 = Me.JobPlanFolder2
        stAppName2 = "C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Reader 10.0\Reader\AcroRd32.exe " & varFile2
        retval = Shell(stAppName2, 1)
    End If
End If

Or use an API call and have the operating system open the file. Place the following code in a module. This api code will open any file your system knows how to open.

Option Compare Database
Option Explicit

'************ Code Start **********
Private Declare Function apiShellExecute Lib "Shell32.dll" _
    Alias "ShellExecuteA" _
    (ByVal hwnd As Long, _
    ByVal lpOperation As String, _
    ByVal lpFile As String, _
    ByVal lpParameters As String, _
    ByVal lpDirectory As String, _
    ByVal nShowCmd As Long) _
    As Long
'***Error Codes***
Private Const ERROR_SUCCESS = 32&
Private Const ERROR_NO_ASSOC = 31&
Private Const ERROR_OUT_OF_MEM = 0&
Private Const ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND = 2&
Private Const ERROR_PATH_NOT_FOUND = 3&
Private Const ERROR_BAD_FORMAT = 11&

'***************Usage Examples***********************
'Open a folder:     ?fHandleFile("C:\TEMP\",WIN_NORMAL)
'Call Email app:    ?fHandleFile("mailto:dash10@hotmail.com",WIN_NORMAL)
'Open URL:          ?fHandleFile("http://home.att.net/~dashish", WIN_NORMAL)
'Handle Unknown extensions (call Open With Dialog):
'                   ?fHandleFile("C:\TEMP\TestThis",Win_Normal)
'Start Access instance:
'                   ?fHandleFile("I:\mdbs\CodeNStuff.mdb", Win_NORMAL)
'****************************************************
Public Function fHandleFile(stFile As String, lShowHow As VbAppWinStyle)
    Dim lRet As Long, varTaskID As Variant
    Dim stRet As String
    'First try ShellExecute
    lRet = apiShellExecute(hWndAccessApp, vbNullString, _
            stFile, vbNullString, vbNullString, lShowHow)
            
    If lRet > ERROR_SUCCESS Then
        stRet = vbNullString
        lRet = -1
    Else
        Select Case lRet
            Case ERROR_NO_ASSOC:
                'Try the OpenWith dialog
                varTaskID = Shell("rundll32.exe shell32.dll,OpenAs_RunDLL " & stFile, vbNormalFocus)
                lRet = (varTaskID <> 0)
            Case ERROR_OUT_OF_MEM:
                stRet = "Error: Out of Memory/Resources. Couldn't Execute!"
            Case ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND:
                stRet = "Error: File not found.  Couldn't Execute!"
            Case ERROR_PATH_NOT_FOUND:
                stRet = "Error: Path not found. Couldn't Execute!"
            Case ERROR_BAD_FORMAT:
                stRet = "Error:  Bad File Format. Couldn't Execute!"
            Case Else:
        End Select
    End If
    fHandleFile = lRet & IIf(stRet = "", vbNullString, ", " & stRet)
End Function

Then your code would look like this.

Dim varFile As String
Dim varFile2 As String
Dim estring As Variant
If Right(Me.JobPlanFolder, 5) = "\.pdf" Then
    MsgBox "There is no Job Plan associated with this record."
Else
    varFile = Me.JobPlanFolder
    estring = fHandleFile(varFile, vbNormalFocus)
    If estring = "-1" Then
        varFile2 = Me.JobPlanFolder2
        fHandleFile varFile2, vbNormalFocus
    End If
End If

[NeoPa]

I don't mean to be antagonistic, but surely the OP needs only some simple code to determine the existence of a particular file (Which working code has already been suggested in a few lines). I cannot see any reason to post a suggestion comprising many tens of lines (as well as being many times more involved than necessary).