HP ALM VBScript workflow get file path

VBScript or HP ALM APIs do not offer a class or method for getting a file path from a user.

Therefore we have to use a workaround, which consists in using a different application to display a file picker dialog to a user.

A very simple solution would be to provide a user with an InputBox, which is unsatisfactory for me. Also users have to type or copy a path correctly, which they are sometimes not capable of.

I choose to automate Microsoft Excel to display a file picker dialog to a user.

Source Code

This method uses the function GetOpenFileName of the Excel.Application object, which displays a file picker to a user.

' @Author - Alexander Bolte
' @ChangeDate - 2014-12-18
' @Description - Prompts a file picker dialog to user
' and returns the file path to picked file.
' @Param myDir - a Srting providing a path to a start directory to choose files from.
' @Param myFilter - a filter String for filtering only files of specific file types.
' @Param title - a caption for the displayed file picker dialog.
' @Returns - an empty String, if user aborts file selection.
' Automates following applications:
' Microsoft Excel - using file picker dialog from Excel,
' since VBScript does not provide one.
Function GetFilePath(myDir, myFilter, title) ' As String
  Dim xlApp ' As Excel.Application
  Dim ret ' As String
  Dim shell ' As WScript.Shell

  On Error Resume Next

  Set shell = createObject("WScript.Shell")
  Set xlApp = createObject("Excel.Application")
  xlApp.visible = True
  If myFilter = "" Then
     myFilter = "All Files (*.*), *.*"
  End If
  shell.AppActivate "Microsoft Excel"
  ret = xlApp.GetOpenFilename(myFilter, , title)
  If ret = False Then
     ret = ""
  End If

  If Err.Number <> 0 Then
     MsgBox Err.Description
     Err.Clear
  End If

  ' Close extra instance of Excel and set Application object to null
  ' to avoid "Raiders of lost reference".
  xlApp.Quit
  Set xlApp = Nothing
  Set shell = Nothing

  GetFilePath = ret

  On Error GoTo 0
End Function

 

The object called shell is of type WScript.Shell and is used to ensure that the application Excel is displayed in font of all other currently open application windows. 

This way a user sees that the tool is requesting him to open an Excel file. Thus the bold lines are not essential for this code to work as expected but it will be a lot more user friendly.

Referenced API

Referenced APIs are as follows.

  • WScript.Shell
  • Excel.Application
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