Search for a file (component or API function)

This is what you do:

The following example demonstrates using DDE to execute Explorer's
find file dialog. The example opens the dialog in the Directory
"C:\Download".


procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
begin
  with TDDEClientConv.Create(Self) do begin
    ConnectMode := ddeManual;
    ServiceApplication := 'explorer.exe';
    SetLink( 'Folders', 'AppProperties');
    OpenLink;
    ExecuteMacro('[FindFolder(, C:\DOWNLOAD)]', False);
    CloseLink;
    Free;
  end;
end;

Thanks, but I need to catch the complete path of the file in the application, so that I can store it in a string and use it in the code. And I also need to specify (in the application) which file to search for.

Hmmm.. Your question is somehow a bit easy to misunderstand! this is the only API call doing this.

The animated cursor thing just shows you what's is beeing done while it, but if you want it showing while searching, do like Wang shows you to a Form2 while you can set it up as a dialog form showing at screen center.

Then this works perfectly:

procedure FindFilesInDir(var List: TStringList; Directory, SearchName: String);
var
 S: TSearchRec;
 I: Integer;
begin
  I := FindFirst(Directory+'\*.*',faAnyFile,S);
  While I=0 do
  Begin
    If (S.name<>'.') AND (S.Name<>'..') then
    Begin
      if pos(SearchName,S.Name)>0 then List.Add(Directory+'\'+S.Name);
      If (S.Attr AND faDirectory)>0 then
        FindFilesInDir(List,Directory+'\'+S.Name,SearchName);
    End;
    I:= FindNext(S);
  End;
  FindClose(S);
End;

procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
var
  List: TStringList;
begin
  List:= TStringList.Create;
  Form2.Show;
  Form2.Animate1.Active:= True;
  FindFilesInDir(List,'C:','.zip');
  Memo1.Lines.AddStrings(List);
  List.free;
  Form2.Animate1.Active:= False;
  Form2.Close;
end;

Thanks, I'll try that.