Private Declare Function GetFileAttributes Lib "kernel32" Alias "GetFileAttributesA" (ByVal lpfilename As String) As Long

Const FILE_ATTRIBUTE_ARCHIVE = &H20
Const FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY = &H10
Const FILE_ATTRIBUTE_HIDDEN = &H2
Const FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL = &H80
Const FILE_ATTRIBUTE_READONLY = &H1
Const FILE_ATTRIBUTE_SYSTEM = &H4
Const FILE_ATTRIBUTE_TEMPORARY = &H100

Private Sub Form_Load()
    MsgBox myFunc("c:\autoexec.bat") = FILE_ATTRIBUTE_ARCHIVE
End Sub

Public Function myFunc(sPathName) As Long
    myFunc = GetFileAttributes(sPathName)
End Function

Select allOpen in new window

Here is a function :

Private Declare Function GetFileAttributes Lib "kernel32" Alias "GetFileAttributesA" (ByVal lpfilename As String) As Long

Const FILE_ATTRIBUTE_ARCHIVE = &H20
Const FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY = &H10
Const FILE_ATTRIBUTE_HIDDEN = &H2
Const FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL = &H80
Const FILE_ATTRIBUTE_READONLY = &H1
Const FILE_ATTRIBUTE_SYSTEM = &H4
Const FILE_ATTRIBUTE_TEMPORARY = &H100

Private Sub Form_Load()
    Dim tmp As String, zzz As String, a As Long
    tmp = "C:\autoexec.bat"
    a = myFunc(tmp)
    If (a And FILE_ATTRIBUTE_ARCHIVE) = FILE_ATTRIBUTE_ARCHIVE Then zzz = zzz & "archive" & vbCrLf
    If (a And FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY) = FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY Then zzz = zzz & "directory" & vbCrLf
    If (a And FILE_ATTRIBUTE_HIDDEN) = FILE_ATTRIBUTE_HIDDEN Then zzz = zzz & "hidden" & vbCrLf
    If (a And FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL) = FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL Then zzz = zzz & "normal" & vbCrLf
    If (a And FILE_ATTRIBUTE_READONLY) = FILE_ATTRIBUTE_READONLY Then zzz = zzz & "readonly" & vbCrLf
    If (a And FILE_ATTRIBUTE_SYSTEM) = FILE_ATTRIBUTE_SYSTEM Then zzz = zzz & "system" & vbCrLf
    If (a And FILE_ATTRIBUTE_TEMPORARY) = FILE_ATTRIBUTE_TEMPORARY Then zzz = zzz & "temporary" & vbCrLf
    MsgBox tmp & " is a Type :" & vbCrLf & zzz, 0, "File Size Info"
End Sub

Public Function myFunc(sPathName) As Long
    myFunc = GetFileAttributes(sPathName)
End Function

Select allOpen in new window

You mention both Visual Basic and VB Script in your question.  Not sure which exactly you are using.  If you have access to using the windows libraries, you can use the solution posted above.  If you are truly using vbscript, you may need to use something like this:

Option Explicit

Dim strFile, strMsg
Dim objWMIService, strComputer, colFiles, objFile

strComputer = "."
strFile = "C:\\test.txt"   ' Use \\ instead of \
Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:" _
    & "{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & strComputer & "\root\cimv2")
Set colFiles = objWMIService.ExecQuery _
    ("Select * from CIM_Datafile Where name = '" & strFile & "'")
For Each objFile in colFiles
    strMsg = "Access mask: " & objFile.AccessMask & vbCrlf
    strMsg = strMsg & "Archive: " & objFile.Archive & vbCrlf
    strMsg = strMsg & "Compressed: " & objFile.Compressed & vbCrlf
    strMsg = strMsg & "Compression method: " & objFile.CompressionMethod & vbCrlf
    strMsg = strMsg & "Creation date: " & objFile.CreationDate & vbCrlf
    strMsg = strMsg & "Computer system name: " & objFile.CSName & vbCrlf
    strMsg = strMsg & "Drive: " & objFile.Drive & vbCrlf
    strMsg = strMsg & "8.3 file name: " & objFile.EightDotThreeFileName & vbCrlf
    strMsg = strMsg & "Encrypted: " & objFile.Encrypted & vbCrlf
    strMsg = strMsg & "Encryption method: " & objFile.EncryptionMethod & vbCrlf
    strMsg = strMsg & "Extension: " & objFile.Extension & vbCrlf
    strMsg = strMsg & "File name: " & objFile.FileName & vbCrlf
    strMsg = strMsg & "File size: " & objFile.FileSize & vbCrlf
    strMsg = strMsg & "File type: " & objFile.FileType & vbCrlf
    strMsg = strMsg & "File system name: " & objFile.FSName & vbCrlf
    strMsg = strMsg & "Hidden: " & objFile.Hidden & vbCrlf
    strMsg = strMsg & "Last accessed: " & objFile.LastAccessed & vbCrlf
    strMsg = strMsg & "Last modified: " & objFile.LastModified & vbCrlf
    strMsg = strMsg & "Manufacturer: " & objFile.Manufacturer & vbCrlf
    strMsg = strMsg & "Name: " & objFile.Name & vbCrlf
    strMsg = strMsg & "Path: " & objFile.Path & vbCrlf
    strMsg = strMsg & "Readable: " & objFile.Readable & vbCrlf
    strMsg = strMsg & "System: " & objFile.System & vbCrlf
    strMsg = strMsg & "Version: " & objFile.Version & vbCrlf
    strMsg = strMsg & "Writeable: " & objFile.Writeable & vbCrlf
Next

Wscript.Echo strMsg

Select allOpen in new window

Do you need to know the program with which a file is associated, just the file extension (what comes after the last period), or something else?

Since FSO gives you what you need, why not use it?

Hi guys

Maybe I didnt ask the question very succinctly ... but what I was/am after is the API to retrieve the correct file type - similar to the fso object file type property ...

The answer to my question seems to be that the relevant API for retrieving the file type is SHGetFileInfo, which takes a SHFILEINFO structure and fills it with the relevant file information.

Please confirm my code example below is correct  ....

Private Const MAX_PATH = 260

Private Type SHFILEINFO
   hIcon As Long                       
   iIcon As Long                       
   dwAttributes As Long                
   szDisplayName As String * MAX_PATH    '  out: display name (or path)
   szTypeName As String * 80                        '  out: type name
End Type

Private Declare Function SHGetFileInfo Lib "shell32.dll" Alias "SHGetFileInfoA" (ByVal pszPath As String, ByVal dwFileAttributes As Long, psfi As SHFILEINFO, ByVal cbFileInfo As Long, ByVal uFlags As Long) As Long


Private Function returnFileType(lpsFile as string)
   Dim sfi As SHFILEINFO
   dim retVal as long

   retval = SHGetFileInfo(Path & FileName, 0&, sfi, Len(sfi),  SHGFI_TYPENAME)

   msgbox "The file type is : " & sfi.szTypeName

end function

Select allOpen in new window