ACC2: Sample Function for Retrieving File Version Information

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Most files used by Windows-based applications contain a version stamp. You cannot check this version stamp within Microsoft Access, but you can check it by using Windows API calls within Access Basic.

The following example demonstrates a sample user-defined function that you can use to check the version number (if available) of a file.

NOTE: You may have some Microsoft Windows API functions defined in an existing Microsoft Access library; therefore, your declarations may be duplicates. If you receive a duplicate procedure name error message, remove or comment out the declarations statement in your code.

NOTE: In the following sample code, an underscore (_) at the end of a line is used as a line-continuation character. Remove the underscore from the end of the line when recreating this code.

1. Open the sample database NWIND.MDB.
2. Create a new module and add the following code to the Declarations section:
   

         Type FileInfo
            wLength            As Integer
            wValueLength       As Integer
            szKey              As String * 16
            dwSignature        As Long
            dwStrucVersion     As Long
            dwFileVersionMS    As Long
            dwFileVersionLS    As Long
         End Type
   
   
         Declare Function GetFileVersionInfo% Lib "Ver.dll" (ByVal FileName$,_
              ByVal dwHandle&, ByVal cbBuff&, ByVal lpvData$)
         Declare Function GetFileVersionInfoSize& Lib "Ver.dll" (ByVal_
              FileName$, dwHandle&)
         Declare Sub hmemcpy Lib "kernel" (hpvDest As Any, hpvSrc As Any,_
              ByVal cbBytes&)
   						

3. Add the following two functions in the module:
   

         Function LOWORD (x As Long) As Integer
            LOWORD = x And &HFFFF&
            'Low 16 bits contain Minor revision number.
         End Function
   
         Function HIWORD (x As Long) As Integer
            HIWORD = x \ &HFFFF&
            'High 16 bits contain Major revision number.
         End Function
   						

4. Save the module and create a new form.
5. Add a text box called Fname to the form.
6. Add a command button to the form, and add the following code to the command button's OnClick event procedure:
   

         Dim x As FileInfo
         Dim FileVer As String
         Dim FileName As String
   
         '*** Get Version Information If Available ****
         FileVer = ""
         FileName = Me![FName]
         BufSize& = GetFileVersionInfoSize(FileName, dwHandle&)
         If BufSize& = 0 Then
            MsgBox "Invalid File Name or no Version information available"
            Exit Sub
         End If
         lpvData$ = Space$(BufSize&)
         r% = GetFileVersionInfo(FileName, dwHandle&, BufSize&, lpvData$)
         hmemcpy x, ByVal lpvData$, Len(x)
   
         '**** Parse File Version Number ****
         FileVer = Trim$(Str$(HIWORD(x.dwFileVersionMS))) + "."
         FileVer = FileVer + Trim$(Str$(LOWORD(x.dwFileVersionMS))) + "."
         FileVer = FileVer + Trim$(Str$(HIWORD(x.dwFileVersionLS))) + "."
         FileVer = FileVer + Trim$(Str$(LOWORD(x.dwFileVersionLS)))
   
         MsgBox FileVer, 64, "Version of " & FileName
   						

7. To use the function, view the form in Form view and type a valid path and filename in the Fname text box. The following lines are examples of valid paths and filenames:
   

         C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\USER.EXE
         C:\ACCESS\MSACCESS.EXE
   						

8. Choose the command button to see the version displayed in a message box.