* VB-CODE (2)
Tip 134: Creating Temporary Files

July 1, 1995

Abstract
When developing an application in Microsoft=AE Visual Basic=AE, you may =
need to create
a temporary file on disk. This article explains how to create temporary =
files in
Visual Basic version 4.0.

Using the GetTempFileName Function
You can create a new file on a specified disk drive using the =
 Declarations section of
    Form1 (note that this Declare statement must be typed as a single =
line of
    code):

Private Declare Function GetTempFileName Lib "kernel32" Alias =
"GetTempFileNameA"
   (ByVal lpszPath As String, ByVal lpPrefixString As String, ByVal =
wUnique As
   Long, ByVal lpTempFileName As String) As Long

 3. Add the following code to the Form_Load event for Form1:

Private Sub Form_Load()
    Text1.TEXT =3D ""
End Sub

 4. Add a Text Box control to Form1. Text1 is created by default.
 5. Add a Command Button control to Form1. Command1 is created by =
default.
 6. Add the following code to the Click event for Command1:

Private Sub Command1_Click()
    Dim FilePrefix As String
    Dim NewFile As String * 256
    FilePrefix =3D "TEST"
    NewFile =3D GetTempName(FilePrefix)
    Text1.TEXT =3D NewFile
End Sub

 7. Create a new function called GetTempName. Add the following code to =
this
    function:

Private Function GetTempName(TmpFilePrefix As String) As String
    Dim TempFileName As String * 256
    Dim X As Long
    Dim DriveName As String
    DriveName =3D "c:\"
    X =3D GetTempFileName(DriveName, TmpFilePrefix, 0, TempFileName)
    GetTempName =3D Left$(TempFileName, InStr(TempFileName, Chr(0)) - 1)
End Function

Run the example program by pressing F5. Click the command button to =
create a new
temporary file on drive C in the root directory. The name of the newly =
created
file is displayed in the Text Box control.


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