I'm not sure what you mean "to tab".

To have a user select a folder, not a file, I use the below (which is
fantastic and clearly not my own work). This lets you specify a default
folder, have the user create a new folder - whatever you need.

Watch for wrapping - it's going to be bad. I couldn't find a decent
page of this to link to so I've pasted it below.

One module with this code:

Option Explicit

Dim CntrDialog As Boolean

Private Type BROWSEINFO
hOwner As Long 'Handle to the owner window for the
dialog box.

pidlRoot As Long 'Address of an ITEMIDLIST structure
specifying the location
'of the root folder from which to
browse. Only the specified
'folder and its subfolders appear
in the dialog box.
'This member can be NULL; in that
case, the namespace
'root (the desktop folder) is used.

pszDisplayName As String 'Address of a buffer to receive the
display name of the folder
'selected by the user. The size of
this buffer is assumed to
'be MAX_PATH bytes.

lpszTitle As String 'Address of a null-terminated
string that is displayed above
'the tree view control in the
dialog box. This string can be
'used to specify instructions to
the user.

ulFlags As Long 'Flags specifying the options
for the dialog box.
'See constants below

lpfn As Long 'Address of an
application-defined function that the dialog box calls
'when an event occurs. For more
information, see the
'BrowseCallbackProc function.
This member can be NULL.

lParam As Long 'Application-defined value that the
dialog box passes to the
'callback function (in pData), if
one is specified

iImage As Long 'Variable to receive the image
associated with the selected folder.
'The image is specified as an index
to the system image list.
End Type

Private Const WM_USER = &H400
Private Const MAX_PATH = 260

'ulFlag constants
Private Const BIF_RETURNONLYFSDIRS = &H1 'Only return file system
directories.
'If the user selects
folders that are not
'part of the file system,
the OK button is grayed.

Private Const BIF_DONTGOBELOWDOMAIN = &H2 'Do not include network
folders below the
'domain level in the tree
view control

Private Const BIF_STATUSTEXT = &H4 'Include a status
area in the dialog box.
'The callback
function can set the status text
'by sending messages
to the dialog box.

Private Const BIF_RETURNFSANCESTORS = &H8 'Only return file system
ancestors. If the user selects
'anything other than a
file system ancestor, the OK button is grayed

Private Const BIF_EDITBOX = &H10 'Version 4.71. The
browse dialog includes an edit control
'in which the user can
type the name of an item.

Private Const BIF_VALIDATE = &H20 'Version 4.71. If the user
types an invalid name into the
'edit box, the browse
dialog will call the application's
'BrowseCallbackProc with
the BFFM_VALIDATEFAILED
' message. This flag is
ignored if BIF_EDITBOX is not specified

Private Const BIF_NEWDIALOGSTYLE = &H40 'Version 5.0. New dialog
style with context menu and resizability

Private Const BIF_BROWSEINCLUDEURLS = &H80 'Version 5.0. Allow URLs to
be displayed or entered. Requires BIF_USENEWUI.

Private Const BIF_BROWSEFORCOMPUTER = &H1000 'Only return computers. If
the user selects anything
'other than a computer, the
OK button is grayed

Private Const BIF_BROWSEFORPRINTER = &H2000 'Only return printers. If
the user selects anything
'other than a printer,
the OK button is grayed.

Private Const BIF_BROWSEINCLUDEFILES = &H4000 'The browse dialog will
display files as well as folders

Private Const BIF_SHAREABLE = &H8000 'Version 5.0. Allow display of
remote shareable resources. Requires BIF_USENEWUI.

'Message from browser to callback function constants

Private Const BFFM_INITIALIZED = 1 'Indicates the browse dialog box
has finished initializing.
'The lParam parameter is NULL.

Private Const BFFM_SELCHANGED = 2 'Indicates the selection has
changed. The lParam parameter
'contains the address of the item
identifier list for the newly selected folder.

Private Const BFFM_VALIDATEFAILED = 3 'Version 4.71. Indicates the user
typed an invalid name into the edit
'box of the browse dialog. The
lParam parameter is the address of
'a character buffer that
contains the invalid name.
'An application can use this
message to inform the user that the
'name entered was not valid.
Return zero to allow the dialog to be
'dismissed or nonzero to keep
the dialog displayed.

' messages to browser from callback function
Private Const BFFM_SETSTATUSTEXTA = WM_USER + 100
Private Const BFFM_ENABLEOK = WM_USER + 101
Private Const BFFM_SETSELECTIONA = WM_USER + 102
Private Const BFFM_SETSELECTIONW = WM_USER + 103
Private Const BFFM_SETSTATUSTEXTW = WM_USER + 104

Private Const LMEM_FIXED = &H0
Private Const LMEM_ZEROINIT = &H40
Private Const LPTR = (LMEM_FIXED Or LMEM_ZEROINIT)

'Main Browse for directory function
Declare Function SHBrowseForFolder Lib "shell32.dll" _
Alias "SHBrowseForFolderA" (lpBrowseInfo As BROWSEINFO) As Long
'Gets path from pidl
Declare Function SHGetPathFromIDList Lib "shell32.dll" _
Alias "SHGetPathFromIDListA" (ByVal pidl As Long, ByVal pszPath As
String) As Long
'Used by callback function to communicate with the browser
Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32" _
Alias "SendMessageA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, _
ByVal wMsg As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, ByVal lParam As Any) As Long

Declare Sub CopyMemory Lib "kernel32" Alias "RtlMoveMemory" (hpvDest As
Any, _
hpvSource As Any, ByVal cbCopy As Long)

Private Declare Sub CoTaskMemFree Lib "ole32.dll" (ByVal pv As Long)

Private Declare Function LocalAlloc Lib "kernel32" _
(ByVal uFlags As Long, _
ByVal uBytes As Long) As Long

Private Declare Function LocalFree Lib "kernel32" _
(ByVal hMem As Long) As Long


''The following declarations for the option to center the dialog in the
user's screen
Private Declare Function GetWindowRect Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long,
lpRect As RECT) As Long

Private Declare Function GetSystemMetrics Lib "user32" (ByVal nIndex As
Long) As Long

Private Const SM_CXFULLSCREEN = 16
Private Const SM_CYFULLSCREEN = 17

Private Type RECT
Left As Long
Top As Long
Right As Long
Bottom As Long
End Type

Private Declare Function MoveWindow Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long, _
ByVal x As Long, _
ByVal y As Long, _
ByVal nWidth As Long, _
ByVal nHeight As Long, ByVal bRepaint As Long) As Long
''End of dialog centering declarations

Function GetDirectory(InitDir As String, Flags As Long, CntrDlg As
Boolean, Msg) As String
Dim bInfo As BROWSEINFO
Dim pidl As Long, lpInitDir As Long

CntrDialog = CntrDlg ''Copy dialog centering setting to module
level variable so callback function can see it
With bInfo
.pidlRoot = 0 'Root folder = Desktop
.lpszTitle = Msg
.ulFlags = Flags

lpInitDir = LocalAlloc(LPTR, Len(InitDir) + 1)
CopyMemory ByVal lpInitDir, ByVal InitDir, Len(InitDir) + 1
.lParam = lpInitDir

If Val(Application.Version) 8 Then 'Establish the callback
function
.lpfn = BrowseCallBackFuncAddress
Else
.lpfn = AddrOf("BrowseCallBackFunc")
End If
End With
'Display the dialog
pidl = SHBrowseForFolder(bInfo)
'Get path string from pidl
GetDirectory = GetPathFromID(pidl)
CoTaskMemFree pidl
LocalFree lpInitDir
End Function

'Windows calls this function when the dialog events occur
Function BrowseCallBackFunc(ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal Msg As Long, ByVal
lParam As Long, ByVal pData As Long) As Long
Select Case Msg
Case BFFM_INITIALIZED
'Dialog is being initialized. I use this to set the initial
directory and to center the dialog if the requested
SendMessage hwnd, BFFM_SETSELECTIONA, 1, pData 'Send
message to dialog
If CntrDialog Then CenterDialog hwnd
Case BFFM_SELCHANGED
'User selected a folder - change status text ("show status
text" option must be set to see this)
SendMessage hwnd, BFFM_SETSTATUSTEXTA, 0, GetPathFromID(lParam)
Case BFFM_VALIDATEFAILED
'This message is sent to the callback function only if
"Allow direct entry" and
'"Validate direct entry" have been be set on the Demo worksheet
'and the user's direct entry is not valid.
'"Show status text" must be set on to see error message we
send back to the dialog
Beep
SendMessage hwnd, BFFM_SETSTATUSTEXTA, 0, "Bad Directory"
BrowseCallBackFunc = 1 'Block dialog closing
Exit Function
End Select
BrowseCallBackFunc = 0 'Allow dialog to close
End Function

'Converts a PIDL to a string
Function GetPathFromID(ID As Long) As String
Dim Result As Boolean, Path As String * MAX_PATH
Result = SHGetPathFromIDList(ID, Path)
If Result Then
GetPathFromID = Left(Path, InStr(Path, Chr$(0)) - 1)
Else
GetPathFromID = ""
End If
End Function

'XL8 is very unhappy about using Excel 9's AddressOf operator, but as
long as it is in a
' function that is not called when run on XL8, it seems to allow it to
exist.
Function BrowseCallBackFuncAddress() As Long
BrowseCallBackFuncAddress = Long2Long(AddressOf BrowseCallBackFunc)
End Function

'It is not possible to assign the result of AddressOf (which is a Long)
directly to a member
'of a user defined data type. This explicitly "converts" it to a Long and
'allows the assignment
Function Long2Long(x As Long) As Long
Long2Long = x
End Function

'Centers dialog on desktop
Sub CenterDialog(hwnd As Long)
Dim WinRect As RECT, ScrWidth As Integer, ScrHeight As Integer
Dim DlgWidth As Integer, DlgHeight As Integer
GetWindowRect hwnd, WinRect
DlgWidth = WinRect.Right - WinRect.Left
DlgHeight = WinRect.Bottom - WinRect.Top
ScrWidth = GetSystemMetrics(SM_CXFULLSCREEN)
ScrHeight = GetSystemMetrics(SM_CYFULLSCREEN)
MoveWindow hwnd, (ScrWidth - DlgWidth) / 2, (ScrHeight - DlgHeight)
/ 2, DlgWidth, DlgHeight, 1
End Sub

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A second module (which happens to be called basAddrOf)
Option Explicit

'NOTE: The brilliant AddrOf function herein contained is the work of Ken
Getz and
'Michael Kaplan. Published in the May 1998 issue of
'Microsoft Office & Visual Basic for Applications Developer (page 46).

'Office 97 does not support the "AddressOf" operator which is needed to
tell Windows
'where our "call back" function is. Getz and Kaplan figured out a
workaround.

'The rest of this module is entirely their work.

'-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
' Declarations
'
' These function names were puzzled out by using DUMPBIN /exports
' with VBA332.DLL and then puzzling out parameter names and types
' through a lot of trial and error and over 100 IPFs in MSACCESS.EXE
' and VBA332.DLL.
'
' These parameters may not be named properly but seem to be correct in
' light of the function names and what each parameter does.
'
' EbGetExecutingProj: Gives you a handle to the current VBA project
' TipGetFunctionId: Gives you a function ID given a function name
' TipGetLpfnOfFunctionId: Gives you a pointer a function given its
function ID
'
'-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Private Declare Function GetCurrentVbaProject _
Lib "vba332.dll" Alias "EbGetExecutingProj" _
(hProject As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function GetFuncID _
Lib "vba332.dll" Alias "TipGetFunctionId" _
(ByVal hProject As Long, ByVal strFunctionName As String, _
ByRef strFunctionId As String) As Long
Private Declare Function GetAddr _
Lib "vba332.dll" Alias "TipGetLpfnOfFunctionId" _
(ByVal hProject As Long, ByVal strFunctionId As String, _
ByRef lpfn As Long) As Long

'-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
' AddrOf
'
' Returns a function pointer of a VBA public function given its name.
This function
' gives similar functionality to VBA as VB5 has with the AddressOf
param type.
'
' NOTE: This function only seems to work if the proc you are trying to
get a pointer
' to is in the current project. This makes sense, since we are
using a function
' named EbGetExecutingProj.
'-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Public Function AddrOf(strFuncName As String) As Long
Dim hProject As Long
Dim lngResult As Long
Dim strID As String
Dim lpfn As Long
Dim strFuncNameUnicode As String

Const NO_ERROR = 0

' The function name must be in Unicode, so convert it.
strFuncNameUnicode = StrConv(strFuncName, vbUnicode)

' Get the current VBA project
' The results of GetCurrentVBAProject seemed inconsistent, in our
tests,
' so now we just check the project handle when the function returns.
Call GetCurrentVbaProject(hProject)

' Make sure we got a project handle... we always should, but you
never know!
If hProject < 0 Then
' Get the VBA function ID (whatever that is!)
lngResult = GetFuncID( _
hProject, strFuncNameUnicode, strID)

' We have to check this because we GPF if we try to get a
function pointer
' of a non-existent function.
If lngResult = NO_ERROR Then
' Get the function pointer.
lngResult = GetAddr(hProject, strID, lpfn)

If lngResult = NO_ERROR Then
AddrOf = lpfn
End If
End If
End If
End Function







prepotency wrote:
Yes exactly. I guess my question in the OP was referring to the file
parsing method which uses the least memory (time taken to run). I had
considered using split or Mid but what we're really trying to get
around here is reading in the whole file. Furthermore with Split, it
takes so much time because it parses the whole file and writes its
contents into an array (the creation of the array is what takes so
long). With the Mid option, we are still forced to read on the whole
file. Here's a question: when you read in line by line does VBA still
open the whole file? I guess that's what I'm wondering. Because I
don't really want to open up the whole file. I just assumed that it
opened the whole file into ram and then started pulling the lines out
of it, which wouldn't necessarily save you any time.

Question: What's the fastest way to tab through every file in a
specified folder and how do you allow the user to browse and select a
folder (NOT a file)? Nagging question I was having.

G