XL: How to Display the Open and Save As Dialog Boxes

 Last reviewed: February 3, 1998
Article ID: Q139723

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows NT, version 5.0
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
  • Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
  • Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, version 5.0, 5.0a
  • Microsoft Excel for the Power Macintosh, versions 5.0, 5.0a
  • Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

SUMMARY

When you use Microsoft Excel, you may want to display the Open or the Save As dialog boxes using Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications procedures. This article explains several ways to accomplish this task.

Note that the Open and Close methods do not display these dialog boxes.

MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language being demonstrated and the tools used to create and debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific needs. If you have limited programming experience, you may want to contact the Microsoft fee-based consulting line at (800) 936-5200. For more information about the support options available from Microsoft, please see the following page on the World Wide Web: 

   http://www.microsoft.com/support/supportnet/refguide/default.asp

Method 1

This Visual Basic code uses the xlDialogOpen and xlDialogSaveAs constants to display the dialog.

To open a file: 

   Application.Dialogs(xlDialogOpen).Show
To open a file named "myacct.xls" in the "c:\personal" directory: 

   Application.Dialogs(xlDialogOpen).Show _
      ("c:\personal\myacct.xls")
To save a file: 

   Application.Dialogs(xlDialogSaveAs).Show
To save a file in the "c:\public" directory named "acct.xls": 

   Application.Dialogs(xlDialogSaveAs).Show _
      ("c:\public\acct.xls")

Method 2

Use the GetOpenFilename and GetSaveAsFilename methods to retrieve the file name in conjunction with the Open or Close methods.

To open a file: 

   Workbooks.Open filename:=Application.GetOpenFilename
To save the active workbook: 

   Activeworkbook.SaveAs filename:=Application.GetSaveAsFilename

Method 3

Use the Microsoft Excel 4.0 macro language equivalents to display the dialog boxes.

To open a file: 

   Application.ExecuteExcel4Macro("OPEN?()")
To save a file: 

   Application.ExecuteExcel4Macro("SAVE.AS?()")
For additional information, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 

   ARTICLE-ID: Q122507
   TITLE     : MXL5: Extension Overrides Default Directory Setting

   ARTICLE-ID: Q104581
   TITLE     : Macro to Change Default *.XL* to *.* in Open Dialog Box

REFERENCES

Microsoft Press: "Excel 5 Visual Basic for Applications Reference," version 5.0, pages 452, 576

"Function Reference," version 4.0, pages 307, 369

The On-Line Help menu in Microsoft Excel 7.0. Select the Help menu, and choose "Microsoft Excel Help Topics". Click on the Find tab and type "xldialogopen" without the quotes.

Additional query words: 5.00 5.00a 5.00c 7.00 7.00a XL98 XL97 XL7 XL5
Keywords : kbcode kbprg PgmHowto
Version : WINDOWS:5.0,5.0c,7.0,97; MACINTOSH:5.0,5.0a,98
Platform : MACINTOSH WINDOWS
Issue type : kbhowto

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Last reviewed: February 3, 1998
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