Set (temporary) SaveAs path

grNadpa · #1 03-30-2022, 07:32 AM

Cannot seem to set the path for Word 2016 SaveAs screen. The statement

Code:

MsgBox Options.DefaultFilePath(wdDocumentsPath)

displays the directory I want.

But, after executing

Code:

'source: based on https://wordmvp.com/FAQs/MacrosVBA/SetDefFilename.htm
'change properties
Dim dtToday As Date
  dtToday = Date
    If Documents.Count > 0 Then
         Set dlgProp = Dialogs(wdDialogFileSummaryInfo)
         ' Establish title
         dlgProp.Title =  "Waiver_" & dtToday & ".docx"
         ' Set the values
         dlgProp.Execute
         ' Show the dialog for testing purposes
         dlgProp.Show
    End If

The SaveAs dialog box shows up but with an entirely different path.

And with the bogus message

Quote:

You don't currently have permission to access this folder

(It's the the path I last used to save a .docm document).

The keywords I use in this forum's search bring up how to change file names, but not directories.

I guess this ability qualifies merely as a "nice to have". But it really would be a nice-to-have.

gmayor · #2 04-01-2022, 08:49 PM

Your code simply sets a document property. It does not set the file path. To change the path, use

Code:

ChDir "path"

However it is not necessary to do that to save a document in a specific location. If you want to save a document in a specific folder you must set that folder first e.g.

Code:

Dim dtToday As String
Dim sPath As String
    sPath = Options.DefaultFilePath(wdDocumentsPath) & "\"
    dtToday = Format(Date, "ddmmyyyy")
    MsgBox sPath & "Waiver_" & dtToday & ".docx"
    ActiveDocument.SaveAs2 sPath & "Waiver_" & dtToday & ".docx"

Note that

Code:

Dim dtToday As Date
  dtToday = Date

produces the system short date format and that may result in illegal filename characters e.g. 02/04/2022 so set dtDate as a string variable and format the date to produce legal filename characters e.g 02042022 as in the previous example.

grNadpa · #3 04-02-2022, 06:12 AM

Thank you @gmayor
Please confirm that I modified your example correctly. Specifically I added

Code:

Options.DefaultFilePath(wdDocumentsPath) = "C:\Users\Brian\Documents"

such that the entire test sub reads

Code:

Private Sub CommandButton3_Click()
Dim dtToday As String
Dim sPath As String
    Options.DefaultFilePath(wdDocumentsPath) = "C:\Users\Brian\Documents" 
    sPath = Options.DefaultFilePath(wdDocumentsPath) & "\"
    dtToday = Format(Date, "ddmmyyyy")
    MsgBox sPath & "Waiver_" & dtToday & ".docx"
    ActiveDocument.SaveAs2 sPath & "Waiver_" & dtToday & ".docx"
End Sub

Final question: Does capturing the path before changing it, then restoring it after the SaveAs2 serve as 'Best Practices' ?

gmayor · #4 04-02-2022, 08:11 PM

There is no need to change the path. Simply tell the macro where to save the document. The following will save the file in the appropriate place regardless of the current save location.

Code:

Private Sub CommandButton3_Click()
Dim dtToday As String
Dim sPath As String
    sPath = Options.DefaultFilePath(wdDocumentsPath) & "\"
    dtToday = Format(Date, "ddmmyyyy")
    ActiveDocument.SaveAs2 sPath & "Waiver_" & dtToday & ".docx"
End Sub

grNadpa · #5 04-03-2022, 06:40 AM

@gmayor wrote

Quote:

There is no need to change the path.

I don't understand. When I insert the code

Code:

MsgBox Options.DefaultFilePath(wdDocumentsPath) & "\"

The the mesgbox displays

Quote:

c:\users\brian\documents\integro\waiver\

The word (.dotm) document that will contain this code will be invoked from a template folder. So I want to save the completed document in another folder (as .docx)
Does that not require resetting the the path through Options.Default(wdDocumentsPath)?

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