VBA Function To Validate (Test) A Given PowerPoint File Name
What This VBA Macro Code Does
When you ask your users to supply a file name during your VBA automation, it is important to incorporate some sort of test to ensure it is valid and doesn’t cause a treacherous error. The below VBA function will tell you (True or False) whether a given text string can be the name of a PowerPoint file.
This function tests a given name by saving a .ppt PowerPoint file to the Temporary Files folder and then immediately deleting it. If the action of saving the file with the given name errors out, then the function knows that the text was not a proper name for a PowerPoint file. If no errors occur then the function will return a TRUE value.
Function ValidFileName(FileName As Variant) As Boolean
'PURPOSE: Determine If A Given PowerPoint File Name Is Valid
'SOURCE: www.TheSpreadsheetGuru.com/the-code-vault
Dim ppt As Presentation
'Create a Temporary PPT file
On Error GoTo InvalidFileName
Set ppt = Presentations.Add
ppt.SaveAs Environ("TEMP") & "\" & FileName & ".ppt", ppSaveAsPresentation
On Error Resume Next
'Close Temp PowerPoint
ppt.Close
'Delete Temp File
Kill Environ("TEMP") & "\" & FileName & ".ppt"
'File Name is Valid
ValidFileName = True
Exit Function
'ERROR HANDLERS
InvalidFileName:
'Close Temp PowerPoint
ppt.Close
'File Name is Invalid
ValidFileName = False
End FunctionUsing VBA Code Found On The Internet
Now that you’ve found some VBA code that could potentially solve your Excel automation problem, what do you do with it? If you don’t necessarily want to learn how to code VBA and are just looking for the fastest way to implement this code into your spreadsheet, I wrote an article (with video) that explains how to get the VBA code you’ve found running on your spreadsheet.
Getting Started Automating Excel
Are you new to VBA and not sure where to begin? Check out my quickstart guide to learning VBA. This article won’t overwhelm you with fancy coding jargon, as it provides you with a simplistic and straightforward approach to the basic things I wish I knew when trying to teach myself how to automate tasks in Excel with VBA Macros.
Also, if you haven’t checked out Excel’s latest automation feature called Power Query, I have put together a beginner’s guide for automating with Excel’s Power Query feature as well! This little-known built-in Excel feature allows you to merge and clean data automatically with little to no coding!
How Do I Modify This To Fit My Specific Needs?
Chances are this post did not give you the exact answer you were looking for. We all have different situations and it’s impossible to account for every particular need one might have. That’s why I want to share with you: My Guide to Getting the Solution to your Problems FAST! In this article, I explain the best strategies I have come up with over the years to get quick answers to complex problems in Excel, PowerPoint, VBA, you name it!
I highly recommend that you check this guide out before asking me or anyone else in the comments section to solve your specific problem. I can guarantee that 9 times out of 10, one of my strategies will get you the answer(s) you are needing faster than it will take me to get back to you with a possible solution. I try my best to help everyone out, but sometimes I don’t have time to fit everyone’s questions in (there never seem to be quite enough hours in the day!).
I wish you the best of luck and I hope this tutorial gets you heading in the right direction!
After 10+ years of creating macros and developing add-ins, I've compiled all the hacks I wish I had known years ago!
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Chris Newman
Chris is a finance professional and Excel MVP recognized by Microsoft since 2016. With his expertise, he founded TheSpreadsheetGuru blog to help fellow Excel users, where he shares his vast creative solutions & expertise. In addition, he has developed over 7 widely-used Excel Add-ins that have been embraced by individuals and companies worldwide.