How can I put the cursor in the File List of an open FileDialog?

Question

Is there a way to control a FileDialog in VBA so that the cursor moves to the top of the File List in an open FileDialog? (The cursor always seems to be in the File name control of the FileDialog.)

I would like to use the down arrow key to move through the list of files in the initial folder of an open FileDialog. (Rather than use the mouse to select a file in the File List.)

Hitting the TAB key 10 times moves the cursor to the top of the list, but I would like to automate that process. Best as I can tell, I cannot use SendKeys - either before .Show or after. So I do not think I can pass {TAB} as a keystroke programmatically.

I am writing the code in Outlook but need to use Excel because Outlook does not support the FileDialog.

This is taken from a larger function.

    'Launch File Browser
    'NOTE:  Outlook actually does NOT support the FileDialog, so you need
    '       to hack a solution and use another Office app instead
    'This uses Excel to open the FileDialog

       Dim xlobj As Excel.Application
       Set xlobj = New Excel.Application
       With xlobj.FileDialog(msoFileDialogFilePicker)
        .InitialFileName = strStartFolderPath

        .Filters.Add "All files", "*.*"
        .Title = "Please Select a File to Attach"
        .AllowMultiSelect = True
        ' Try SendKeys Here? - Does NOt work
            SendKeys "{TAB}"

            .Show
            ' Try SendKeys Here? Does NOT Work because VBA waits for FileDialog
            'SendKeys "{TAB}"

            For i = 1 To .SelectedItems.Count
                varSelectedItem = .SelectedItems(i)
                 objItem.Attachments.Add varSelectedItem
            Next i

    End With
    xlobj.Quit
    Set xlobj = Nothing

 Set myItem = Nothing
 Set objItem = Nothing
 Set myolapp = Nothing

*He can hit the TAB key 10 times to move the cursor to the top of the list* - or he can hold the Shift key down and hit TAB twice instead. You can't configure initial focus on `Application.FileDialog` AFAIK (it's standard across all of Office), and you can't `SendKeys` either, because the dialog is, by definition, a blocking call so your next instruction only executes after the dialog is closed. This user should voice their request to Microsoft, they're asking to change the behavior of something standard, that you have no control over. — Mathieu Guindon, May 04 '18 at 17:23

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered May 04 '18 at 18:02

The dialog is, by definition, a blocking call - so you can't SendKeys after invoking .Show and before the user closes the dialog, because the next instruction to run after .Show will be running after the dialog has closed.

Hitting 10x Tab to get to the list box control seems overkill to me though.

I'm sure your user will be happy to learn that they can cycle the controls in the opposite direction by holding down the Shift key; here I can get to the list box control by pressing Shift+Tab twice.

Other than that, you could put up an Excel UserVoice suggestion to get Microsoft to change that behavior, but I wouldn't hold my breath on that one.

How can I put the cursor in the File List of an open FileDialog?

1 Answers1