Recursive File Search Using the Dir() Function

Question

There are plenty of examples of using the FileSystemObject to recursively search for a file in subfolders. I thought that it would be interesting to write one using the Dir() function.

I was wondering if there is a way to return the found file without using the extra FoundFile parameter?

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Function FindFile(ByVal folderName As String, ByVal FileName As String, Optional ByRef FoundFile As String) As String
 Dim search As String
 Dim dirList As New Collection
 If Not Right(folderName, 1) = "\" Then folderName = folderName & "\"
 search = Dir(folderName & "\*", vbDirectory)
 While Len(search) > 0
 If Not search = "." And Not search = ".." Then
 If GetAttr(folderName & search) = 16 Then
 dirList.Add folderName & search
 Else
 If LCase(search) = LCase(FileName) Then
 FoundFile = folderName & FileName
 FindFile = FoundFile
 Exit Function
 End If
 End If
 End If
 search = Dir()
 Wend
 Dim fld
 For Each fld In dirList
 If Len(FoundFile) > 0 Then
 FindFile = FoundFile
 Exit Function
 Else
 FindFile = FindFile(CStr(fld), FileName, FoundFile)
 End If
 Next
End Function

Answer 1

Just remove it from parameter, and make it a variable.

Function FindFile(ByVal folderName As String, ByVal FileName As String) As String
 Dim search As String
 Dim dirList As New Collection
 If Not Right(folderName, 1) = "\" Then folderName = folderName & "\"
 search = Dir(folderName & "\*", vbDirectory)
 While Len(search) > 0
 If Not search = "." And Not search = ".." Then
 If GetAttr(folderName & search) = 16 Then
 dirList.Add folderName & search
 Else
 If LCase(search) = LCase(FileName) Then
 FindFile = folderName & FileName
 Exit Function
 End If
 End If
 End If
 search = Dir()
 Wend
 Dim fld
 Dim FoundFile As String
 For Each fld In dirList
 FoundFile = FindFile(CStr(fld), FileName)
 If Len(FoundFile) > 0 Then
 FindFile = FoundFile
 Exit Function
 End If
 Next
End Function

• TinMan: Very nice. Why didn't I think of that?