Introduction to FileSystemObject and Scripting Run-time library references

filesystemobject| Reference

FileSystemObject (FSO) object mode, which allows you to work with folders and files on a large number of properties, methods, and events, using more familiar Object.Method syntax.

Use this object-based tool and:

• HTML to create a Web page
• Windows Scripting Host to create batch files for Microsoft windows
• Script control provides the ability to edit scripts for applications developed in other languages

Because of the important security implications of using the FSO on the client side, providing potentially unwelcome access to the client's local file system, it is assumed that this document uses the FSO object model to create scripts that are executed by the server-side Internet Web page. Because the server side is used, the Internet Explorer default security setting does not allow clients to use the FileSystemObject object. Overwriting those defaults can cause unwanted access to their file systems on the local computer, resulting in complete damage to file system integrity, while causing data loss or worse.

The FSO object mode enables server-side applications to create, alter, move, and delete folders, or to detect whether a particular folder exists, and, if so, to find information about the folder, such as name, date created or last modified, and so on.

The FSO object pattern also makes file processing easy. When working with files, the primary goal is to store the data in a valid space and resource in an accessible format. This requires the ability to create files, insert and change data, and output (read) data. Because storing data in a database, such as Access or a SQL server, adds a lot of overhead to your application, storing the data in a binary or text file can be the most effective solution. You may not want this overhead, or your data access requirements may not require all the extra functionality associated with a fully functional database.

The FSO object pattern, contained in the Scripting type library (Scrrun.dll), supports the creation and manipulation of text files by TextStream objects. Although the creation or operation of binaries is not yet supported, it is planned to support binary files in the future.