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All Functions

This page lists all vuFileTools functions with a short description and links to their reference topics.

Function Description
vuAddStartupShortcut Creates a shortcut (.lnk file) in the Windows Startup folder so that the specified program runs automatically when Windows starts.
vuAnimateCloseBlend Animates the closing of a window by blending it into the background. The animation duration is defined by dwTime in milliseconds.
vuAnimateCloseCenter Animates the closing of a window from the center outward. The animation duration is defined by dwTime in milliseconds.
vuAnimateCloseRoll Animates the closing of a window, rolling in the specified direction(s). The animation duration is defined by dwTime in milliseconds.
vuAnimateCloseSlide Animates the closing of a window by sliding in the specified direction(s). The animation duration is defined by dwTime in milliseconds.
vuAnimateOpenBlend Animates the opening of a window by blending it from the background. The animation duration is defined by dwTime in milliseconds.
vuAnimateOpenCenter Animates the opening of a window from the center outward. The animation duration is defined by dwTime in milliseconds.
vuAnimateOpenRoll Animates the opening of a window, rolling in the specified direction(s). The animation duration is defined by dwTime in milliseconds.
vuAnimateOpenSlide Animates the opening of a window by sliding in the specified direction(s). The animation duration is defined by dwTime in milliseconds.
vuBIOSSerialNo Returns the BIOS serial number as a CSTRING (alphanumeric value).
vuBatteryLife Returns the current battery life percentage. If the PC is running on AC power, the function returns 101.
vuBinary Returns the binary representation of a LONG value.
vuCPUMake Returns the make and model of the PCs CPU.
vuCPUSerialNo Returns the CPU serial number. Valid only for Intel Pentium III processors. On Pentium IV and newer, a consistent number may be returned, but it is not the actual CPU serial number and is not guaranteed to be unique.
vuCPUSpeed Measures the speed of the CPU and returns the value in megahertz.
vuCPUusage Measures the percentage of CPU usage between calls to this function. The returned value represents the average CPU usage across the interval since the last call. The function compensates internally for systems with multiple processors.
vuCRC32 Calculates a 32-bit CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) for the provided parameter. If the parameter is a valid file path, the CRC is calculated on the file contents. Otherwise, the CRC is calculated on the provided value.
vuCenterWindow Centers any window on the screen given its handle.
vuChangeDisplay Tests or dynamically changes the PCs display settings (width, height, and color depth). This function ensures only supported settings are applied. Unsupported combinations of width, height, depth, or refresh rate will return a failure. Use this function to set screen resolution and restore it when your program exits.
vuCleanBoot Checks whether the PC was last booted normally (not in Safe Mode). Under Safe Mode, most drivers are not loaded. Use this function at the start of your application to warn the user or terminate if required drivers are missing.
vuClearRecentDocs Clears all entries in the Windows Recent Documents folder (accessible from the Start menu).
vuClientHeight Returns the current screen client height (e.g., 600, 768, 1024).
vuClientWidth Returns the current screen client width.
vuCloseDisable Disables the ability to close a window by removing the Close (X) button, given the window handle.
vuCompress Compresses a source file using the Huffman compression algorithm and saves it as the specified target file. The source file remains unchanged.
vuComputerName Returns the name of the computer on which the application is running.
vuCopy Copies files from one location to another. Supports wildcards and optional subdirectory copying. Can copy across drives, including network drives.
vuCreateCompressedFolder Creates a new folder at the specified path and enables NTFS compression on it.
vuCreateDirectory Creates an entire directory path in one command. Any number of subdirectories can be included in FilePath.
vuCreateHardLink Creates a hard link to an existing file. A hard link allows two filenames to reference the same physical file data on disk.
vuCreateJunction Creates a junction point that links one directory to another. A junction allows a folder to appear in multiple locations on the file system.
vuCreateLink Creates a Windows shortcut (link) file. Shortcuts allow programs to be started from locations such as the desktop, start menu, or other system folders. vuCreateLink supports eight default locations.
vuCreateLinkEx Creates a Windows shortcut (link) file with extended options. This version allows specifying a working directory and a comment in addition to the parameters supported by vuCreateLink.
vuCreateSymbolicLink_Dir Creates a symbolic link (symlink) to an existing directory. A symlink acts as a shortcut at the file system level, allowing another folder path to point to the target directory.
vuCreateSymbolicLink_File Creates a symbolic link (symlink) to an existing file. A symlink acts as a shortcut at the file system level, allowing another path to point to the target file.
vuCurrentPath Returns the path from which the current program is executing.
vuDelete Deletes one or more files or directories, with the option to include subdirectories and send items to the Recycle Bin. This function is extremely powerful and must be used with caution.
vuDesktopIcons Hides or unhides the entire Windows desktop, including icons, taskbar, and system tray. Useful for POS and commercial applications that require exclusive access to the screen. Can be combined with vuDisableWindowsKey to fully lock down the environment.
vuDisableOthers Disables or enables all other windows that contain the specified text in their title, based on the value of wDisable.
vuDiskLabel Returns the volume label of the root directory of the C: drive.
vuDiskSerialNo Returns the volume serial number of the root directory on the C: drive. While commonly used for software licensing, note that serial numbers are not guaranteed to be unique.
vuDiskSpace Returns the actual size of the specified disk in bytes. Unlike older APIs, this function is not limited to 2 GB.
vuDriveType Returns the type of disk drive for the given drive letter.
vuEZRegGet Retrieves data from the Windows registry that was stored using vuEZRegPut. Designed for simplicity, this function does not require knowledge of the registry structure.
vuEZRegPut Saves a value in the Windows registry without requiring knowledge of the registry key structure. The function automatically creates the required key and subkeys. Keys are stored under:
vuElevationType Determines the type of user token for the current process.
vuEmailClient Returns the name of the PCs default email client.
vuEndDriveEnum Finalizes the drive enumeration sequence and releases internal resources allocated by vuStartDriveEnum().
vuEndDriveEnumEx Finalizes the extended drive enumeration sequence and releases any resources allocated by vuStartDriveEnumEx().
vuEnumerateFolderA Enumerates the contents of a specified folder and prepares entries for retrieval with vuGetEnumeratedEntryA.
vuEnumerateStartupItems Enumerates all items in the Windows Startup folders. Use this function to determine how many startup items exist for a given scope.
vuExplorerFileType Returns the file type description as shown in Windows Explorer for the specified file.
vuExtractFileName Returns the file name portion of a fully qualified path and filename.
vuExtractFileNameEx Extracts just the file name from a full file path.
vuExtractFilePath Returns the drive and path portion of a fully qualified file specification.
vuFadeIn Fades in a window over approximately one second when first opened. Typically used together with vuTransparent and vuFadeOut for full fade-in/fade-out effects.
vuFadeInOthers Fades in other windows whose title contains the specified name or phrase. If wName is left blank, all other running windows are affected. Useful for restoring windows after using vuFadeOutOthers.
vuFadeOut Fades out a window over approximately one second when it is being closed. Typically used together with vuTransparent and vuFadeIn for full fade-in/fade-out effects.
vuFadeOutOthers Fades out other windows whose title contains the specified name or phrase. If wName is left blank, all other running windows are affected. Useful for highlighting your application by dimming the rest of the desktop environment.
vuFileCount Counts the number of files that match the specified mask. Wildcards are supported. Unlike Clarions built-in EXISTS() function, vuFileCount does not affect file creation, last written, or access dates.
vuFileDate Returns the creation, last written, or last accessed date of a specified file.
vuFileExists Checks whether a specified file exists on disk.
vuFileExistsEx Checks whether a specified file exists, with optional waiting and polling.
vuFileSize Returns the size of a file without opening it, ensuring that file dates and times are not affected.
vuFileTime Returns the creation, last written, or last accessed time of a specified file.
vuFileType Determines the executable type of a file based on its contents, not its extension.
vuFindFile Searches for a specific file name in one or more specified locations. Multiple search locations can be provided by separating them with semicolons.
vuFlashWindow Flashes the specified window (both its title bar and its taskbar button) the given number of times. The flash rate is 4 per second.
vuFolderDate Returns the creation date of a folder in standard Clarion date format.
vuFolderExists Checks if a specified folder (path) exists. Supports mapped drives and UNC paths.
vuFolderTime Returns the creation time of a folder in standard Clarion time format.
vuFolderWatchCheck Checks the status of a folder monitoring thread started with vuFolderWatchStart. Used to detect when changes occur in a watched folder.
vuFolderWatchStart Launches a Windows thread to monitor changes to the specified folder or its contents. Changes include file additions, modifications, or deletions within the folder or its subfolders.
vuFontDirectory Returns the fully qualified path of the Windows font directory.
vuFontLoad Loads the specified font into the Windows font table, making it available for immediate use without requiring a reboot.
vuFontUnload Unloads the specified font from the Windows font table, making it unavailable for use until reboot or reinstallation.
vuFreeSpace Returns the available free space on the specified drive without the 2 GB limit imposed by older APIs.
vuGetAttributes Returns a bitmask representing the attributes of the specified file. Multiple attributes can be combined.
vuGetDefaultPrinter Returns the name of the PCs default printer. Note that this may not match the printer currently selected by Clarion or the Report Writer.
vuGetDriveList Retrieves a list of available drive roots and writes the result into the caller-provided buffer.
vuGetDriveListEx Retrieves an extended list of available drives with detailed information for each.
vuGetDriveSpace Retrieves free and total space for a specified drive and returns the result as a formatted string.
vuGetEnumeratedEntryA Retrieves information about a single entry from the results of a previous vuEnumerateFolderA call.
vuGetNextDrive Retrieves the next available drive from the internal enumeration list, along with its type.
vuGetNextDriveAuto Retrieves the next available drive and its type, with automatic start and cleanup.
vuGetNextDriveEx Retrieves extended information about the next available drive.
vuGetNextDriveExAuto Retrieves extended information about the next available drive with automatic initialization and cleanup.
vuGetStartupFolder Retrieves the file system paths for the current users Startup folder and the common (all users) Startup folder.
vuGetStartupItem Retrieves information about a specific startup item, including its name, path, and type. Use in combination with vuEnumerateStartupItems to list all startup entries.
vuGetVolumeLabel Returns the volume label of the specified root directory. Supports both local drives and UNC paths.
vuHexadecimal Converts a LONG value into its hexadecimal representation.
vuHideStartButton Hides or shows the Windows Start button based on the specified flag.
vuIPAddress Returns the specified IP address of the PC in dot notation. Use vuIPAddressCount to determine how many IP addresses are available.
vuIPAddressCount Returns the number of IP addresses configured on the PC. Multiple IP addresses may exist due to multiple NICs, modems, or virtual adapters.
vuISOS64 Determines whether the operating system is 64-bit.
vuIdleTime Returns the number of seconds the system has been idle (no keyboard or mouse activity).
vuInternetCanReachUrl Tests whether a specific URL can be reached within a caller supplied timeout using WinINet.
vuInternetPresent Reports whether Windows currently believes that Internet connectivity is available using WinINet heuristics.
vuIsAdmin Determines whether the current user belongs to an Administrator account. Useful for checking if the program has sufficient privileges to perform system-level functions.
vuIsDriveReady Checks whether the specified drive is ready for use (e.g., contains media and is accessible).
vuIsElevated Checks whether the current process is running with elevated privileges (administrative rights).
vuIsFolderCompressed Checks whether a specified folder is NTFS-compressed.
vuIsNTFSCompressed Checks whether the specified file or folder is NTFS-compressed. Works with both individual files and directories.
vuIsNetworkSlow Determines whether the primary network connection is slower than a specified threshold. Uses the speed reported by vuPrimaryLinkSpeed().
vuIsRunning Determines if a program is already running by checking for a named mutex. If the mutex does not exist, the function creates it. This is typically used to prevent multiple instances of the same application from running.
vuIsRunningCheck Determines if a program is already running by checking for a named mutex. Unlike vuIsRunning, this function only checks if the mutex exists and does not create one.
vuKeepChars Returns a modified version of Strg containing only those characters found in Chars. Useful for extracting digits or identifiers from strings with mixed content.
vuMACAddress Returns the MAC address of the specified network adapter. Use vuMACCount() to determine how many adapters are available.
vuMACCount Returns the number of Media Access Control (MAC) adapters found on the PC.
vuMACDesc Returns the adapter description for the specified network adapter. Use vuMACCount() to determine how many adapters are available.
vuMACType Returns the adapter type for the specified network adapter. Use vuMACCount() to determine how many adapters are available.
vuMCIsend Sends the specified command string to the Media Control Interface (MCI) device.
vuMailSlotCheck Checks the specified mail slot for pending messages and places the next message (if any) into dBuffer.
vuMailSlotCreate Creates a mail slot in your application for receiving messages from other applications on the same PC or within the same domain.
vuMailSlotDestroy Destroys a previously created mail slot, releasing the associated system resources.
vuMailSlotDestroyAll Destroys all mail slots on the local PC.
vuMailSlotSend Sends data to a mail slot in another application, either locally or across the domain.
vuMapped2UNC Converts a fully qualified path and filename that uses a mapped drive letter into the equivalent UNC (Universal Naming Convention) path.
vuMaximizeDisable Disables the ability to maximize a window (by double-clicking the title bar or using the maximize button) for the specified window handle.
vuMemoryFree Returns the amount of unused physical memory currently available on the system.
vuMemoryPercentUsed Returns the percentage (0100) of physical memory currently in use on the system.
vuMemoryTotal Returns the total amount of physical memory installed on the system.
vuMinimizePrograms Minimizes or restores all running programs that support minimize/restore actions.
vuMove Moves one or more files from a source location to a destination. Supports wildcards and can optionally include subdirectories. Works across local and network drives.
vuMoveDisable Disables the ability to move a window, given its handle.
vuNetworkPresent Detects whether a network is present and returns the type of network detected.
vuNetworkUser Returns the network user name of the current process.
vuNumber2String Returns a string containing the number spelled out in words.
vuOSVersion Returns the Windows Operating System version as a sequential number for easy comparison in code. The current implementation uses RtlGetVersion from ntdll to obtain accurate version info, including Windows 10 and Windows 11, regardless of application manifests.
vuOctal Converts a LONG value into its octal representation.
vuPack Takes all files matching the specified file mask and combines them into a single file.
vuPlayWav Plays a .wav audio file and optionally waits for playback to complete before returning.
vuPrimaryLinkSpeed Retrieves the speed of the primary network connection, in megabits per second (Mbps).
vuPrintExists Sends the specified file to the default printer if the file exists.
vuPrintExistsEx Sends the specified file to the default printer if it exists. Optionally waits for the file to appear, polling at the given interval, before printing.
vuPrintExistsShow Sends a file to the default printer and displays the print job window using the specified ShowCmd setting.
vuPrintScreen Captures the Windows Desktop, prompts the user to select a printer, and prints a copy of the captured desktop image.
vuPrintTextFile Prints the contents of a text file to either the default printer or a printer selected by the end user.
vuPrintToExists Sends a file to the specified printer and checks whether the print job was successfully queued.
vuPrintToExistsEx Sends a file to the specified printer and waits for confirmation that the print job was queued.
vuPrintWindow Prints the current active window (not the entire desktop).
vuPrinterCount Returns the number of printers installed on the PC.
vuPrinterName Returns the name of the printer defined by the specified index.
vuProcessorCount Returns the number of logical processors available on the system.
vuQuotes Returns the specified string with leading and trailing quotation marks added.
vuRecordWav Records audio from the microphone input and saves it as a WAV file.
vuRemoveChars Returns a modified version of Strg with the characters specified in Chars removed. Behavior depends on the AllChars flag.
vuRemoveStartupShortcut Removes a shortcut (.lnk file) from the Windows Startup folder so that the specified program no longer runs automatically at startup.
vuReplaceChars Returns a modified version of MainStrg with all occurrences of OldStrg replaced by NewStrg. The replacement substring does not need to be the same length as the original.
vuReplaceCharsInFile Searches through a text file and replaces all occurrences of OldStrg with NewStrg. The replacement substring does not need to be the same length as the original.
vuRun Runs a program using the Windows Shell with the specified window style and wait behavior. This function is useful for launching support programs (for example, utilities or file conversions) in a controlled manner, including hidden execution.
vuRunDelay Runs the specified file after waiting for a specified delay.
vuRunEx Runs the specified file with optional command-line parameters, working directory, and window display options.
vuRunExDelay Runs an external program with optional parameters and working directory after a specified delay.
vuRunExists Attempts to run the specified file if it exists. This is a quick way to launch an application or document only if the file is present.
vuRunExistsEx Attempts to run the specified file if it exists. Optionally waits for the file to appear, polling at the given interval, before running it.
vuRunOnReboot Arms or disarms automatic restart of your application after an abnormal termination or system shutdown. Unlike Startup, this only restarts the program if it was running at the time of the crash or power loss. If the application ends normally, it will not restart on reboot.
vuSayText Converts the specified text to speech using the Microsoft Speech API (SAPI). The function will not return until the spoken text has finished playing.
vuScreen2Bmp Captures the current Windows desktop and saves it as a bitmap file.
vuScreenHeight Returns the current screen height in pixels.
vuScreenWidth Returns the current screen width in pixels.
vuSelfDelete Schedules the applications executable file to be automatically deleted after the program terminates. Your application must exit immediately after calling this function.
vuServerDate Returns the system date from the specified server in standard Clarion date format. If no server name is provided, the local PC date is returned. The result is automatically adjusted for time zones.
vuServerTZOffset Returns the time zone bias, in minutes, of the specified server (or local PC) relative to UTC.
vuServerTime Returns the system time from the specified server in standard Clarion time format. If no server name is provided, the local PC time is returned. The result is automatically adjusted for time zones.
vuServiceStatus Returns the status of a Windows service on a specified client or server. Can also be used on the local system when no server name is provided.
vuSetAttributes Sets or resets file attributes for the specified file or group of files. Wildcards are supported.
vuSetDefaultPrinter Sets the PC’s default printer to the printer specified by name. If the name is left blank, the first printer in the system list will be set as default.
vuSetFileDate Sets the date and time attributes of a specified file. Updates creation, last modified, and last accessed timestamps.
vuSetFolderCompression Enables or disables NTFS compression on the specified folder.
vuSetFolderDate Sets the date and time attributes of a specified folder.
vuSetNTFSCompression Enables or disables NTFS compression on the specified file or folder.
vuShell Runs a file with its associated executable. For example, opening a Word document will launch Microsoft Word.
vuShellDelay Launches a file using the Windows shell (honors file associations) after waiting for a specified delay.
vuShellEx Launches a file using the Windows shell (e.g., respects file associations) with optional parameters, working directory, and window display options.
vuShellExDelay Runs an external program using the Windows Shell with optional parameters and working directory, after a specified delay.
vuShutDown Logs off, reboots, or powers down the PC depending on the action specified.
vuStartDriveEnum Begins a drive enumeration session.
vuStartDriveEnumEx Initializes extended drive enumeration.
vuStartEmail Uses the MailTo protocol to start the default desktop email client with the specified recipient, subject, and body text. The user must manually send the email.
vuStringParse Parses a string based on the specified delimiter and returns the requested segment. The delimiter can be one or more characters.
vuSystemDirectory Returns the path to the Windows System Directory.
vuTaskBar Hides or unhides the Windows Taskbar, including the Start button. Intended for scenarios such as POS applications where a clean, uncluttered background is desirable.
vuTempPath Returns the path to the Windows temporary directory.
vuTerminateOthers Terminates all other running programs whose primary window title contains the specified string. Can be used to close applications such as Word, Excel, or any program whose window title matches the given criteria.
vuToolWindow Converts a standard window into a tool window (or reverts it back). Tool windows have a smaller title bar and do not appear on the Windows Taskbar.
vuTransparent Sets the transparency level of a window, given its handle. Transparency can range from completely invisible (0) to fully opaque (255).
vuTransparentColorKey Makes a specific color in a window transparent, given its handle and the RGB color components. This allows parts of the window to appear see-through where the chosen color is displayed.
vuTransparentOthers Sets the layered window attribute on all other running windows whose primary title contains NameContains, and applies the specified transparency level.
vuUncompress Uncompresses a file created with vuCompress() using a fast Huffman-based algorithm (medium compression ratio). The source file remains unchanged.
vuUnpack Unpacks the contents of a packed file created with vuPack() and saves the individual files into the specified directory.
vuUserName Retrieves the name of the current user logged into the PC.
vuVirtualKeys Sends keystrokes contained in CharString to the window or control that currently has keyboard focus. Works like Clarion’s PRESS function but allows sending multiple characters in sequence.
vuVolumeLabel Returns the volume label of the specified root directory. Supports both mapped drives and UNC paths.
vuVolumeSerialNo Returns the volume serial number of the specified root directory. Supports both mapped drives and UNC paths.
vuWindow2Bmp Saves the current active window to the specified bitmap file.
vuWindow2BmpEx Saves any window as a bitmap file, given its window handle.
vuWindow2Clipboard Saves a copy of the current active window to the clipboard.
vuWindow2Front Brings the specified window to the front (on top of other windows) and activates it.
vuWindowHandle Returns the handle of the first window whose title contains the specified name.
vuWindowMove Moves any window around the screen, given its handle. The move can be absolute (relative to the screens upper-left corner) or relative to the windows current position. Optionally, the move can be animated in steps with pauses between them.
vuWindowNotOnTop Returns the specified window to its normal display order (resets the effect of vuWindowOnTop).
vuWindowOnTop Brings the specified window to the front and keeps it on top until reset by vuWindowNotOnTop.
vuWindowsDirectory Returns the path of the Windows directory.
vuWindowsKey Modifies the system registry to enable or disable the Windows key on the keyboard. Changes take effect only after the computer is rebooted.
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