For instance, if your code sets out the following:

…and your file is currently in .xlsm format with the name of test then you will get a filename of test. But if your file is currently in .xls format then you will get a filename of “test.xls” (including the quotation marks and file extension) and even if you select the “Excel macro enabled workbook” option from the “Save as type” dropdown it will still be saved as an .xls.

To get around this, I amended the above to this:

‘In Excel 2007, SaveAs requires you to provide both the FileFormat parameter and the correct file extension.
‘ pass three params, first two changed by ref
Sub GetSaveAsFileFormat(ByRef sFileName As String, ByRef lFileFormatValue As Long, ByVal sTitle As String)
If Val(Application.Version) < 12 Then
lFileFormatValue = -4143
‘Only choice in the “Save as type” dropdown is Excel files(xls)
‘because the Excel version is 2000-2003
sFileName = Application.GetSaveAsFilename(InitialFileName:=sFileName, _
FileFilter:=”Excel Files (*.xls), *.xls”, _
Title:=sTitle)
Else
sFileName = Application.GetSaveAsFilename(InitialFileName:=sFileName, FileFilter:= _
” Excel Macro Free Workbook (*.xlsx), *.xlsx,” & _
” Excel Macro Enabled Workbook (*.xlsm), *.xlsm,” & _
” Excel 2000-2003 Workbook (*.xls), *.xls,” & _
” Excel Binary Workbook (*.xlsb), *.xlsb”, _
FilterIndex:=1, Title:=sTitle)
End If
If StrComp(sFileName, “False”, vbTextCompare) 0 Then
‘ get the file format the user asked for from the file name
lFileFormatValue = FileFormatValue(sFileName)
End If
End Sub

Function FileFormatValue(sFileName As String) As Long
If Val(Application.Version) < 12 Then
FileFormatValue = -4143 ‘ ” Excel 2000-2003 Workbook (*.xls), *.xls,”
‘Only choice in the “Save as type” dropdown is Excel files(xls)
Else
‘Find the correct FileFormat that match the choice in the “Save as type” list
Select Case FileExtension(sFileName)
Case “xls”: FileFormatValue = 56 ‘xlExcel8 ” Excel 2000-2003 Workbook (*.xls), *.xls,”
Case “xlsb”: FileFormatValue = 50 ‘xlExcel12 ” Excel Binary Workbook (*.xlsb), *.xlsb”,
Case “xlsx”: FileFormatValue = 51 ‘xlOpenXMLWorkbook ” Excel Macro Free Workbook (*.xlsx), *.xlsx,”
Case “xlsm”: FileFormatValue = 52 ‘xlOpenXMLWorkbookMacroEnabled ” Excel Macro Enabled Workbook (*.xlsm), *.xlsm,”
Case “xltm”: FileFormatValue = 53 ‘xlOpenXMLTemplateMacroEnabled Open XML Template Macro Enabled
Case “xltx”: FileFormatValue = 54 ‘xlOpenXMLTemplate Open XML Template
Case “xlam”: FileFormatValue = 55 ‘xlOpenXMLAddIn Open XML Add-In
Case Else: FileFormatValue = 0 ‘ undefined, let the caller figure it out
‘ 46 is XML spreadsheet
‘ 60 is xlOpenDocumentSpreadsheet, .ODS?
End Select
End If
End Function

‘ return the default file extension for the given workbook
‘ which may be different from the actual extension which may be none if unsaved
Function DefaultFileExtension(wb As Workbook) As String
If Val(Application.Version) < 12 Then
DefaultFileExtension = “xls” ‘ FileFormatValue = -4143
ElseIf wb Is Nothing Then
DefaultFileExtension = “xlsx” ‘ Excel 2007
Else
Select Case wb.FileFormat
Case 50: DefaultFileExtension = “xlsb”
Case 51: DefaultFileExtension = “xlsx”
Case 52: DefaultFileExtension = “xlsm”
Case 56: DefaultFileExtension = “xls”
Case Else: DefaultFileExtension = “xlsx” ‘ Excel 2007
End Select
End If
End Function

Only problem is, the GetSaveAsFilename method doesn’t return whatever filetype the user picks from the FileFilter list (although I’ve only got one type listed in the below sub). So the user can’t change the format…It saves in whatever format the excel workbook is curretly in(unless no format is specified…in which case my sub saves it in .xls format).

I’ve got two questions for the floor:
1. Anyone got any good suggestion as to how I could allow users to change the filetype based on what they select with the GetSaveAsFilename dialogue? I’m guessing this cant be done with this method, and I’d instead have to create a dialogue box that returns both the filename and the file type. If so, can’t say i really see the point of the GetSaveAsFilename method.
2. If I just stick with current code, can it be written any smarter? I’m very new to VBA, and keen to learn if I’m doing anything unneccessary.

Thanks for any suggestions.

And on Windows, it does not work the way the help claims.

The following works on Windows, but it took me at least an hour of googling and experimenting:

Out_File = Application.GetSaveAsFilename _
(InitialFileName:=”EDIT_THIS”, _
Title:=”Select output file name (Cancel means NONE)”, _
FileFilter:=”GEDCOM (*.ged), *.ged, Text (*.txt), *.txt, Any (*.*), *.*”)

For Mac, omit the FileFilter param. If you want both, try one of these:

If Left(Application.OperatingSystem, 3) = “Mac” Then
If Application.OperatingSystem Like “Mac*” Then

Thanks for the advice, but it’s still not working for me. I think (hope) I’m just doing something dumb. Per your advice I’ve removed the underscores and made the entire thing one long line of code:

DestFile = Application.GetSaveAsFilename( InitialFileName:=”MyTabDelim.txt”, FileFilter:=”Text files, *.txt”, Title:=”Save Tab Delimited File”)

But I get a compile error that says “Expected: list separator or )” and the word “files” of ‘FileFilter:=”Text files,’ is highlighted.

This also happens if I leave the underscores in place and hit “enter” after each one:

DestFile = Application.GetSaveAsFilename( _
InitialFileName:=”MyTabDelim.txt”, _
FileFilter:=”Text files, *.txt”, _
Title:=”Save Tab Delimited File”)

Again, any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks for the help so far!

-Ben

I ended up having to write my own routine to write a proper tab-delimited file that Access can import without problems.