COM Automation with VBScript

VBScript can automate any COM object that supports IDispatch (Automation). This sample demonstrates common automation scenarios.

File System Operations

' FileSystemObject — file and folder operations
Dim fso
Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

' Check if a file exists
If fso.FileExists("C:\logs\app.log") Then
    WScript.Echo "Log file exists."
End If

' Read a text file
Dim ts
Set ts = fso.OpenTextFile("C:\logs\app.log", 1) ' ForReading
Do While Not ts.AtEndOfStream
    WScript.Echo ts.ReadLine
Loop
ts.Close

' Write a text file
Set ts = fso.CreateTextFile("C:\output\report.txt", True) ' Overwrite
ts.WriteLine "Report generated: " & Now()
ts.WriteLine "Total records: 42"
ts.Close

' Copy/move/delete
fso.CopyFile "C:\data\source.txt", "C:\backup\source.txt"
fso.MoveFile "C:\temp\*.csv", "C:\archive\"
fso.DeleteFile "C:\temp\*.tmp"

WScript.Shell — Run Programs and Read Registry

Dim wsh
Set wsh = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")

' Run a program
wsh.Run "notepad.exe C:\readme.txt", 1, False

' Run and wait for completion
Dim intReturn
intReturn = wsh.Run("ping 192.168.1.1 -n 4", 0, True)
WScript.Echo "Ping exit code: " & intReturn

' Read/write registry
Dim strComputerName
strComputerName = wsh.RegRead("HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\ComputerName\ComputerName\ComputerName")
WScript.Echo "Computer: " & strComputerName

wsh.RegWrite "HKCU\Software\FlameNet\LastRun", Now(), "REG_SZ"

' Environment variables
WScript.Echo "Username: " & wsh.ExpandEnvironmentStrings("%USERNAME%")
WScript.Echo "Temp dir: " & wsh.ExpandEnvironmentStrings("%TEMP%")

Automating Microsoft Excel

Dim objExcel
Set objExcel = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
objExcel.Visible = True

Dim wb
Set wb = objExcel.Workbooks.Add

Dim ws
Set ws = wb.Worksheets(1)
ws.Cells(1, 1).Value = "Name"
ws.Cells(1, 2).Value = "Score"
ws.Cells(2, 1).Value = "Alice"
ws.Cells(2, 2).Value = 95
ws.Cells(3, 1).Value = "Bob"
ws.Cells(3, 2).Value = 87

ws.Range("A1:B1").Font.Bold = True
ws.Columns("A:B").AutoFit

wb.SaveAs "C:\Reports\scores.xls"
wb.Close
objExcel.Quit
Set objExcel = Nothing