Binaryworld - How to add path to the PATH environment variable using VB/VBScript ... [ VB -> Registry-INI ]

Many times we need to add application path to the existing environment PATH variable. This can be very tedious job if you have to do for several machine. I came up with some handy script which makes my life easy and hopefully you can use too.

The sample code was used in VB6 but you can use it with VBScript with little or no modification. This program adds sql binn directory to the path variable if path doesn't exist.

Click here to copy the following block

Private Sub Command1_Click()
  Dim strToolsPath
  strToolsPath = GetSQLClentToolsPath
  If AddPath(strToolsPath & "\BINN") Then
    MsgBox strToolsPath & "\BINN" & " : Path added"
  Else
    MsgBox strToolsPath & "\BINN" & " : Path already exist."
  End If
End Sub

Function AddPath(ByVal PathToAdd)
  ' Adds a new path to the user path
  ' unless the path is already present
  ' in either user or system path.

  Dim oWSH, uENV, pENV, UserPath, PathElement, PathExists, OldPath

  Set oWSH = CreateObject("Wscript.Shell")
  Set uENV = oWSH.Environment("USER")
  Set pENV = oWSH.Environment("PROCESS")
  UserPath = uENV("path")

  ' Check if path already exists:
  OldPath = Split(pENV("path"), ";", -1, vbTextCompare)
  PathExists = False
  For Each PathElement In OldPath
    If StrComp(PathElement, PathToAdd, vbTextCompare) = 0 Then
      PathExists = True

      AddPath = False
      Exit For
    End If
  Next

  ' Only do if path not already exists:
  If Not PathExists Then
    ' Strip off trailing semicolons if present:
    Do While Right(UserPath, 1) = ";"
      UserPath = Left(UserPath, Len(UserPath) - 1)
    Loop

    ' Add new path to current path:
    If UserPath = "" Then
      UserPath = PathToAdd
    Else
      UserPath = UserPath & ";" & PathToAdd
    End If

    ' Set the new path into environment:
    uENV("path") = UserPath
    AddPath = True
  End If

  ' Destroy the objects:
  Set uENV = Nothing
  Set pENV = Nothing
  Set oWSH = Nothing
End Function

Function GetSQLClentToolsPath()
  Dim wSH, sCurPath

  Set wSH = CreateObject("WSCript.shell")

  sCurPath = wSH.RegRead("HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\80\Tools\ClientSetup\SQLPath")
  GetSQLClentToolsPath = sCurPath
End Function