Chapter 55: ASP Folder Object

ASP Folder Object.

This is not a separate W3Schools lesson (they mention it very briefly inside the “ASP FileSystemObject” and “ASP Folders” sections), but it is one of the most practical sub-objects you get when working with FileSystemObject (FSO) in real Classic ASP code — especially when you need to work with folders/directories: list files inside, create/delete folders, get folder size, count files/subfolders, check creation/modification dates, etc.

I will explain it like your favorite teacher who actually used Folder objects in production Classic ASP sites (admin file browsers, log cleanup scripts, upload folder management, report generation) — slowly, clearly, with real working examples, good habits, common mistakes, security warnings (very important!), and the exact patterns you would see in legacy Indian business/intranet/ERP/government code that still runs this way in 2026.

1. What is the Folder Object?

The Folder object is not created directly with Server.CreateObject.

You get a Folder object in one of two ways:

• From FileSystemObject.GetFolder(path) — most common
• From Drive.RootFolder, Folder.SubFolders, or Folder.ParentFolder (when navigating)

It represents one single folder/directory on disk and gives you read-only information about it (plus methods to create/delete subfolders and files inside it).

Main things you can do with a Folder object:

• Get name, path, size (recursive), date created/modified/accessed
• List all files (folder.Files) and subfolders (folder.SubFolders)
• Check if folder is root, has children, etc.
• Create/delete subfolders (CreateFolder, Delete)
• Move/copy folder (MoveFolder, CopyFolder — on FSO, not on Folder itself)

Important: Like Drive and File objects, Folder is mostly read-only for metadata. Write operations (create/delete/copy/move) are done via the parent FileSystemObject.

2. How to Get a Folder Object

Way 1 – Most common: fso.GetFolder(path)

Way 2 – Loop over subfolders (very common in admin tools)

3. All Important Properties of Folder Object

4. Real-World Example – Simple Admin Folder Browser

5. Security & Best Practice Warnings (Critical in 2026)

• Never allow users to supply the path to GetFolder — path traversal attacks (../../windows/system32) were extremely common
• Disable write/delete permissions on web folders — many hacks used FSO to create/delete files
• Never expose physical paths (folder.Path) to users — only show folder.Name
• Use On Error Resume Next around FSO calls + check Err.Number
• Folder object has no .Close — no need to clean up except set to Nothing
• Log access — folder browsing was often abused in old sites
• In 2026 legacy code → still used for admin tools, but very risky without strict permissions

6. Teacher Summary – ASP Folder Object in Classic ASP

ASP Folder Object is:

• A read/write metadata object you get from fso.GetFolder(path) or parentFolder.SubFolders
• Represents one folder/directory on disk
• Main properties: Name, Path, Size (recursive!), DateCreated/Modified/Accessed, Files, SubFolders, Attributes, Drive
• Used for: folder listings, admin browsers, size/date display, recursive size calculation, validation
• Write operations (create/delete/copy/move subfolders) done via parent fso methods
• Always check fso.FolderExists(path) first
• Always use Server.MapPath
• AlwaysServer.HTMLEncode when displaying names/paths
• Very useful in admin tools — almost never shown to regular users

This is how serious Classic ASP sites listed directories, calculated folder sizes, built admin file managers, and validated storage — and many legacy Indian systems still use exactly this Folder object pattern in 2026.

Next class?

• Want a full recursive folder tree example (like Windows Explorer)?
• Or how to combine Folder + File + TextStream (preview folder contents)?
• Or secure FSO/Folder usage (permissions, path validation)?
• Or move to the next W3Schools topic (ASP TextStream again or ASP Cookies)?

Just tell me — I’m here! 🚀🇮🇳 Keep learning strong, Webliance! 😊