Visual Basic Intrinsic Control

Microsoft Visual Basic Intrinsic Controls

The Control Properties
Before writing an event procedure for the control to response to a user's input, you have to
set certain properties for the control to determine its appearance and how it will work with
the event procedure. You can set the properties of the controls in the properties window or
at runtime.
Common Properties Description
Align/Alignment Returns or sets a value that determines whether an object is
displayed in any size anywhere on a form or whether it's displayed
at the top, bottom, left, or right of the form and is automatically
sized to fit the form's width.
Appearance Returns or sets a value that determines the appearance of the
object.
BorderStyle Sets the border style for an object.
Name The name is used in code to identify an object.
AutoSize A control is automatically resized to display its entire contents.
BackColor/ForeColor Set the background or foreground color of object
Caption/Text Display text in or on an object.
Enable/Visual An object is non respone or hidden from user action. (true/False)
MouseIcone Set a custom mouse icon.
MousePointer Set the mouse pointer from the list.
Lock Determines whether a control can be edited.
Width/Height/Top/Left Set the width or height of object or set the distance from top or
left.
ToolTipText The text display when mouse is paused over the control.
TabIndex Set the tab order of an object within its parent form.
Font Set the font size and style of object text.

Common Events Description

Click Occurs when the user click a mouse button on object.
DblClick Occurs when the user double click the mouse button on object.
KeyUp/KeyDown/ Occurs when the user press any key through keyboard on
KeyPress object.Keydown and KeyUp event to capture the function keys.
MouseDown/ Occurs when the user press a mouse button on object.
MouseUp/MouseMove
GotFocus Occurs when an object receives the focus, either by user action,
such as tabbing to or clicking the object, or by changing the focus
in code using the SetFocus method.
LostFocus Occurs when an object loses the focus, either by user action,
such as tabbing to or clicking another object
 Visual Basic Intrinsic Control
Example of KeyPress Event
Syntax
Private Sub Form_KeyPress(keyascii As Integer)
End Sub
The KeyPress event syntax has these parts:
Part Description
keyascii An integer that returns a standard numeric ANSI keycode. Keyascii is
passed by reference; changing it sends a different character to the
object. Changing keyascii to 0 cancels the keystroke so the object
receives no character.

Example-01
Private Sub Text1_KeyPress(KeyAscii As Integer)
MsgBox KeyAscii
End Sub
Example-02
Private Sub Text1_KeyPress(KeyAscii As Integer)
If KeyAscii >= 48 And KeyAscii < 57 Then
MsgBox "You pressed Numeric Key. " + Chr(KeyAscii)
KeyAscii = 0
ElseIf KeyAscii >= 97 And KeyAscii <= 122 Then
MsgBox "You pressed Small character Key. " + Chr(KeyAscii)
KeyAscii = 0
ElseIf KeyAscii >= 65 And KeyAscii <= 90 Then
MsgBox "You pressed capital character Key. " + Chr(KeyAscii)
KeyAscii = 0
Else
MsgBox "Un-Know character." & KeyAscii
KeyAscii = 0
End If
End Sub

Example of KeyDown/KeyUp Event

Syntax
Private Sub Form_KeyDown(keycode As Integer, shift As Integer)
End Sub
The KeyDown and KeyUp event syntaxes have these parts:
Part Description
keycode A key code, such as vbKeyF1 (the F1 key) or vbKeyHome (the HOME key).
To specify key codes.
shift Capture the SHIFT, CTRL, and ALT keys at the time of the event. SHIFT
key (vbShiftMask), CTRL key (vbCtrlMask), ALT key (vbAltMask).

Example-01
 Visual Basic Intrinsic Control
Private Sub Text1_KeyUp(KeyCode As Integer, Shift As Integer)
If (Shift And vbShiftMask) Then
MsgBox "You pressed Shift Key."
ElseIf (Shift And vbAltMask) Then
MsgBox "You pressed Alt Key."
ElseIf (Shift And vbCtrlMask) Then
MsgBox "You pressed Control Key."
ElseIf KeyCode = vbKeyF2 Then
MsgBox "You pressed F2 key."
End If
End Sub

Example of MouseMove/Up/Down Event

Private Sub Form_MouseMove(button As Integer, shift As Integer, x As Single, y As
Single)
End Sub
The Mouse event syntax has these parts:
Part Description
button Indicating which buttons are pressed.
(vbLeftButton,vbRightButton,vbMiddleButton)
x, y A number that specifies the current location of the mouse pointer. The x
and y values are always expressed in terms of the coordinate system set
by the ScaleHeight, ScaleWidth, ScaleLeft, and ScaleTop properties of
the object.
Example-01
Private Sub Text1_MouseDown(Button As Integer, Shift As Integer, X As Single, Y As
Single)
If Button = vbRightButton Then
MsgBox "You press mouse right button."
End If
End Sub
Example-02
Private Sub Form_MouseMove(Button As Integer, Shift As Integer, X As Single, Y As
Single)
Print "Mouse x position:" & X & "Mouse y position:" & Y
End Sub
 Visual Basic Intrinsic Control
The Form
The Form is the first object you see when you Open the application. It is the window into
which all the controls will appear, where you will input data and see results.
Properties Description
ControlBox Returns or sets a value indicating whether a Control-menu box is
displayed on a form at rum time.
KeyPreview Returns or sets a value that determines whether keyboard events
for forms are invoked before keyboard events for controls.
MaxButton/MinButton Determins whether a form has a maximize/minimize button.
MDIChlid Display a form as an MDI child form
Moveable Set a value that form can be moved or not.
Picture Set a graphic to be display in a control.
StartupPosition Set a value specifying the position of a form when it first appears.
WindowState Set the visual state of a form at run time.

Events Description
Activate occurs when an object becomes the active window.
Deactivate occurs when an object is no longer the active window.
Initialize Occurs when an application creates an instance of a Form
Load Occurs when a form is loaded.
Unload Occurs when a form is about to be removed from the screen. When
that form is reloaded, the contents of all its controls are
reinitialized. This event is triggered by a user closing the form using
the Close command on the Control menu or an Unload/End statement.
QueryUnload Occurs before a form or application closes.
Terminate Occurs when all references to an instance of a Form are removed
from memory.
Resize Occurs when the window state of an object changes. (For example, a
form is maximized, minimized, or restored.)
Example of QueryUnload Event
Syntax
Private Sub Form_QueryUnload(cancel As Integer, unloadmode As Integer)
End sub
The QueryUnload event syntax has these parts:
Part Description
cancel An integer. Setting this argument to any value other than 0 stops the
QueryUnload event in all loaded forms and stops the form and application
from closing.
unloadmode A value or constant indicating the cause of the QueryUnload event, as
described in Return Values.
 Visual Basic Intrinsic Control
Return Values
The unloadmode argument returns the following values:
Constant Value Description
vbFormControlMenu 0 The user chose the Close command from the Control
menu on the form.
vbFormCode 1 The Unload statement is invoked from code.
vbAppWindows 2 The current Microsoft Windows operating
environment session is ending.
vbAppTaskManager 3 The Microsoft Windows Task Manager is closing the
application.
vbFormMDIForm 4 An MDI child form is closing because the MDI form
is closing.
vbFormOwner 5 A form is closing because its owner is closing.
Example-01
Private Sub Form_QueryUnload(Cancel As Integer, UnloadMode As Integer)
If UnloadMode = 0 Then
Cancel = 0
Else
Cancel = 1
End If
End Sub

The Label Control

This is probably the first control you will master. It is used to display static text, titles and
screen output from operations. The important properties to remember:
Properties Description
UseMnemonic Returns or sets a value that specifies whether an ampersand (&) included in
the text of the Caption property of the Label control defines an access key.
The Textbox Control
Properties Description
MaxLength Set the maximum number of characters that can be entered in a textbox.
MultiLine Set a value that determines whether a control can accept multiple lines of
text.
PasswordChar sets a value indicating whether the characters typed by a user or
placeholder characters are displayed in a TextBox control
ScrollBars Display a scroll bar vertical or horizontal.
CausesValidation Returns or sets a value that determines whether the Validate event will
occur on a second control from which the second control's focus is being
shifted.
 Visual Basic Intrinsic Control

Events Description
Change Indicates the contents of a control have changed.
Validate Occurs before the focus shifts to a (second) control that has its
CausesValidation property set to True.

Methods Description
SelText Return the selected text.
SelStart Set the position of first character.
SelLength Return or set the length of the selected text.

Example-01
Private Sub Text1_GotFocus()
Text1.SelStart = 0
Text1.SelLength = Len(Text1.Text)
End Sub

Frame Control
A Frame control provides an identifiable grouping for controls. You can also use a Frame to
subdivide a form functionally

CommandButton Control
The command button is one of the most important controls as it is used to execute
commands.
Properties Description
Cancel Set commandbutton is the cancel button on a form.(To invoke press ESC
key)
DisablePicture Set a graphic to be display when the button is disabled.
DownPicture Set a graphic to be display when the button is down position.
Style Set the appearance of the control.

PictureBox Control
A PictureBox control can display a graphic from a bitmap, icon, or metafile.
Properties Description
AutoSize Returns or sets a value that determines whether a control is automatically
resized to display its entire contents.
Picture Sets a graphic to be displayed in a control.

The Image Box Control

The Image Box is another control that handles images and pictures. It functions almost
identically to the picture box. However, there is one major difference, the image in an
Image Box is stretchable, which means it can be resized. This feature is not available in the
Picture Box.
Properties Description
Picture Sets a graphic to be displayed in a control.
Stretch Graphic resizes to fit the size of an image control.
 Visual Basic Intrinsic Control

The List Box Control

The function of the List Box is to present a list of items where the user can click and select
the items from the list.
Properties Description
ItemData Sets a specific number for each item in a combobox or listbox control.
List Add or Retrive item in combobox or listbox control.
MultiSelect Set a value that user can make multiple selections in a control.
Sorted The control are automatically sorted alphabetically.
Style Set the style of simple Listbox or checkboxes listbox.

Events Description
ItemCheck Occurs when a ListBox control Style property is set to 1 (checkboxes) and
an item’s checkbox in the ListBox control is selected or cleared.
Scroll Occurs when the scroll box on a ScrollBar control, or an object which
contains a scrollbar, is repositioned or scrolled horizontally or vertically.

Methods Description
AddItem To add item to the list.
RemoveItem To remove an item from the list.
Clear Remove all items from the list.
ListCount Count the number of item in the list.
List() To retrieve the item from the list according index number.
ListIndex This is the index of the selected item in the list.
Selected The value if True if the element is selected otherwise it’s False.
SelCount Return the number of selected items in a Listbox control.

Example-01

Private Sub cmdAddItem_Click() Private Sub cmdRemoveSelected_Click()

For a = 1 To 10 List1.RemoveItem (List1.ListIndex)
List1.AddItem "A-" & a End Sub
Next a Private Sub RemoveAll_Click()
End Sub List1.Clear
End Sub
Private Sub cmdMoveAll_Click() Private Sub cmdMoveSelected_Click()
For X = List1.ListCount - 1 To 0 Step -1 For X = List1.ListCount - 1 To 0 Step -1
List2.AddItem List1.List(X) If List1.Selected(X) = True Then
List1.RemoveItem X List2.AddItem List1.List(X)
Next X List1.RemoveItem X
End Sub End If
Next X
End Sub
 Visual Basic Intrinsic Control

The Combo Box Control

The function of the Combo Box is also to present a list of items where the user can click and
select the items from the list. However, the user needs to click on the small arrowhead on
the right of the combo box to see the items which are presented in a drop-down list.
Properties Description
Style Set a value that determines the type of control and the behavior of its.

The Check Box Control

The Check Box control lets the user selects or unselects an option. When the Check Box is
checked, its value is set to 1 and when it is unchecked, the value is set to 0
Properties Description
Value Set or Return the value of control (0=Unchecked,1=Checked,2=Grayed)

The Option Box Control

The Option Box control also lets the user selects one of the choices. However, two or more
Option Boxes must work together because as one of the Option Boxes is selected, the other
Option Boxes will be unselected. In fact, only one Option Box can be selected at one time.
When an option box is selected, its value is set to “True” and when it is unselected; its value
is set to “False”.
Properties Description
Value Set or Return value of an object (True,False)

The Drive List Box Control

The Drive ListBox is for displaying a list of drives available in your computer. When you
place this control into the form and run the program, you will be able to select different
drives from your computer

The Directory List Box Control

The Directory List Box is for displaying the list of directories or folders in a selected drive.
When you place this control into the form and run the program, you will be able to select
different directories from a selected drive in your computer

The File List Box Control

The File List Box is for displaying the list of files in a selected directory or folder. When
you place this control into the form and run the program, you will be able to shown the list of
files in a selected directory
Methods Description
Drive1.Drive Returns or sets the selected drive at run time.
Dir1.Path Returns or sets the current path.
File1.FileName Returns or sets the path and filename of a selected file.
File1.Path Returns or sets the current path.
File1.Pattern Returns or sets a value indicating the filenames displayed in a FileListBox
control at run time.
File1.System Return or set a value that determines whether a FileListBox control displays
files with Archive, Hidden, Normal, or System attributes.
 Visual Basic Intrinsic Control

Example-01
Private Sub Dir1_Change()
File1.Pattern = "*.BMP"
File1.Path = Dir1.Path
End Sub
Private Sub Drive1_Change()
Dir1.Path = Drive1.Drive
End Sub
Private Sub File1_Click()
Image1.Picture = LoadPicture(File1.Path & "\" & File1.FileName)
End Sub

HScrollBar, VScrollBar, FlatScrollBar, Slider Controls

Scroll bars provide easy navigation through a long list of items or a large amount of
information. They can also provide an analog representation of current position. You can use
a scroll bar as an input device or indicator of speed or quantity
Properties Description
LargeChange Set the amount of value to change when user click the scroll bar area.
SmallChange Set the amount of value to change when user click the scroll bar arrow.
Max/Min Set the scroll bar maximum/min value.
Value Set or Return the current value of object.

Events Description
Scroll Occurs when the scroll box on a ScrollBar control, or an object which
contains a scrollbar, is repositioned or scrolled horizontally or vertically.

The line controls

To draw a straight line, just click on the line control and then use your mouse to draw the
line on the form. After drawing the line, you can then change its color, width and style using
the BorderColor, BorderWidth and BorderStyle properties.

The Shape controls

To draw a shape, just click on the shape control and draw the shape on the form. The
default shape is a rectangle, with the shape property set at 0. You can change the shape to
square, oval, circle and rounded rectangle by changing the shape property’s value to 1, 2, 3 4,
and 5 respectively. In addition, you can change its background color using the BackColor
property, its border style using the BorderStyle property, its border color using the
BorderColor property as well its border width using the BorderWidth property.

Timer Control
A Timer control can execute code at regular intervals by causing a Timer event to occur.
Properties Description
Interval Set the number of milliseconds between calls to a timer control event.

Events Description
Timer Occurs when a preset interval for a Timer control has elapsed. The
interval's frequency is stored in the control's Interval property, which
 Visual Basic Intrinsic Control
specifies the length of time in milliseconds.

Example-01
Private Sub Timer1_Timer()
Static x As Integer
If x > 5 Then
x=0
End If
Shape1.Shape = x
x=x+1
Label1.Caption = Time
End Sub

Data Control
Provides access to data stored in databases using any one of three types of Recordset
objects. The Data control enables you to move from record to record and to display and
manipulate data from the records in bound controls.
Properties Description
Connect Define the source of database.
DatabaseName Set the name and location of source database.
RecordSource Set the Table name or SQL statement.

Common properties of all bounded control as under

Properties Description
Datasource Set the data control which is bound to control.
DataField Set a field in the current record which is binds a control.

Menu Control
A Menu control displays a custom menu for your application. A menu can include commands,
submenus, and separator bars. Each menu you create can have up to four levels of submenus.