ACC97: Setting Default Control Properties in Visual Basic (167065)

SUMMARY

Advanced: Requires expert coding, interoperability, and multiuser skills.

This article shows you how to use Visual Basic for Applications to set properties for default controls on forms and reports.

This article assumes that you are familiar with Visual Basic for Applications and with creating Microsoft Access applications using the programming tools provided with Microsoft Access. For more information about Visual Basic for Applications, please refer to your version of the "Building Applications with Microsoft Access" manual.

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In order to set properties for default controls, you must use the form's DefaultControl method. Note that although you can use this method to set properties for default controls, not all of a control's properties are available as default properties.

The following properties apply only to default controls and cannot be set for a control that's already on the form or report:

AddColon
AutoLabel
LabelAlign
LabelX
LabelY
TextAlign

To programmatically set the properties for text box controls, follow these steps:

Open the sample database Northwind.mdb.
Create a module and type the following line in the Declarations section if it is not already there:
```
      Option Explicit
					
```

Type the following procedure in the module:

      Sub SetDefaultProperties()
         Dim frm As Form
         Dim ctl As Control

         Set frm = CreateForm()
         Set ctl = frm.DefaultControl(acTextBox)
         With ctl
             ' Add a label for new textboxes.
             .AutoLabel = True

             ' Do not include a colon in labels for new textboxes.
             .AddColon = False

             ' Align label text to the right for new textboxes.
             .LabelAlign = 3

             ' Place labels for new textboxes 1/4 inch above
             ' and aligned to the left.
             .LabelX = 1440 * .33
             .LabelY = -1440 * .25

             ' Center text in new textboxes.
             .TextAlign = 2
         End With
         DoCmd.SelectObject acForm, frm.Name, False
         DoCmd.Restore
      End Sub

To test this procedure, type the following line in the Debug window, and then press ENTER:
SetDefaultProperties
Note that a new, blank form opens in Design view.
Add a new text box to the form.

Note the label for the new text box does not include a colon, has right aligned text, and appears 1/4 inch above and is left aligned with the textbox. Also, note that the text in the new text box is now centered by default.

ACC97: Setting Default Control Properties in Visual Basic (167065)

SUMMARY

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