OnClick event - pass this control to method (1 Viewer)

[mcalex]

Solved: OnClick event - pass this control to method

Hi all

how do i tell a method to do something to a clicked control?

I have a form with a bunch of labels and a bunch of buttons, and I want to run a method whenever one of these controls is clicked:

Private Sub manipulateControl(ByRef ctrl As Control)
  If (TypeOf ctrl Is Label) Then
    with ctrl
      ' do stuff that changes the clicked label
    end with
  ElseIf (TypeOf ctrl Is Button) Then
    with ctrl
      ' do stuff to the clicked button
    end with
  End If
End Sub

So far, so good, but how do i code the OnClick event method for each control? Currently I am trying to use ActiveControl:

Private Sub Label74_Click()
  manipulateControl Me.ActiveControl
End Sub

but am getting 'Runtime Error 2474: The expression you entered requires the control to be in the active window'. The control is in the active window (coz I just clicked on it).

What should I be doing?

tia,
mcalex

 

[vbaInet]

You can subclass the controls but that's quite involving. You might find something in the code repository regarding this.

With your current method here are a few notes.

The IF part can be a select case instead:

Select Case ctrl.ControlType
     Case acLabel
          ....do something
     Case acTextbox
          ....do something
end select

Notice the ControlType property introduced and the label/textbox constants used.

When it comes to calling the function you simply do this:

manipulateControl Me.[COLOR=Red][B]NameOfControl[/B][/COLOR]

 

[mcalex]

Thanks for ControlType heads up vbaInet. I'll fix that bit straightaway.

So it looks like I won't get out of writing different code for each _Click method?

Do you know why ActiveControl doesn't work?

ta
mcalex

 

[vbaInet]

With subclassing you can but as mentioned, it is involving. If you don't have more 30 labels then it would be pointless.

A lable is never an active control because it doesn't ever get focus.

 

[mcalex]

A lable is never an active control because it doesn't ever get focus.

sheesh, i knew that

ahhhh, so all i have to do is change my labels to textboxes, and then:

manipulateControl Screen.ActiveControl

works

thank you

i'm now off to change 50-odd labels into textboxes

 

[vbaInet]

If I were you I would avoid ActiveControl if you can send the control via the function.

 

[mcalex]

oh.

but that brings me right back to the original problem. How do I reference the clicked Control to pass it to the function? I don't know how to do subclassing in vba.

What makes ActiveControl 'avoidworthy'? If I've just clicked on the Control, doesn't that guarantee that that Control is active?

 

[vbaInet]

Try rereading my first post. The second block of code covers exactly how to send a reference of the active control.

ActiveControl relies on the object that currently has focus. An error could cause another object to gain focus and there are other factors.

 

[ChrisO]

Common Labels behave okay for the Click event.

See attached, the Labels are at the bottom of the screen.

 

[vbaInet]

Ah, I knew Chris would like this sort of question. Have you also got this example in the Code Repository section?

 

[ChrisO]

Maybe, I don’t remember.

We could also sub-class Labels for other things but I would not recommend it.
Best to keep things simple.

See attached.

 

[mcalex]

And Solved again!

Used the CommonLabels approach, but changed:

ctl.OnClick = "=HandleClick('" & ctl.Name & "')"

to

ctl.OnClick = "=HandleClick(" & ctl & ")"

so I was actually passing the control around.

Thanks for your help vbaInet and ChrisO, much appreciated.