Using ActiveX Controls on VB2005 Form: Where is VALUE property on Microsoft Forms Toggle Button

[Jeffrey Christiansen]

I have been experimenting with adding Microsoft Forms ActiveX Controls
to a VB2005 Form to be used as a Windows Application (i.e. compiled to
a "*.exe") and can't get them to work properly.

For example I added the ActiveX Microsoft Forms Object toggle button,
however I can't get this simple button to work properly. The
documentation I found in the FM20.CHM files says the button state can
be determined from its "Value" property, but the property list shown
in VB2005 Studio does not have a "Value" property. How is the button
state determined and why is there no "Value" property?

This aside, if I put a MsgBox in the MouseClick event it gets
displayed when I start the form (even without a click), but then does
nothing when I actually click on the button. I've also found I get
different parameters with different attempts to add a toggle button,
such as:

Private Sub AxToggleButton1_MouseClick
(ByVal sender As Object,
ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs)
Handles AxToggleButton1.MouseClick

Private Sub AxToggleButton1_MouseClick
(ByVal sender As System.Object,
ByVal e As System.EventArgs)
Handles AxToggleButton1.Enter

Private Sub AxToggleButton2_MouseUpEvent
(ByVal sender As Object,
ByVal e As
AxMicrosoft.Vbe.Interop.Forms.MdcToggleButtonEvents_MouseUpEvent)
Handles AxToggleButton2.MouseUpEvent

The last one seems to work best, unless I add a MsgBox, but I can't
find any documentation or examples to explain what the correct way to
use Forms controls in VB2005. What I did find implies that it is
simple drag-and-drop just like other contros. Can anyone explain the
correct way to add Microsoft Forms controls (and other ActiveX
controls) to a VB2005 application, and why a MsgBox in the Click Event
code causes the control to behave incorrectly.

Thanks.
Jeff C.

 

[mark.milley]

Hi Jeff -

You may not want to hear this, but honestly, it may be better in the
long run for you to create your own control than continue forward with
your current COM/ActiveX approach.

Creating controls is a skill that should be mastered anyway - it helps
with code reuse, abstraction, and ecapsulation.

This article should get you moving in the right direction:

Creating Your First User Control [MSDN]:
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ttb1w24s(VS.80).aspx

If you want to avoid creating your own control, perhaps you're better
off revisiting your interface approach; you could use radio buttons
just as easily.

Good luck,

-Mark