The Controls Toolbox controls
Chapter 41 presented an introduction to UserForms. If you like the idea of using dialog box controls—but don’t like the idea of creating a custom dialog box—this chapter is for you. It explains how to enhance your worksheet with a variety of interactive controls, such as buttons, ListBoxes
, and OptionButtons
.
The main reason to use controls on a worksheet is to make it easier for the user to provide input. For example, if you create a model that uses one or more input cells, you can create controls to allow the user to select values for the input cells.
Adding controls to a worksheet requires much less effort than creating a dialog box. In addition, you may not have to create any macros because you can link a control to a worksheet cell. For example, if you insert a CheckBox
control on a worksheet, you can link it to a particular cell. When the CheckBox
is checked, the linked cell displays TRUE
. When the CheckBox
is not checked, the linked cell displays FALSE
.
Figure 42.1 shows a simple example that uses three types of controls: a Checkbox
, OptionButtons
, and a ScrollBar.
This workbook is available on the companion CD-ROM. The file is named mortgage loan.xlsm.
Adding controls to a worksheet can be a bit confusing because Excel offers two different sets of controls, both of which you access by choosing Developer Controls Insert.
Form controls: These controls are unique to Excel.
ActiveX controls: These controls are a subset of those that are available for use on UserForms.
Figure 42.2 shows the controls that appear when you choose Developer Controls Insert.
To add to the confusion, many controls are available from both sources. For example, a control named ListBox is listed in both the Forms controls and the ActiveX controls. However, they are two entirely different controls. In general, the Forms controls are easier to use, but the ActiveX controls provide more flexibility.
A description of the ActiveX controls appears in Table 42.1.
Table 42.1. ActiveX Controls
Button | What It Does |
---|---|
CommandButton | Inserts a |
ComboBox | Inserts a |
CheckBox | Inserts a |
ListBox | Inserts a |
TextBox | Inserts a |
ScrollBar | Inserts a |
SpinButton | Inserts a |
OptionButton | Inserts an |
Label | Inserts a |
Image | Inserts an |
ToggleButton | Inserts a |
More Controls | Displays a list of other ActiveX controls that are installed on your system |
Adding ActiveX controls in a worksheet is easy. After you add a control, you can adjust its properties to modify the way that the control looks and works.
To add a control to a worksheet, choose Developer Controls and click the Insert drop-down control. Then, click and drag the control that you want to use into the worksheet to create the control. You don’t need to be too concerned about the exact size or position because you can modify these properties at any time.
When you add a control to a worksheet, Excel goes into design mode. In this mode, you can adjust the properties of any controls on your worksheet, add or edit macros for the control, or change the control’s size or position.
When Excel is in design mode, the Design Mode icon in the Developer Controls section appears highlighted. You can click this icon to toggle design mode on and off.
When Excel is in design mode, the controls aren’t activated. In order to test the controls, you must exit design mode by clicking the Design Mode icon. When you’re working with controls, you’ll probably need to need to switch in and out of design mode frequently.
Every control that you add has various properties that determine how it looks and behaves. You can adjust these properties only when Excel is in design mode. When you add a control to a worksheet, Excel enters design mode automatically. If you need to change a control after you exit design mode, simply click the Design Mode icon in the Controls section of the Developer tab.
To change the properties for a control:
Make sure that Excel is in design mode
Click the control to select it
If the Properties window is not visible, click the Properties icon in the Controls section of the Developer tab.
The Properties window appears, as shown in Figure 42.3.
Select the property and make the change.
The manner in which you change a property depends on the property. Some properties display a drop-down list that enables you to select from a list of options. Others (such as Font
) provide a button that, when clicked, displays a dialog box. Other properties require you to type the property value. When you change a property, the change takes effect immediately.
To find out about a particular property, select the property in the Properties window and press F1.
The Properties window has two tabs. The Alphabetic tab displays the properties in alphabetical order. The Categorized tab displays the properties by category. Both tabs show the same properties; only the order is different.
Each control has its own unique set of properties. However, many controls share properties. This section describes some properties that are common to all or many controls, as set forth in Table 42.2.
Table 42.2. Properties Shared by Multiple Controls
Property | Description |
---|---|
| If |
| The background color of the control. |
| The style of the background (either transparent or opaque). |
| The text that appears on the control. |
| A worksheet cell that contains the current value of a control. |
| A worksheet range that contains items displayed in a |
| The control’s value. |
| Values that determine the control’s position. |
| Values that determine the control’s width and height. |
| If |
| The name of the control. By default, a control’s name is based on the control type. You can change the name to any valid name. However, each control’s name must be unique on the worksheet. |
| Enables you to specify a graphic image to display. |
Often, you can use ActiveX controls in a worksheet without using any macros. Many controls have a LinkedCell
property, which specifies a worksheet cell that is “linked” to the control.
For example, you may add a SpinButton
control and specify cell B1 as its LinkedCell
property. After doing so, cell B1 contains the value of the SpinButton
, and clicking the SpinButton
changes the value in cell B1. You can, of course, use the value contained in the linked cell in your formulas.
To create a macro for a control, you must use the Visual Basic Editor (VB Editor). The macros are stored in the code module for the sheet that contains the control. For example, if you place a control on Sheet2, the VBA code for that control is stored in the Sheet2 code module. Each control can have a macro to handle any of its events. For example, a CommandButton
control can have a macro for its Click
event, its DblClick
event, and various other events.
The easiest way to access the code module for a control is to double-click the control while in design mode. Excel displays the VB Editor and creates an empty procedure for the control’s default event. For example, the default event for a CommandButton
control is the Click
event. Figure 42.4 shows the autogenerated code for a control named CheckBox1
, located on Sheet1.
The control’s name appears in the upper-left portion of the code window, and the event appears in the upper-right area. If you want to create a macro that executes when a different event occurs, select the event from the list in the upper-right area.
The following steps demonstrate how to insert a CommandButton
and create a simple macro that displays a message when the button is clicked:
Choose Developer Controls and click the Insert drop-down control.
Click the CommandButton tool in the ActiveX Controls section.
Click and drag in the worksheet to create the button. Excel automatically enters design mode.
Double-click the button.
The VB Editor window is activated, and an empty Sub procedure is created.
Enter the following VBA statement before the End Sub
statement:
MsgBox "Hello. You clicked the command button."
Press Alt+F11 to return to Excel.
If you want, adjust any other properties for the CommandButton using the Properties window. (Click Developer Controls Properties if the Properties window doesn’t appear.)
Click the Design Mode button in the Developer Controls section to exit design mode.
After performing the preceding steps, click the CommandButton
to display the message box.
The sections that follow describe the ActiveX controls that are available for use in your worksheets.
The companion CD-ROM contains a file that includes examples of all the ActiveX controls. This file is named worksheet controls.xlsm.
A CheckBox
control is useful for getting a binary choice: yes
or no
, true
or false
, on
or off
, and so on.
The following is a description of the most useful properties of a CheckBox
control:
Accelerator: A letter that enables the user to change the value of the control by using the keyboard. For example, if the accelerator is A, pressing Alt+A changes the value of the CheckBox
control. The accelerator letter is underlined in the Caption of the control.
LinkedCell: The worksheet cell that’s linked to the CheckBox. The cell displays TRUE
if the control is checked or FALSE
if the control is not checked.
A ComboBox
control is similar to a ListBox
control. A ComboBox, however, is a drop-down box, and it displays only one item at a time. Another difference is that the user may be allowed to enter a value that does not appear in the list of items.
Figure 42.5 shows a ComboBox
control that uses the range D1:D12 for the ListFillRange and cell A1 for the LinkedCell.
The following is a description of the most useful properties of a ComboBox
control:
BoundColumn
: If the ListFillRange contains multiple columns, this property determines which column contains the returned value.
ColumnCount
: The number of columns in the list.
LinkedCell
: The worksheet cell that displays the selected item.
ListFillRange
: The worksheet range that contains the list items.
ListRows
: The number of items to display when the list drops down.
ListStyle
: Determines the appearance of the list items.
Style
: Determines whether the control acts like a drop-down list or a ComboBox. A drop-down list doesn’t allow the user to enter a new value.
A CommandButton
is most commonly used to execute a macro. When a CommandButton
is clicked, it executes a macro with a name that is made up of the CommandButton's
name, an underscore, and the word Click. For example, if a CommandButton
is named MyButton
, clicking it executes the macro named MyButton_Click
. This macro is stored in the code module for the sheet that contains the CommandButton
.
An Image
control is used to display an image.
The following is a description of the most useful properties of an Image
control:
AutoSize
: If True
, the Image control is resized automatically to fit the image.
Picture: The path to the image file. Click the button in the Properties window, and Excel displays a dialog box so you can locate the image.
A Label
control simply displays text. This control isn’t a very useful for use on worksheets, and a TextBox
control (described later in this list) gives you more versatility.
The ListBox
control presents a list of items, and the user can select an item (or multiple items). It’s similar to a ComboBox
. The main difference is that a ListBox
displays more than one item at a time.
The following is a description of the most useful properties of a ListBox
control:
BoundColumn
: If the list contains multiple columns, this property determines which column contains the returned value.
ColumnCount
: The number of columns in the list.
IntegralHeight
: This is True
if the height of the ListBox adjusts automatically to display full lines of text when the list is scrolled vertically. If False
, the ListBox may display partial lines of text when it is scrolled vertically.
LinkedCell
: The worksheet cell that displays the selected item.
ListFillRange
: The worksheet range that contains the list items.
ListStyle
: Determines the appearance of the list items.
MultiSelect
: Determines whether the user can select multiple items from the list.
OptionButton
controls are useful when the user needs to select from a small number of items. OptionButtons are always used in groups of at least two.
The following is a description of the most useful properties of an OptionButton
control:
Accelerator: A letter that lets the user select the option by using the keyboard. For example, if the accelerator for an OptionButton is C, pressing Alt+C selects the control.
GroupName: A name that identifies an OptionButton as being associated with other OptionButtons with the same GroupName
property.
LinkedCell: The worksheet cell that’s linked to the OptionButton. The cell displays TRUE
if the control is selected or FALSE
if the control isn’t selected.
The ScrollBar
control is useful for specifying a cell value. Figure 42.6 shows a worksheet with three ScrollBar
controls. These ScrollBars are used to change the color in the rectangle shape. The value of the ScrollBars determines the red, green, or blue component of the rectangle’s color. This example uses a few simple macros to change the colors.
The following is a description of the most useful properties of a ScrollBar
control:
Value
: The current value of the control.
Min
: The minimum value for the control.
Max
: The maximum value for the control.
LinkedCell
: The worksheet cell that displays the value of the control.
SmallChange
: The amount that the control’s value is changed by a click.
LargeChange
: The amount that the control’s value is changed by clicking either side of the button.
The ScrollBar
control is most useful for selecting a value that extends across a wide range of possible values.
The SpinButton
control lets the user select a value by clicking the control, which has two arrows (one to increase the value and the other to decrease the value). A SpinButton can display either horizontally or vertically.
The following is a description of the most useful properties of a SpinButton
control:
Value
: The current value of the control.
Min
: The minimum value of the control.
Max
: The maximum value of the control.
LinkedCell
: The worksheet cell that displays the value of the control.
SmallChange
: The amount that the control’s value is changed by a click. Usually, this property is set to 1
, but you can make it any value.
On the surface, a TextBox
control may not seem useful. After all, it simply contains text—you can usually use worksheet cells to get text input. In fact, TextBox
controls are useful not so much for input control but for output control. Because a TextBox can have scroll bars, you can use a TextBox to display a great deal of information in a small area.
Figure 42.7 shows a TextBox
control that contains Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Notice the vertical scroll bar, displayed using the ScrollBars
property.
The following is a description of the most useful properties of a TextBox
control:
AutoSize
: Determines whether the control adjusts its size automatically, based on the amount of text.
IntegralHeight
: If True
, the height of the TextBox adjusts automatically to display full lines of text when the list is scrolled vertically. If False
, the ListBox may display partial lines of text when it is scrolled vertically.
MaxLength
: The maximum number of characters allowed in the TextBox. If 0
, no limit exists on the number of characters.
MultiLine
: If True
, the TextBox can display more than one line of text.
TextAlign
: Determines how the text is aligned in the TextBox.
WordWrap
: Determines whether the control allows word wrap.
ScrollBars
: Determines the type of ScrollBars for the control: horizontal, vertical, both, or none.