Option Buttons, Lists, Combo Boxes, Events

Welcome to Access Beginner 105. In this course you will learn how to use a variety of controls in Microsoft Visual Basic, including option buttons, list boxes, multi-select lists, combo boxes, scroll bars, and the timer control. We will discuss how to add, configure, and manage these controls, as well as the events associated with them. You will see how to use control arrays, set properties, handle user interactions, and use features like the sorted property, ItemData, and formatting with the timer. All course resources and sample files are available on the class website.

Lessons

•  00. Introduction (1:59)
•  01. Option Buttons (9:15)
•  02. List Boxes (12:34)
•  03. Multi-Select Lists (12:52)
•  04. Combo Boxes (10:12)
•  05. Scroll Bars (10:08)
•  06. Timer Control Events (13:46)
•  07. Review & What's Next (3:44)
• Total Runtime: 1 hour 14 minutes

Resources

• Full Course Outline
•  Video ZIP File (30 MB)
•  PDF Handbook
• Certificate of Completion
• Post-Class Survey

Lesson Summary

Welcome! Controls: Option, List, Combo, Events - Welcome to Visual Basic 105. In this course we will work with a variety of controls, including option buttons, control arrays, list boxes, multi-select list boxes, combo boxes, drop-down lists, scroll bars, and the timer control, as well as discuss the events associated with them. You will need to have completed VB104 or earlier courses for the best experience. All course resources, sample files, and the discussion forum are available on the class website. We will be using Microsoft Visual Basic, but the code will be similar across other versions. Follow along by building the provided sample projects.

Lesson 1: Option Buttons & Control Arrays - In Lesson 1, we are introduced to option buttons, which allow users to select one choice from a group of options, such as selecting a prefix like Mr., Mrs., or Miss. We will walk through how to add option buttons to a form, set default values, and use code to check which option is selected. We will also discuss how to use control arrays to manage multiple option buttons more efficiently, and briefly mention how to use frames to group option sets, which will be explained further in a future lesson.

Lesson 2: List Box: Add, Remove, Sort, Settings - In Lesson 2, we are going to learn about list boxes. We will walk through how to add a list box to your form, set its properties, populate it with items, and retrieve selected values in your code. I will show you how to count the list items, loop through them, and determine which item is selected. We will also move items between two list boxes, remove items, clear the list, and use the sorted property. Additionally, we will discuss the appearance and style options for list boxes, including the checkbox style for allowing multiple selections.

Lesson 3: Multi-Select Lists & ItemData - In this lesson we are going to explore how to work with a multi-select list box. We will discuss the different MultiSelect properties, including None, Simple, and Extended, and how they affect user selection. I will show you how to determine which items are selected, move or copy selected items between list boxes, and properly handle adding or removing items programmatically. We will also cover the ItemData property, which lets you associate additional data, such as customer IDs, with each list item. Finally, you will see how to retrieve and display this associated data when needed.

Lesson 4: Combo Boxes & Drop-Down Lists - In this lesson, we will explore combo boxes, covering how to create and use three different types: drop-down combo boxes, simple combo boxes, and drop-down lists. I will show you how to add items to a combo box using code, and discuss their key properties and methods, including how they are similar to and different from list boxes. We will also walk through how to prompt users to add new items if their input is not already in the list, and briefly discuss how to save those values for future use.

Lesson 5: Scroll Bars: Control Values & Events - In this lesson, we will explore how to use scroll bars in Visual Basic to change the value of form elements like a text box. We will discuss the max, min, value, large change, and small change properties of a scrollbar and cover the difference between the change and scroll events and when they fire. I will show you how to set up a vertical scrollbar to control a customer's age field, address direction of value changes, handle default values, manage data type issues, and use both the change and scroll events for real-time updates. We will also touch on using scroll bars to move form objects in future lessons.

Lesson 6: Timer Control: Delays & Daily Events - In this lesson we will explore more timer control options in Visual Basic, including ways to handle longer time intervals such as running events every 10 minutes or once a day. We will walk through using a text box to display the current time, formatting date and time using the Format function, and triggering events at specific times. I will also demonstrate incrementing counters, automatically closing forms after a set period, and enabling or disabling the timer control with a check box. We will briefly discuss more advanced uses, including daily tasks and handling overlapping events.

Lesson 7: Option Buttons, Lists, Combos & Events - In this course we learned about option buttons, controller rays, list boxes, multi-select list boxes, combo boxes, drop-down lists, scroll bars, and other controls, as well as the events associated with them. We also reviewed ways to get help, interact through the course website, provide feedback, join the mailing list, and what you can expect next, including discussions about frames, the Format menu, advanced message box techniques, the Common Dialog control, drive, file and directory list boxes, and animating lines and shapes.

Navigation

• Prev: 104
• Next: 106

Keywords