ACC97: How to Create Command Bars by Using Visual Basic Code

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In Microsoft Access 97, toolbars, shortcut menus, and menu bars are combined into a single CommandBars collection that you can control programmatically by using Visual Basic for Applications. You can modify any Microsoft Access built-in menu bars or toolbars, and you can create and modify custom toolbars, menu bars, and shortcut menus.

In order to program with command bars, you must set a reference to the Microsoft Office 8.0 Object Library. To do so, open a module in Design view and click References on the Tools menu. Click to select the box next to Microsoft Office 8.0 Object Library. If you do not see that reference in the Available References box, click Browse to search your hard disk for the Mso97.dll file, which is installed by default into the C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office folder.

The following examples create command bars programmatically and assign actions to their controls. Example 1 creates a floating toolbar. Example 2 creates a docked menu bar.

Example 1: Creating a Toolbar

1. Open the sample database Northwind.mdb.
2. Create a module and type the following procedures:

        '****************************************************************
         ' This procedure creates a new toolbar.
         '****************************************************************
         Sub AddNewCB()
            Dim CBar As CommandBar, CBarCtl As CommandBarControl
            On Error GoTo AddNewCB_Err
   
            ' Create a new floating toolbar and make it visible.
            Set CBar = CommandBars.Add(Name:="Sample Toolbar", Position:= _
               msoBarFloating)
            CBar.Visible = True
   
            ' Create a button with text on the bar and set some properties.
            Set CBarCtl = CBar.Controls.Add(Type:=msoControlButton)
            With CBarCtl
               .Caption = "Button"
               .Style = msoButtonCaption
               .TooltipText = "Display Message Box"
               .OnAction = "=MsgBox(""You pressed a toolbar button!"")"
            End With
   
            ' Create a button with an image on the bar and set some
            ' properties.
            Set CBarCtl = CBar.Controls.Add(Type:=msoControlButton)
            With CBarCtl
               .FaceId = 1000
               .Caption = "Toggle Button"
               .TooltipText = "Toggle First Button"
               .OnAction = "=ToggleButton()"
            End With
   
            ' Create a combo box control on the bar and set some properties.
            Set CBarCtl = CBar.Controls.Add(msoControlComboBox)
            With CBarCtl
               .Caption = "Drop Down"
               .Width = 100
               .AddItem "Create Button", 1
               .AddItem "Remove Button", 2
               .DropDownWidth = 100
               .OnAction = "=AddRemoveButton()"
            End With
            Exit Sub
            AddNewCB_Err:
            MsgBox "Error " & Err.Number & vbCr & Err.Description
            Exit Sub
         End Sub
   
         '****************************************************************
         ' This procedure is called from a button on the toolbar.
         ' It toggles the Visible property of another button on the bar.
         '****************************************************************
         Function ToggleButton()
            Dim CBButton As CommandBarControl
            On Error GoTo ToggleButton_Err
            Set CBButton = CommandBars("Sample Toolbar").Controls(1)
            CBButton.Visible = Not CBButton.Visible
            Exit Function
            ToggleButton_Err:
            MsgBox "Error " & Err.Number & vbCr & Err.Description
            Exit Function
         End Function
   
         '****************************************************************
         'This procedure is called from a combo box on the toolbar
         'It adds a button to the bar or removes it
         '****************************************************************
         Function AddRemoveButton()
            Dim CBar As CommandBar, CBCombo As CommandBarComboBox
            Dim CBNewButton As CommandBarButton
            On Error GoTo AddRemoveButton_Err
            Set CBar = CommandBars("Sample Toolbar")
            Set CBCombo = CBar.Controls(3)
            Select Case CBCombo.ListIndex
               'If Create Button is selected, create a button on the bar
               Case 1
                  Set CBNewButton = CBar.Controls.Add(Type:=msoControlButton)
                  With CBNewButton
                     .Caption = "New Button"
                     .Style = msoButtonCaption
                     .BeginGroup = True
                     .Tag = "New Button"
                     .OnAction = "=MsgBox(""This is a new button!"")"
                  End With
               ' Find and remove the new button if it exists.
               Case 2
                  Set CBNewButton = CBar.FindControl(Tag:="New Button")
                  CBNewButton.Delete
            End Select
            Exit Function
            AddRemoveButton_Err:
            ' If the button does not exist.
            If Err.Number = 91 Then
               MsgBox "Cannot remove button that does not exist!"
               Exit Function
            Else
              MsgBox "Error " & Err.Number & vbCr & Err.Description
              Exit Function
            End If
            End Function
   						

3. To test this function, type the following line in the Debug window, and then press ENTER:

   AddNewCB

   Note that a floating toolbar appears on the screen.
4. Click the word "Button" on the toolbar and note the message box that appears.
5. Click the button with the light bulb image and note that "Button" disappears. Click it again and "Button" reappears.
6. Select Create Button in the combo box and note that a button called New Button is added to the toolbar. Select Remove Button in the combo box and note that New Button is removed from the toolbar.

Example 2: Creating a Menu Bar

1. Open the sample database Northwind.mdb.
2. Create a module and type the following procedures:

         ****************************************************************
         ' This procedure creates a new menu bar.
         '****************************************************************
         Sub AddNewMB()
            Dim MBar As CommandBar, MBarCtl As CommandBarControl
            Dim MBarPopup As CommandBarPopup, MBarSubCtl as CommandBarControl
            On Error GoTo AddNewMB_Err
   
            ' Create a new menu bar and dock it on the left.
            Set MBar = CommandBars.Add(Name:="Sample Menu Bar", Position:= _
               msoBarLeft, MenuBar:=True, Temporary:=False)
            ' Make the menu bar visible.
            MBar.Visible = True
            ' Prevent users from undocking the menu bar.
            MBar.Protection = msoBarNoMove
   
            ' Create a popup control on the bar and set its caption.
            Set MBarCtl = MBar.Controls.Add(Type:=msoControlPopup)
            MBarCtl.Caption = "Displa&y"
   
            ' Create 2 controls on the Display popup and set some properties.
            Set MBarSubCtl = MBarCtl.Controls.Add(Type:=msoControlButton)
            With MBarSubCtl
               .Style = msoButtonIconAndCaption
               .Caption = "E&nable ClickMe"
               .FaceId = 59
               .OnAction = "=ToggleClickMe()"
               .Parameter = 1
               .BeginGroup = True
            End With
            Set MBarSubCtl = MBarCtl.Controls.Add(Type:=msoControlButton)
            With MBarSubCtl
               .Style = msoButtonIconAndCaption
               .Caption = "Di&sable ClickMe"
               .FaceId = 276
               .OnAction = "=ToggleClickMe()"
               .Parameter = 2
               .BeginGroup = True
            End With
   
            ' Add another control to the menu bar.
            Set MBarCtl = MBar.Controls.Add(Type:=msoControlButton)
            With MBarCtl
               .BeginGroup = True
               .Caption = "&ClickMe"
               .Style = msoButtonCaption
               .OnAction = "=MsgBox(""You clicked ClickMe"")"
            End With
   
            ' Add a control to make this menu bar invisible and bring back
            ' the system menu bar.
            Set MBarCtl = MBar.Controls.Add(Type:=msoControlButton)
            With MBarCtl
               .BeginGroup = True
               .Caption = "&Show Northwind Menu Bar"
               .Style = msoButtonCaption
               .OnAction = "=SampleMenuDisable()"
            End With
            Exit Sub
            AddNewMB_Err:
            MsgBox "Error " & Err.Number & vbCr & Err.Description
            Exit Sub
         End Sub
   
         '****************************************************************
         ' This procedure uses the Parameter property of a command bar
         ' control to execute a different action depending on which item
         ' you click on a popup menu.
         '****************************************************************
         Function ToggleClickMe()
            Dim MyMenu As CommandBar
            Dim MBarClickMe As CommandBarControl
            On Error GoTo ToggleClickMe_Err
            Set MyMenu = CommandBars("Sample Menu Bar")
            Set MBarClickMe = MyMenu.Controls(2)
            ' The ActionControl property of command bars returns the control
            ' whose OnAction property is running this procedure.
            With CommandBars.ActionControl
               Select Case .Parameter
                  Case 1
                     MBarClickMe.Enabled = True
                  Case 2
                     MBarClickMe.Enabled = False
               End Select
            End With
            Exit Function
            ToggleClickMe_Err:
            MsgBox "Error " & Err.Number & vbCr & Err.Description
            Exit Function
         End Function
   
         '****************************************************************
         ' This function restores the original menu bar. Because there can
         ' only be one system menu bar, you must hide the sample menu bar
         ' when you want to bring back the previous system menu bar.
         '****************************************************************
         Function SampleMenuDisable()
            Application.CommandBars("Sample Menu Bar").Visible = False
            Application.CommandBars("NorthwindCustomMenuBar").Visible = True
         End Function
   						

3. To test this function, type the following line in the Debug window, and then press ENTER:

   AddNewMB

   Note that a docked menu bar appears on the left side of the screen.
4. Click the ClickMe button on the menu and note the message box that appears.
5. Click the Display button, and then click Disable ClickMe. Note that the ClickMe button is dimmed.
6. Click the Display button, and then click Enable ClickMe. Note that the ClickMe button is enabled.
7. Click the Show Northwind Menu Bar button to restore the original system menu bar.