KB182427 - WD98: How to Create Mutually Exclusive Check Boxes Using VBA

Article ID: 182427

Article Last Modified on 7/13/2007

Microsoft Word 98 for Macintosh

This article was previously published under Q182427

SUMMARY

In Microsoft Word, there is no built-in functionality to force a user to select only one Check Box Form Field out of a group of check boxes.

For example, if you have three check boxes: Yes, No, and Undecided, the user can select more than one at a time. However, you want to limit the user to selecting only one check box.

This article describes a method using Visual Basic for Applications that you can use to force a user to select only one check box from a group of check boxes.

MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied. This includes, but is not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language that is being demonstrated and with the tools that are used to create and to debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific requirements. The following sample Visual Basic for Applications macro demonstrates two groups of check boxes on a form. One group contains check boxes named Yes, No, and Undecided; the other group contains check boxes named True and False. When you select one of the check boxes in the group, the other check boxes are cleared.

   Sub ToggleCheckBoxOnEntry()
      Dim fFields As FormFields
      Dim fSelectedField As FormField
      Set fFields = ActiveDocument.FormFields
      For Each fSelectedField In Selection.FormFields
         ' Form field must be a check box.
         If fSelectedField.Type = wdFieldFormCheckBox Then
            ' Go to the case for the currently selected group.
            Select Case fSelectedField.Name
               ' Yes, No, or Undecided check box group.
               Case "Yes", "No", "Undecided"
                  ' Clear all values.
                  fFields("Yes").CheckBox.Value = False
                  fFields("No").CheckBox.Value = False
                  fFields("Undecided").CheckBox.Value = False
               ' True or False check box group.
               Case "True", "False"
                  ' Clear all values.
                  fFields("True").CheckBox.Value = False
                  fFields("False").CheckBox.Value = False
               ' You can add other Case statements for other groupings.
               ' For example:
               'Case
               '   <Code>
               'Case
               '   <Code>
               Case Else
            End Select
            ' Check the selected formfield.
            fSelectedField.CheckBox.Value = True
         End If
      Next
   End Sub

To use this macro for any check box grouping within your document, assign ToggleCheckBoxOnEntry() as the Entry macro for every Check Box Form Field in the group.

For more information about Select Case statement, click the Office Assistant while in the Visual Basic Editor, type Select Case statement, click Search, and then click to view "Select Case statement."

NOTE: If the Assistant is hidden, click the Office Assistant button on the Standard toolbar. If the Assistant is not able to answer your query, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

176476 OFF: Office Assistant Not Answering Visual Basic Questions

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

181058 OFF98: How to Run Sample Code from Knowledge Base Articles

REFERENCES

For more information about getting help with Visual Basic for Applications, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

163435 VBA: Programming Resources for Visual Basic for Applications

Additional query words: wordcon vb vba vbe

Keywords: kbcode kbdtacode kbhowto kbmacroexample kbprogramming KB182427