Knowledge Base

PRB: Error 438 Using TabOrder Sample Add-in

Article ID: 192443

Article Last Modified on 5/12/2003

APPLIES TO

This article was previously published under Q192443

SYMPTOMS

When the TabOrder sample Add-In has focus in the Visual Basic integrated development environment (IDE), shortcut keys (such as Alt+F for the File menu) are trapped and not passed properly. This results in the following error message:
Run-time error '438':
Object doesn't support this property or method

RESOLUTION

Follow these steps to edit the TabOrder.vbp project. For the location of this project, see the MORE INFORMATION section later in this article.

  1. Add the following function to the docTabOrder user document: 
          Public Function Hwnd()
         Hwnd = UserDocument.Hwnd
      End Function
  2. Edit the HandleKeyDown procedure in the modMain module to read as follows: 
          Sub HandleKeyDown(ud As Object, KeyCode As Integer, Shift As Integer)
         On Error GoTo ErrExit

         If Shift <> 4 Then Exit Sub
         If KeyCode < 65 Or KeyCode > 90 Then Exit Sub
         If gVBInstance.DisplayModel = vbext_dm_SDI Then Exit Sub

         If hwndMenu = 0 Then hwndMenu = FindHwndMenu(ud.hwnd)

         PostMessage hwndMenu, WM_SYSKEYDOWN, KeyCode, &H20000000
         KeyCode = 0
         SetFocus hwndMenu
         Exit Sub

      ErrExit:

      End Sub

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION

The TabOrder Add-In (TabOrder.vbp), which is supplied as a sample project with Visual Basic, does not trap and pass keystrokes (such as Alt+F) intended for the Visual Basic IDE as it should. Instead, the user receives run-time error 438, as described in the SYMPTOMS section earlier in this article.

The location of this sample may differ depending on the installation of Visual Basic, but you can use the "Find: All Files" dialog box in Windows to find Taborder.vbp.

Steps to Reproduce Behavior in Visual Basic, version 5.0

  1. Locate and open the TabOrder project (Taborder.vbp).
  2. On the File menu, click Make TabOrder.dll and compile the project.
  3. Create a new Standard EXE Visual Basic project. Form1 is created by default.
  4. On the Add-Ins menu, click Add-In Manager and make sure that the VB Add-In Toolbar box is selected.
  5. On the Add-In Toolbar, click the Add/Remove Toolbar Items button and make sure the VB TabOrder Window box is selected. If the add-in is not listed, click the Browse button and go to the folder that contains the compiled TabOrder.dll sample. Click TabOrder.dll, and then click Open to add VB TabOrder Window to the list.
  6. On the Add-In Toolbar, click the VB TabOrder Window button to view the TabOrder window.
  7. While the TabOrder window has the focus, press Alt+F to open the design environment's File menu.

    You receive run-time error 438. The expected behavior is for the File menu to open (drop down).

Steps to Reproduce Behavior in Visual Basic, version 6.0

  1. Locate and open the TabOrder project (Taborder.vbp).
  2. On the File menu, click Make TabOrder.dll and compile the project.
  3. Create a new Standard EXE Visual Basic project. Form1 is created by default.
  4. On the Add-Ins menu, click Add-In Manager. In the Available Add-Ins list, click VB 6 Add-In Toolbar, and then make sure the Loaded/Unloaded box is selected under Load Behavior.
  5. On the Add-In Toolbar, click the Add/Remove Toolbar Items button and make sure the Tab Order Sample Add-In box is selected. If the add-in is not listed, click the Browse button and go to the folder that contains the compiled TabOrder.dll sample. Click TabOrder.dll, and then click Open to add Tab Order Sample Add-In to the list.
  6. On the Add-In Toolbar, click the Tab Order Sample AddIn button to view the TabOrder window.
  7. While the TabOrder window has the focus, press Alt+F to open the design environment's File menu.

    You receive run-time error 438. The expected behavior is for the File menu open (drop down).
To verify the workaround, edit the TabOrder project source code as described in the RESOLUTION section earlier in this article, and then repeat steps 2 through 7.

NOTE: Be sure to unload the TabOrder Add-In from the Add-In Toolbar and any open Visual Basic projects before editing the TabOrder project or permission to recompile the Taborder.dll will be denied. To delete the Tab Order Sample Add-In button from the Add-In Toolbar, click the Add/Remove Toolbar Items button, select Tab Order Sample Add-In in the list, and then click Delete. Click OK.

Additional query words: checked directory

Keywords: kberrmsg kbide kbaddin kbprb kbpending kbcode KB192443


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