MENUS, STANDARD CODE MODULES

 

MENUS

 

Menus consist of a menu bar with menu names, each of which drops down to display a list of menu commands. 

To use menu commands to activate a procedure.

 

Defining Menus

To use the Menu Editor window in VB to set up your menus. 

Figure shows the Menu Editor window with the various parts labeled.

The Caption

The Caption property holds the words you want to appear on the screen (just like the Caption property of a label or command button).

Use the ampersand (&) in the Caption to specify the key to use for keyboard access. 

For example, for File, the Caption should be &File.

i.e., Press Alt+F, to open the File menu.

 

The Name

The Name box indicates the name of the menu control, similar to other controls. 

The Name is required.

 

Naming Standards

The three-character prefix for a menu name is “mnu”. 

Therefore, the name for the File menu should be mnuFile.

 

Submenus

The drop-down list of commands below a menu name is called a menu. 

When a command on the menu has another list of commands that pops up, the new list is called a submenu. 

A filled triangle to the right of the command indicates that a menu command has a submenu.

To specify menu names, menu commands and submenu commands by their indentation levels.

Menu names appear at the left of the list box; for a menu command, click on the Right arrow button to indent one level. 

For submenus, click on the Right arrow button again to indent two levels. 

The indentations show as dots (….) in the list box.

 

The Menu List Box

The menu list box contains a list of the menu items you have created and shows their indentation levels. 

You can move an item up or down, left or right by clicking on its name in the list box and clicking on one of the arrow buttons.

&File
….E&xit
&Help
….&About

 

Creating a Menu--Step-by-Step

You are going to create a project with one form and a menu bar that contains these menu items:

File      Help
  Exit      About

 

STEP 1: Display the Menu Editor window by selecting Menu Editor from the Tools menu or clicking on the Menu Editor from the Toolbar button.

STEP2: Type the Caption (&File) and Name (mnuFile) for the first menu.

STEP 3: Click on the Next button or press Enter; the text boxes will clear and the name of your first menu appears in the menu list box.

STEP 4: Click on the Right arrow button, which sets the indentation level for a menu command.

STEP 5: Click in the Caption text box to set the focus and then type the Caption and the Name for the Exit menu command.

STEP 6: Click on the Left arrow (outdent) button to return to the previous level.

STEP 7: Repeat the steps to create the Help menu and the About command indented below it.

STEP8: Click OK when you are finished.  The new menu will appear on your form.

 

Coding for Menu Commands

After create form’s menu bar, it will appear on the form in design time. 

Just select any menu command, in the Code window where write the code.

For example, in design time, open your form’s File menu and choose Exit. 

The Code window will open with the mnuFileExit_Click procedure displayed (assuming you have followed the suggested naming conventions and named the Exit command mnuFileExit).

 

 STEP 1: Code the procedure for the Exit by pulling down the menu and clicking on the word Exit. Type the End statement.

STEP 2: Use a MsgBox statement in the procedure for the Click event of the About on the Help menu.  The Message string should say “Programmed by” followed by your name.

 

Modifying a Menu

In design time, to select any menu item in the list box and its information will appear in the top of the window where you can make modifications if desired. 

To click on the Delete button to delete the selected item or click Insert to insert a new blank line before the selection. 

To change the indentation level of any item, first select it and then click on the Left or Right arrow button. 

To move an item up or down in the list by first selecting it and then clicking on the Up or Down arrow button.

 

Checked and Enabled

A menu command may contain a check mark beside it (checked), or it may be grayed (disabled).

 

STANDARD CODE MODULES

If the procedure will be used in only one form, then it should be included in the code for that form module.  If, in fact, you will need to use the procedure in multiple forms, write the procedure in a standard code module.  A standard code module is a Basic file with the extension .bas, which is added to the project.  Standard code modules do not contain a form, only code.

Create a new standard code module by selecting the Add Module command on the Project menu.  Select Module on the New tab of the Add Module dialog box and click on Open.  A new Code window titled Module1 opens on the screen.  Also note that Module1 is added to your Project Explorer window.  Make sure that Module1 is highlighted in the Project Explorer window and choose Save Module1 from the File menu to give the new file a name.  It is a good idea to name this file the same as your project file unless you plan to use it for multiple projects.  The file extension is .bas by default.

 

 

A standard code module has a General Declarations section and procedures, just like a form module. 

Form the Add Module menu option, you may also select an existing standard code module.  This technique allows you to use a code module in more than one project.