Q152259: HOWTO: Sync the StatusBar Text with the ToolTip Text

Article: Q152259
Product(s): Microsoft Visual Basic for Windows
Version(s): 
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbGrpDSVB
Last Modified: 11-JAN-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual Basic Learning Edition for Windows, versions 5.0, 6.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition for Windows, versions 5.0, 6.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition for Windows, versions 5.0, 6.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Standard Edition, 32-bit, for Windows, version 4.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition, 32-bit, for Windows, version 4.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition, 32-bit, for Windows, version 4.0 
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SUMMARY
=======

The Microsoft Windows Common Controls OCX (COMCTL32.OCX) provides a ToolBar
control and a StatusBar control that you can easily implement in your Visual
Basic application. There is no built-in method to synchronize these two controls
such that the StatusBar displays descriptive text for a ToolBar button when the
mouse is currently located over it. This article illustrates how you can
implement this behavior within your Visual Basic application.

MORE INFORMATION
================

Some applications, such as Microsoft PowerPoint, Word, and Excel, will not only
display a helpful tip when the mouse hovers over a ToolBar button, but will also
display more descriptive text in the StatusBar to give the user a definition of
the button's function. Although this feature is not built into the Toolbar and
StatusBar controls in COMCTL32.OCX, there are ways to mimic its effect in a
Visual Basic application as described in the following sample.

Steps to Create Sample
----------------------

1. Create a new Visual Basic project. Form1 is created by default.

2. Select Components from the Projects menu, check "Microsoft Windows Common
  Controls" and Click OK.

3. Add a ToolBar control to Form1.

4. Add a StatusBar control to Form1.

5. Insert two buttons on the ToolBar by right-clicking the ToolBar control,
  selecting "Properties," and then the selecting the Buttons Tab.

6. For the first button, Click "Insert Button" and set these properties:

  Property         Value
  --------         -----
  Tag              Opens a File
  ToolTipText      Open

7. For the second button, Click "Insert Button" and set these properties:

  Property         Value
  --------         -----
  Tag              Closes a File
  ToolTipText      Close

8. Right-click the StatusBar control and click Properties. Click the Panels tab
  and set the AutoSize property of the first panel to "1-sbrSpring."

9. Paste the following code into Form1's code window:

        Private Sub Form_MouseMove(Button As Integer, _
           Shift As Integer, X As Single, Y As Single)
           StatusBar1.Panels(1).Text = ""  ' Clear when not over ToolBar
        End Sub

        Private Sub Toolbar1_MouseMove(Button As Integer, _
           Shift As Integer, x As Single, y As Single)

           Dim Found As Boolean
           Dim ToolBarButton As Variant
           Dim Index As Long

           'Loop through all buttons on the toolbar
           For Index = 1 To Toolbar1.Buttons.Count
              'Set reference to button
              Set ToolBarButton = Toolbar1.Buttons(Index)

              'Check if mouse is positioned over button
              If (x > ToolBarButton.Left) And _
                 (x < (ToolBarButton.Left + ToolBarButton.Width)) And _
                 (y > ToolBarButton.Top) And _
                 (y < (ToolBarButton.Top + ToolBarButton.Height)) Then

                 'Mouse is over button. Now to avoid screen flickering,
                 'check if StatusBar needs updating
                 If StatusBar1.Panels(1).Text <> ToolBarButton.Tag Then
                    StatusBar1.Panels(1).Text = ToolBarButton.Tag
                 End If

                 'Set flag indicating a button was found
                 Found = True

                 'Button has been found, discontinue loop
                 Exit For
              End If
           Next

           If Not Found Then
              StatusBar1.Panels(1).Text = ""
           End If
        End Sub

10. Save and run the sample project. Move the mouse over the two buttons on the
  ToolBar, and note that the appropriate text will be displayed in the
  StatusBar's panel depending on which button, if any, the mouse is positioned
  over.

Additional query words: kbDSupport kbDSD kbCtrl kbVBp500 kbVBp400 kbVBp600 kbVBp

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Keywords          : kbGrpDSVB 
Technology        : kbVBSearch kbAudDeveloper kbZNotKeyword6 kbZNotKeyword2 kbVB500Search kbVB600Search kbVBA500 kbVBA600 kbVB500 kbVB600 kbVB400Search kbVB400
Issue type        : kbhowto

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