Q190226: HOWTO: Programmatically Add Child Controls to a CoolBar

Article: Q190226
Product(s): Microsoft Visual Basic for Windows
Version(s): WINDOWS:5.0,6.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbcode kbCtrl kbVBp500 kbVBp600 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 
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SUMMARY
=======

When adding a Child control to a CoolBar Band, you must specify the container
argument in the Controls.Add method call, and then set the Child property of a
Band to the new control.

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

The Child property of a CoolBar Band must be a control that is contained by the
CoolBar. Therefore, while the Container argument of the Add method is optional,
it must be supplied in order to add a Child control to a Band of a CoolBar
control.

The Add method of the Controls Collection has these parts:

     object.Add(ProgID, name, container)

Adding a control in this way does not make the control automatically appear
because it is not yet a Child of a Band. Therefore, after you add the control,
set the Child property of the appropriate Band to the new control. The control
now appears. Note that a Band can only have one Child, so attempting to set the
Child property of a Band that already has a Child control produces an error. See
the REFERENCES section of this article for more information.

Step By Step Example
--------------------

1. Start a new Standard EXE project. Form1 is created by default.

2. Select Components from the Projects menu, select "Microsoft Windows Common
  Controls-3 6.0", and click OK.

3. Place a CoolBar control onto Form1. It has three Bands by default.

4. Add two CommandButtons to Form1.

5. Place the following code into the form's module:

        Private Sub Command1_Click()
           Dim MyCtrl As Object
           ' Add a new CommandButton to the first Band.
           Set MyCtrl = Controls.Add("VB.CommandButton", "cmdTest", CoolBar1)
           MyCtrl.Caption = "Test Button"
           Set CoolBar1.Bands(1).Child = MyCtrl  ' place on first Band
           ' Add a new TextBox to the second Band.
           Set MyCtrl = Controls.Add("VB.TextBox", "txtTest", CoolBar1)
           MyCtrl.Text = "Testing Text"
           Set CoolBar1.Bands(2).Child = MyCtrl  ' place on second Band
        End Sub

        Private Sub Command2_Click()
           Dim MyCtrl As Object
           ' Add a new CheckBox to a new Band.
           Set MyCtrl = Controls.Add("VB.CheckBox", "ckTest", CoolBar1)
           MyCtrl.Caption = "Check Test"
           CoolBar1.Bands.Add Child:=MyCtrl, Visible:=True    ' add a Band
           CoolBar1.Bands(CoolBar1.Bands.Count).Width = 1000  ' expand it
        End Sub

6. Run the project and click Command1. You will see a new CommandButton appear
  in the first Band and a new TextBox appear in the second Band.

7. Click Command2 and a fourth Band is added with a new CheckBox. Note that when
  you set the Width property of a Band through code, it is not larger than the
  minimum necessary to accommodate its Child control, but you can resize it
  with the Mouse.

REFERENCES
==========

Visual Basic Online Documentation; search on "Adding Controls to a CoolBar";
search on "Add Method (Controls Collection)"

NOTE: click the "Search titles only" CheckBox in the lower left portion of the
Help Window.

Please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q187232 : HOWTO: Add Multiple Controls to a CoolBar Control Band

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Keywords          : kbcode kbCtrl kbVBp500 kbVBp600 kbGrpDSVB 
Technology        : kbVBSearch kbAudDeveloper kbZNotKeyword6 kbZNotKeyword2 kbVB500Search kbVB600Search kbVBA500 kbVBA600 kbVB500 kbVB600
Version           : WINDOWS:5.0,6.0
Issue type        : kbhowto

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