XL97: How to Control the Placement of Objects (168651)

MORE INFORMATION

You can attach objects in worksheets to the cells below them using three different placement styles:

   Placement                        Placement
   style                            value       xlConstant
   -----------------------------------------------------------
   Move and size with cells         1           xlMoveAndSize
   Move but don't size with cells   2           xlMove
   Don't move or size with cells    3           xlFreeFloating
				

You can control how objects are attached to cells by using the Format dialog box, the Properties window, or by using Visual Basic macro code.

Using the Format Dialog Box to Control Placement

To format an object's placement style, follow these steps:

1. Select the object.
2. On the Format menu, click the first item. The name of the item corresponds to the type of object that is selected, for example, AutoShape, Control, Selected Chart Area, and so on.
3. Click the Properties tab.
4. Under Object Positioning, click the option for the placement style that you want to use.
5. Click OK.

Using the Properties Window to Control Placement

This method applies only to controls contained in a worksheet. You cannot use this method to format the placement style of other types of objects.

To set the placement style for a control, follow these steps:

1. Right-click the control. On the shortcut menu, click Properties.
2. In the Properties window, double-click Placement.
   
   The number to the right of Placement is selected.
3. Type the appropriate placement value (shown in the table above) for the control. Then, press ENTER.

NOTE: If the Properties window is already visible, it is not necessary to right-click the control. Just select the control, and then double-click Placement to change its placement style.

If you set an invalid Placement value, you receive the following error message: In Microsoft Excel 97, the only valid Placement values are 1, 2, and 3.

Using Visual Basic Code to Control Placement

You can use the Placement Property in Visual Basic for Applications to control the placement style of an object. Here are some examples of how to do this:

   'A control.
   ActiveSheet.Shapes("CommandButton1").Placement = xlMoveAndSize
				

   'An embedded chart.
   ActiveSheet.ChartObjects("Chart 4").Placement = xlMove
				

   'A drawing object or AutoShape.
   ActiveSheet.Shapes("Rectangle 3").Placement = xlFreeFloating