How To Set a Minimum and Maximum Size for a UserControl (190224)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Visual Basic Learning Edition for Windows 5.0
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Learning Edition for Windows 6.0
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition for Windows 5.0
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition for Windows 6.0
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition for Windows 5.0
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition for Windows 6.0
This article was previously published under Q190224

SUMMARY

When you create UserControls in Visual Basic, you may want to limit the size of your UserControl. This article shows how to set a minimum and maximum size for your UserControl so that a developer who uses the control can't size the control past the preset minimum or maximum.

MORE INFORMATION

This example uses a UserControl that is inside a Standard EXE project. You can use the same technique for a UserControl in an ActiveX Control project. When the ActiveX control is built, anyone using the ActiveX control will not be able to size it any larger or smaller then the limits you set inside the UserControl itself.

NOTE: This is only intended to work within Visual Basic applications and may not work in other containers, such as Microsoft Word or Excel.

Steps to Create Sample Project

  1. Create a new Standard EXE project. Form1 is created by default.
  2. Add a UserControl to the Project by clicking Add UserControl on the Projects menu and then clicking Open.
  3. Change the BackColor property of the UserControl to a different color, such as red.
  4. Add two labels to the UserControl.
  5. Add the following code to the code window for the UserControl: 
          Private Sub UserControl_Resize()
      ' Check to see if the control is larger or smaller than the preset
      ' minimum or maximum size.
      ' If it is larger or smaller, set the size of the control.
         Select Case Height
           Case Is < 2400
             Height = 2400
           Case Is > 3600
             Height = 3600
         End Select

         Select Case Width
           Case Is < 2400
             Width = 2400
           Case Is > 3600
             Width = 3600
         End Select
        ' The label reports the height and width of the control in
        ' twips even if the container has a different scalemode.
        Label1.Caption = "Height: " & Height
        Label2.Caption = "Width: " & Width
      End Sub
  6. Close the UserControl and it appears in the ToolBox. Place it on Form1.
  7. Try resizing the UserControl. If you try to make the control larger or smaller then the limit you set in the Resize event of the UserControl, the control returns to the maximum or minimum size.
(c) Microsoft Corporation 1998, All Rights Reserved. Contributions by Brian Combs, Microsoft Corporation
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:7/13/2004
Keywords:kbcode kbCtrlCreate kbhowto KB190224
©2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.