No Edit Menu Access for Property Entry; Use Edit Shortcut Keys

ID Number: Q73800

1.00

WINDOWS

Summary:

The following information applies to Microsoft Visual Basic

programming system version 1.0 for Windows.

The Properties Bar entry window was not designed to handle the Edit

menu commands (such as Cut, Copy, Paste, and Undo) when chosen with

the mouse. The Edit menu commands affect the controls on the form,

not the Properties Bar entry window (even if you first select text in

the Properties Bar entry window before choosing the Edit menu with the

mouse).

Instead of choosing Edit commands with the mouse, you can select the

desired text in the Properties Bar entry window and use the Edit

shortcut keys, as follows:

Command Shortcut Keys

------- -------------

Cut SHIFT+DELETE

Copy CTRL+INSERT

Paste SHIFT+INSERT

Undo ALT+BACKSPACE

(NUM LOCK needs to be off if you select the DELETE or INSERT key

from the numeric keypad.)

More Information:

Example: Edit Menu Cannot Affect Properties Bar Entry Window

------------------------------------------------------------

1. Start Visual Basic.

2. From the File menu, choose New Project.

3. Double-click on a label box from the Toolbox (symbolized by a

capital A in script). This should display a label box on the

form.

4. With the mouse, select the text fragment "Lab" from the "Label1"

Caption in the Properties Bar entry window, and choose Copy from

the Edit menu.

Note: While you may have thought you just copied "Lab" into the

Clipboard, you actually copied the entire Label1 control (from

the form) into the Clipboard. Clicking the Edit menu anywhere

outside the Properties Bar entry window causes the focus to

revert back to the Label1 control on the form.

5. Click on the "Form1" text appearing in the Properties Bar entry

window to set the focus there.

6. From the Edit menu, choose Paste (again, clicking the Edit menu or

anywhere outside the Properties Bar entry window causes the focus to

revert back to the Label1 control on the form.) This causes the

following message box:

"You already have a control named 'Label1'. Do you want to

create a control array?".

Select either the Yes or No command button. Notice that

another copy of the Label1 box will appear in the upper left

corner of the form.

Instead of choosing Edit commands with the mouse, you can select the

desired text in the Properties Bar entry window and use the Edit

shortcut keys. For example, you can select text in the Properties Bar

entry window, then press CTRL+INSERT (while NUM LOCK is off) to copy

text to the Clipboard. You can press SHIFT+INSERT to paste Clipboard

text into the Properties Bar entry window. You can press ALT+BACKSPACE

to Undo a Cut, Copy, or Paste.

Additional reference words: 1.00